Behind the Camera

Northern State University, a school known for its growing education, business, and science programs. But tucked away on campus is a creative space that many students don’t realize exists. Inside of Dakotah Hall and the IT Building, students are stepping behind cameras, into studios, and onto green screens while gaining hands-on experience to show their video production skills.

Students learn through a variety of programs that allow them to gain hands-on experience, one of which is NSU TV. The channel produces shows such as Inside NSU, featuring interviews with faculty. They also cover campus events, such as ribbon cuttings and university announcements. Students also participate in Tracking the Wolves, a late-night-style show which highlights NSU athletes. Additionally, students more interested in audio production can lead Behind the Pack, a podcast focused on student life and athletics which offers weekly recaps.

There are many opportunities for students in Northern’s Digital Media program within the School of Fine Arts. It’s a degree that blends film, broadcasting, and interactive media with design theory, art history, and hands-on production. The program has grown in recent years, shaped by new facilities and classes designed to help students learn all types of media.

“We don’t train students just to use tools,” said Jason Knowles, an assistant professor and known figure in the school’s film and broadcast expansion. “We train them to think through problems, tell stories responsibly and adapt when the technology changes.”

Jensen Eckart and Jason Knowles.

A Program that Explores Many

Northern’s Digital Media program shows all types of media. Here, students can study visual culture and theory alongside studio-based courses, all while learning how creative decisions function within historical and contemporary contexts.

Within the Digital Media degree, students can choose between emphases in Graphic Design and Film/Broadcast/Interactive Media Production (FBI emphasis). The FBI emphasis has seen a strong enrollment.

The FBI emphasis follows a structured progression. Students typically begin with a documentary and filmmaking class, which Knowles describes as foundational as it intersects with journalism, narrative work, and cross-disciplinary storytelling. From there, students can move into broadcasting, advertising and sportscasting, or narrative filmmaking and video streaming. Podcasting and sound design courses round out the sequence, giving students experience across audio and visual platforms.

“Journalism has to stick to the facts. Narrative has more creative freedom. Documentary lives in between,” Knowles said. “Understanding those differences matters.”

Students are encouraged to explore multiple areas before narrowing their focus, depending on their interests and career goals.

Studios at Northern

Much of the program’s recent momentum can be tied to the Moving Imagery Lab, a film and television green screen studio. The lab was completed in October of 2022 after Knowles renovated an unused room in Dacotah Hall. The $50,000 renovation transformed the room into a green-screen studio capable of supporting filmmaking, virtual production and broadcast-style shows. One such show is the Wolves Pregame Show, which is produced by students and streams before home football and basketball games.

“What this space lets us do is push things further,” Knowles said. “Students can design their own environments and think visually at a higher level.”

Students have been able to use the space to film cooking shows and newscast shows for their own short films. 

Alongside the lab, the department added a podcasting studio and audio production space known as The C.A.V.E.. This area supports sound design, music recording, and radio-style productions. The Technology building also has a studio to record shows at NSU TV. 

Students are encouraged to explore multiple areas of study before narrowing down their focus. Some classes teach elements like sound design and recording.

Students in the Program

For students in the program, the small size of Northern’s Digital Media department has created space to not only learn, but also help shape what the program becomes.

One such instance is Jensen Eckart, a digital media student with an emphasis in film production from Watertown, South Dakota. Eckart said he did not originally come to Northern planning to pursue filmmaking. He entered with an emphasis in graphic design, but the introductory digital media course changed that direction.

“Being on set for the first time really gave me a feel for it,” Eckart said. “I realized this was something I could actually see myself doing.”

Eckart also pointed out that faculty support played a key role in his shift. When he expressed interest in film, Knowles helped him adjust his academic path to align with his creative goals.

“If you have an interest and you talk with him about it, he’ll work with you on how it fits into your classes,” Eckart said. “Northern has been a jumping-off point for me to research different styles of filmmaking and storytelling.”

“There is so much opportunity here that people don’t realize.” – Maggie Kruger, NSU sophomore student.

