revolution in entertainment production is taking place in Derry, NH. At the forefront is Tim Messina ’06, whose Plymouth State experience in the Hartman Union Building (HUB) has evolved into two companies, Studio Lab and Events United, that are redefining live events and media creation.
Messina’s journey is a testament to the power of adaptability, curiosity, and a relentless pursuit of innovation. “It started when I arrived at Plymouth in 2002,” Messina recalls. “I fell in love with audio mixing.” His passion for managing productions ignited a spark that continues to fuel his entrepreneurial spirit.
Studio Lab is a space where virtual production, augmented reality, and immersive experiences converge. Events United handles large-scale live events with cutting-edge technology—from concerts to political rallies across the country.
The recording studio features all the most leading-edge music and postproduction workflows, while the larger production studios contain the most advanced video production equipment, including cinema robotics, motion capture, and virtual production.
Messina’s vision goes far beyond technical proficiency. He created a space where the world’s top artists could rehearse and develop their large-scale production while empowering aspiring local creatives to bring their dreams to life by giving them access to the same cutting-edge tools and technology.
A perfect example of this collaboration involved Ian, Wesley, and Kady Messina (Tim’s nephews and niece), along with the popular artist JVKE. They used the studios to create content for JVKE’s sold-out tour, including a time-lapse of Kady painting a portrait of JVKE. Wesley and Ian then brought the painting to life with a series of AI-generated and digital animations layered over the physical artwork. The result became the intro for JVKE’s tour.
“I want to scan the environment we’re working in and create a 3D model of it,” Messina says. “As you walk by, we’ll map your perspective in real time, so the image essentially becomes a window into the past. The goal is that you won’t need to wear AR glasses or look through your phone—it just happens right in front of your eyes.” Art imitating life, powered by innovation.
His companies gained significant attention after hosting its first virtual concert during the pandemic featuring the Dropkick Murphys, which drew an estimated audience of 40 million viewers. This event, coupled with their early adoption of virtual production technology, placed Studio Lab and Events United at the forefront of their respective industries.
“That’s the moment that everything changed for us,” Messina recalls.
Events United later worked on a virtual event at Studio Lab that featured a 3D virtual reality experience. Unlike a traditional film shoot using a single camera, the client needed three cameras to capture multiple angles, like a news broadcast.
Messina’s team worked around the clock for two weeks with Disguise, a company that builds media servers for the live events industry, to develop an innovative solution, and Disguise later incorporated the new feature into their systems. Events United and Studio Lab made headlines by doing what no one had ever done before.
Tim Messina and his team are leaders in a field that is constantly transforming. Yet he often thinks back to his time at Plymouth State. “That’s where it all started for me,” he says. “Back in the HUB.” ■ Rodney Ekstrom ’09G is Plymouth State’s director of alumni relations