With less than 50 days until the grand opening of Wallis Annenberg Hall, here is an updated look at the latest developments, courtesy of USC Annenberg Facilities and Technologies team member Joel Zink and the regularly updated construction blog, “Building Wallis Annenberg Hall.” June 19: Check out the video below to see the building’s completed exterior, landscape and hardscape from Lazarro Plaza (on the corner of Childs and Watt Way, next to Cromwell Field).

June 23: “With a plethora of video and audio production equipment, the broadcast control room is the nerve center of the TV production areas,” writes Zink. “With equipment coming online, the complicated connectivity of these areas is the focus of the broadcast integrators.” June 25: Carpenters have been hard at work in the media center. According to Zink, the central video switcher, audio switchers, headphone panels and intercom panels are all “cut into the desktops of custom millwork.”

June 27: As the grand opening approaches, the contractors are preparing to train USC Facilities Management and Annenberg Facilities staffs on aspects of the new building, such as door hardware, backup generator operations, and window shade operation and upkeep. “This allows for the groups who will maintain the building to ask questions and gain valuable insight to the various systems,” writes Fink. July 1: Last week, training sessions began in the media center. People are learning how to use equipment such as the video switcher, audio transport system, media halo and intercom system. According to Zink, “the training sessions are usually in conjunction with the commissioning of the system and are done by experts brought in specifically for the startup and training.” More photos of Wallis Annenberg Hall are available here.