Southeast Missouri State Sharpens Its Television & Film Productions Using Marshall Monitors

Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) is a regional university located in Cape Girardeau, Mo., with over 12,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate level courses. Dr. Jim Dufek has been the manager of the TV & Film department, (a segment of the Mass Media Department), at SEMO for many years. He’s an experienced professor and regularly instructs his students with hands-on tutorials on how to broadcast content in a professional manner and film compelling imagery for important story-telling narratives.

Marshall Electronics got a chance to chat with Dr. Dufek about how Marshall Monitors help him teach the next generation about high-quality television and film production work.

Marshall Electronics: Which Marshall Monitors do you currently use?

Dr. Dufek: The Marshall Monitors we use in the studio are Marshall V-LCD171MD-DTs, and for our field cameras we use Marshall V-LCD70MD-3G Camera Top Monitors.

Marshall Electronics: Why are these your preferred monitors?

Dr. Dufek: Marshall Monitors have helped us improve the quality of our programming. The clarity these monitors provide for our in-studio, sporting events, and cultural arts programming is easily recognized.

Southeast Missouri State Mass Media Department Control Room
Dr. Jim Dufek instructing students in the broadcast control room at Southeast Missouri State University’s TV & Film Department.

Marshall Electronics: What are some of the biggest challenges when it comes to live broadcasting at SEMO? How do Marshall Monitors help your team overcome these challenges?

Dr. Dufek: When shooting sports in an open environment with sun, rain, and clouds, the Marshall Monitors allow students to create and produce a better shot. In a darkened theatre, what the camera sees is what the audience should see from the live performance. The Marshall Monitors help us capture the mood and emotional element that is attached to the story. And our in-studio control room monitors help match the five cameras to precisely create a continuity of perfection. We’re in the education business, and it’s our job to create great storytellers by capturing live events, producing news content, and short stories. With the right tools, the students can see the difference and do a better job. Marshall Monitors help make that happen.

Marshall Electronics: How did you first come across Marshall Electronics products?

Dr. Dufek: Our department engineer, Tom White, and I work closely on what equipment we need to complete our programming tasks. We frequently discuss which components we can bring in that will improve the quality of our programming and deliver the best performance for the value.

Modern Communications in St. Louis, Mo., has been our primary vendor for our equipment needs for over 30 years. We have worked closely with Bill Johnson, [a SEMO alum] who helps identify the best pieces of equipment for the best price to make our program successful. It was Bill that introduced us to Marshall Electronics and showed us how and why [Marshall Monitors] could positively impact our equipment purchase and increase the quality of our programming content. Bill also works closely with David Hubble, a regional sales manager for Marshall Electronics, who is a proud SEMO alum as well. 

Southeast Missouri State student trains on Marshall Monitors
T.V. and Film Students at Southeast Missouri State work on a variety of programming to help hone their skills for storytelling.

Marshall Electronics: How do you see live broadcasting technology evolving over the next five years and how do you think that will impact smaller broadcasting teams like yours at Southeast Missouri State University?

Dr. Dufek: Our industry changes by the second — literally. The social media platforms have changed how we use equipment for acquisition and now distribution: how we shoot and edit, and how it is seen. Technology has made it so much easier to capture and share everything that is happening – and that’s a good thing. But we must not forget there is still a demand for higher-quality programming: with premium lighting, sound, special effects, acquisition, etc.

Social media outlets are great for sharing content from smartphones and tablets, but when you really want to see something that is culturally significant and entertaining, then the professional equipment is still necessary to make the best-looking picture with the best equipment. I think that equipment manufacturers will adapt and make more prosumer and consumer-friendly equipment that will make everyone a better storyteller. The professional storyteller still needs the high-end stuff and I’m hopeful that we will still have a distinction of really good stuff made by consumers and exquisite movies and TV shows made by professionals.

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