Access to equipment, collaborators, and mentorship has been just as important. Eckart said the program provided him with the resources to bring ideas to life — from actors and crew members to studio spaces and technical gear.

“I had the creativity,” he said. “Northern gave me the means to do it.”

Eckart also said that NSU has helped him build meaningful connections. He hopes to see more students join the program, along with expanded growth in equipment to help students better showcase their creative work.

Eckart has worked on three productions throughout the program in just two years, gaining hands-on experience he said would be difficult to find in a larger department. He credits the program’s collaborative culture for helping him grow both creatively and personally.

“When I walk into a classroom here, it feels like walking into a group of friends, it’s super welcoming.” says Eckart.

That sense of opportunity is echoed by Maggie Kruger, a digital media major from Milbank, South Dakota, who balances film production with her role as a student-athlete on Northern’s track and field team.

Kruger is heavily involved in NSU TV and Behind the Pack. She also works in sports photography and videography, creating content for football, track and field, and social media platforms.

“There is so much opportunity here that people don’t realize,” Krueger said. “We just need more people who are passionate enough to grow it.”

Krueger said she never expected to take on an on-camera role with her shows, describing herself as someone who was scared of public speaking. But through the program, she found herself hosting shows, producing interviews and leading content initiatives.

“It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways I never imagined,” she said.

While the program offers growing opportunities, Kruger said that its size also presents challenges. Limited staffing and enrollment mean students often juggle multiple roles in productions.

“We don’t have the numbers to do everything we want yet,” she said. “But the passion is here.”

Kruger with her camera, as she takes photos around Northern’s campus.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Knowles emphasizes that he wants his students to take their skills beyond Aberdeen. Internships are required for FBI students, and he strongly encourages students to go outside South Dakota to expose students to different markets and production cultures.

“The technology will change everywhere you go,” he said. “What matters is knowing how to find a story, how to problem-solve, and how to work with people.”

That approach has paid off. Northern students and alumni recently won multiple awards at the 48Create film competition in Aberdeen. Awards included Best Film, Best Cinematography and People’s Choice for their short film, Vile, produced in just 48 hours. Some have even gotten jobs in the industry after graduating. 

According to Northern’s Newsletter, each October, FBI students also present the Spook-Spectacular Radio Show live at the historic Krikac Theater, honoring the anniversary of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast.

National Recognition and Collaboration

Earlier in 2025, Knowles received a national award from the New Media Film Festival for his short film, Ever So Faintly I See, which was a project created in collaboration with former students, colleagues, and community members. The recognition brought attention to Northern’s FBI program, which was also featured in South Dakota Magazine for its role in expanding filmmaking across the state.

The program’s reach extends beyond the art department. Digital media students regularly collaborate with theater, music, business, and sports students, as well as campus media services. A prime example of this is the new Sports Media minor, which connects production students with sports marketing and administration. Additionally, grants have supported partnerships with marketing and communications courses to create advertising content for real clients.

The program has also started recruiting efforts with high schools across the state, offering workshops in filmmaking, podcasting and sportscasting, which is sometimes led by students themselves.

Students at Northern are able to gain hands-on experience that can be difficult to find in larger departments.

A Program Still Growing

Despite its growth, Knowles describes the program as intentionally unfinished. Curriculum redesigns are still ongoing, with discussions around expanding screenwriting, integrating artificial intelligence tools responsibly, and strengthening video journalism through collaboration with Northern’s student newspaper, The Exponent.

Knowles, Kruger, and Eckart would like to see more people in such a small program.

Knowles says that he would like to see a proper journalist newscast show in the near future, but needs people to help out.

“What sets the program apart is its scale,” says Knowles. “Northern is small enough that we don’t have silos. If a student comes in with an idea and it fits within the framework, we’ll find a way to make it work.”

For students interested in film, broadcasting or interactive media, Northern’s Digital Media program offers more than technical training. It offers a space to experiment, fail, collaborate and refine. Despite being a small program that’s still young, it’s making a name for itself. //