![\"Ryan](\"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/133\/2017\/01\/Video-Scoreboard-Control-Room-009.jpg\")
<\/a>Ryan Menley directs the new video board in the stadium on game day.<\/p><\/div>\n
board. And the prank was just one of the ways that Menley and his video board team make sure that fans enjoy this new addition to Spratt Memorial Stadium.<\/p>\n
For every football game this past season, he and his team of nine worked behind the scenes and on the field to enhance the crowd\u2019s game day experience.<\/p>\n
Menley\u2019s office\/broadcast booth on the third floor of the stadium building is a technology-lover\u2019s dream, filled with computers, a large control board, computer monitors everywhere and, in the back of the room, two electronic equipment racks (each as big as a refrigerator). If you don\u2019t want to look out the wall of windows at the real thing, a television screen on the wall shows what\u2019s playing on the video board.<\/p>\n
One computer monitor, two cameras and two filing cabinets, Menley says, are the only remnants of his old office in the Looney Complex that moved into his new space with him. (He was hired in 2010 as a videographer for Athletics.) Everything else is new, including the video editing software, so he said he had to manage quite a learning curve.<\/p>\n
So football guy and tech guy started talking about two years ago, and it was a beautiful thing. \u00a0Noyd conducted extensive research to pick the best and most cost-effective products, and the design and installation of equipment was all done in house. (Menley calls Noyd one of the smartest people he knows.)<\/p>\n Just about the time Menley started wondering how he was going to afford to pay someone to produce the large number of graphics needed for the video board, Jeff Meyer \u201911 called him. Meyer graduated with a theatre and video degree and is a videographer\/editor for the Miami Dolphins NFL team. He saved the day when he volunteered to create graphics for the new board, and he kept sending new ones throughout the entire football season.<\/p>\n \u201cJeff offered to do it for free; he just wanted to give back to Missouri Western,\u201d Menley said. He estimates that Meyer created about 20 graphics for the video board.<\/p>\n Menley said he decided right from the start to use the video board to broadcast the football games rather than just show \u201cfan prompts,\u201d such as \u201cFirst down!\u201d \u201cTouchdown!\u201d and \u201cMake some noise!\u2019 \u201cI am a storyteller first, and this is a very cool way to tell a story,\u201d he said. \u201cI wanted to take fans to the middle of the action.\u201d<\/p>\n With that in mind, Menley hired a crew of five camera operators. For every home game, three filmed the action on the field from the third floor of the stadium building (just down the hall from Menley) and two moved all over Craig Field.<\/p>\n In the broadcast booth with Menley are four more on the team who work behind the scenes, including Ivan Baida, a junior computer science major.<\/p>\n \u201cI loved it. I learned about video production, replays and how to go from one camera to another,\u201d he said. Baida is interested in a career that combines computer information with sports, so this position gave him great experience.<\/p>\n When he found out about Missouri Western\u2019s video board, Trevor Moss \u201911 volunteered to help. At first, Menley thought Moss would be a runner for him, but 10 minutes into the first game, Menley realized he needed a spotter to call out downs and distance information.<\/p>\n \u201cI always loved being involved in game day operations,\u201d said Moss, who graduated with a recreation sport management degree. He currently officiates at high school football games, so he was a good fit for the spotter role.<\/p>\n For every home football game, Menley arrived about five hours ahead of kickoff. About 30 minutes prior to game time, he started directing the camera operators and broadcast booth crew, and he didn\u2019t stop or slow down until the game was over. He stood the entire time and directed nonstop for four quarters and straight through half-time.<\/p>\n We\u2019re feeding the wrong feed, switch cameras! He admitted that prior to each game, he apologized in advance to his crew for any angry outbursts that may happen during the game.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I\u2019m lucky. I\u2019ve got a group that you don\u2019t have to tell something to twice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>He will readily admit that he is not a tech guy, so it was up to Jake Noyd \u201904, operations engineer for the Instructional Media Center, to figure out exactly what was needed to get the video board up and running by the first football game on Sept. 1. Noyd, on the other hand, readily admitted that he was not a football guy. (Menley says Noyd\u2019s first question was, \u201cHow long is an average college football game?\u201d)<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Menley is pleased that four of those involved in game day production were Missouri Western students. \u201cYou can\u2019t duplicate the hands-on experience,\u201d he said. \u201cBetween broadcasting, video and sports, we are teaching them how to be pretty well rounded.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>Ready 5, nice job.
\n<\/em>4 and 5, I need to cut to you.
\n<\/em>Okay, there\u2019s Max, Max is up.
\n<\/em>Fumble, fumble. Somebody get me a replay. Good job.<\/a>
\n<\/em>Get ready, defense, in case we get a good stop.
\n<\/em>Pan down, please.
\n<\/em>If that\u2019s the worst that can happen today, then we\u2019re okay.
\n<\/em>2 go wide; wide shot, please.
\n<\/em>Wow. We almost know what we\u2019re doing here. <\/em><\/p>\n