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NEWS
MU instructor starts own TV show
Jamie LoFiego, right, a Marshall University professor and host of the university’s late-night talk show “Up Late,” interviews student Francesca Karle about her upcoming documentary “Back to the Bottle,” during a recent filming of the show.
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HUNTINGTON -- It has all of the characteristics of a late night talk show; comedy sketches, musical and celebrity guests, a co-host and desk. But Marshall University's student-produced show "Up Late" has one thing that David Letterman and Jay Leno don't have: Teacher and show host Jamie LoFiego.
As the teacher of the introduction to video production course, LoFiego wanted his students to create, produce, edit and shoot their own TV show to be shown locally through Marshall's School of Journalism. Instead of just teaching students about studio production, LoFiego said he wanted his students to get hands-on experience. The result was "Up Late."
"The kids in the class have an opportunity to learn a bit about everything. When you learn hands-on, that's how you progress," LoFiego said. "The students get graded on how well they perform, but more importantly on their enthusiasm."
In only a short time, LoFiego has made an obvious impact with his students as several of his former students volunteer, for no extra class credit, to help produce the show. Ryan Vance, a junior electronic media management major, is one of those students.
"Everything I know about video production, I've learned from this show," Vance said. "I just like the way he conducts the class. You're not sitting in a class reading a book about how to operate a camera, you are actually operating a camera yourself."
Getting into the mindset of college students and grabbing their attention wasn't too difficult for a teacher who received his bachelor's in broadcast journalism from Marshall in 2002. Following his graduation, LoFiego worked with local TV station WSAZ NewsChannel 3 as a news segment director.
LoFiego was responsible for directing the Saturday morning newscast. After working with WSAZ for three-and-a-half years, LoFiego was offered a teaching position with Marshall University.
LoFiego began teaching the introduction to video production course but wanted his students to do more than just read about video production in textbooks. So in 2007, LoFiego posed the question "What type of show do you want to produce?" to his students. The class, which had only a handful of students at the time, decided to produce a weekly late-night talk show that would be aired locally on Comcast Channel 25 beginning April 5, 2007.
After deciding on the format of the show, the next step was to find a host. The students didn't have to look far.
"We were in charge of finding a host," Vance said, "And since Jamie was always cracking jokes in class, we wanted him to be the host."
Though LoFiego turned them down at first, LoFiego thought it would be better for the show to have a consistent host instead of looking for a new one every semester.
After six shows on the local public access channel, WSAZ picked up the show to be aired Saturdays at 11 p.m. on MyZ. Students, now and then, are in charge of scouting the talent and performers, directing, producing, filming extra video elements and editing. While the show, band performances and celebrity interveiws take place on Wednesday, LoFiego said the students work the entire week to have a 30-minute show ready for Saturday.
Though they might have the same format as "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and the "Late Show with David Letterman," LoFiego said they have run into problems they were not expecting, such as finding audience members and guests.
"It's a student-produced show, we'll take anybody," he joked. "It's difficult trying to get audience members for the show. When Donnie Jones came to the show, there were two people clapping for him, and that was both of the camera operators."
While they are a small, student-produced show, "Up Late" has had its fair share of famous guests including comedian Aries Spears and 2006 World's Strongest Man Phil Pfister. LoFiego said he and the class are working to bring more famous guests on the show. After 26 shows on TV, LoFiego said he's proud to see how the show has progressed since its inception.
"The show's gotten a lot better since our first episode. Now it's much smoother," LoFiego said. "People seem to be enjoying it. We're shown in 56 counties in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio."
NAME: Jamie LoFiego
HOMETOWN: Barboursville, W.Va.
EDUCATION: Bachelor's in broadcast journalism from Marshall University, 2002
OCCUPATION: Video production teacher at Marshall
FAMILY: Wife, Audrey; Daughter, Amy
HOBBIES: Running and spending time with his daughter
