Background

At Rowan University’s Ric Edelman College of Communication and Creative Arts, the media landscape of tomorrow is being shaped today. As virtual production, high dynamic range (HDR) finishing, and real-time content creation move from the cutting edge into industry standard, Rowan has placed itself at the heart of that transformation.

With a mission to prepare students for the realities of modern storytelling, the school has invested deeply in technology, partnerships, and pedagogy that blur the line between learning and doing.

“We are one of the fastest-growing film programs in the country,” says Joseph Bierman, Professor of Film and Chair of Radio, Television, and Film.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have the support of the university to invest in facilities and hardware, and having partners like ASUS has been transformational.”

The School’s integration of ASUS ProArt hardware across its virtual production stage, post-production labs, and advanced color suites, embodies its commitment to real-world, professional-standard education.

Solution

The deployment of ASUS technology across Rowan’s facilities has been curated not just for capability, but for workflow precision and creative flexibility. Each product was selected to serve a specific role in the production and post-production process.

Virtual Production Stage: Real-Time, On-Set Control

At the heart of Rowan’s virtual production setup is the ProArt Display PA24US. This 24-inch HDR monitor is equipped with 12G-SDI connectivity, allowing direct video input from high-end cinema cameras without adapters.

“We can plug SDI straight from the camera into the PA24US and see everything we’re doing in Unreal,” says Jonathan Mason, Assistant Professor of Radio, Television, and Film.
“It’s rugged, mountable, comes with a built in colorimeter and is built for on-set use. It’s exactly what you want on a DIT cart.”

Accompanying the PA24US is the PA329CV, used as a GUI monitor to navigate and control Unreal Engine and virtual environments. Its accurate 4K display ensures consistency and clear interface management for operators.

Powering the lighting control system for the entire stage is the ASUS NUC 14 Pro, a compact workstation-class PC that runs DMX lighting software with ease. “It’s small, quiet, and powerful enough to control all the grid lights overhead,” Mason explains. “Plus, with the toolless chassis, it’s simple and safe to maintain and modify.”

Visual feedback for the lighting operator is provided via the PA278CFRV, a versatile 27" monitor offering precise color and flicker-free low blue light tech, ideal for long working hours under production conditions.

Post-Production & Color Grading Suite: Precision Finishing

In the university’s dedicated color grading suite, students work on the ProArt Display PA32UCG, an HDR monitor with 1600-nit peak brightness, true 10-bit color, and support for multiple HDR standards including Dolby Vision.

“It’s the only monitor I trust for grading,” says Mason.
“You’re seeing the full range of brightness and color. It’s the same gear that’s in top post houses, and our students get to use it every day.”

This environment is supported by two key laptops – the ASUS ProArt Studiobook P16, a mobiles powerhouse with RTX graphics and deep color accuracy, and the Zenbook Duo, whose dual-screen design allows for multitasking and layout flexibility, making it ideal for video editing, VFX, and compositing work.

“The Zenbook Duo is great for Resolve or Premiere—it lets you move scopes or tool panels to the second screen, so the main display stays clean. Meanwhile the ProArt P16 OLED has incredible processing power with a cutting edge GPU that allows us to render projects in Unreal Engine on the move, something that should be impossible. It’s also really cool that these laptops are built to military toughness standards, handy when they are being used by students on the go.” Mason notes.

Impact

Through its adoption of ProArt technology, Rowan has built professional workflows directly into the curriculum. Students aren’t just learning concepts—they’re using the exact same tools, monitors, and software configurations they’ll encounter in high-end studioses and production houses.

“Our students are working with cinema cameras, Unreal Engine, and HDR color from day one,” says Mason.
“By the time they graduate, they’re walking into jobs with full confidence—and with work in their portfolioses that’s ready for festivals or client pitches.”

Bierman emphasizes how the ASUS partnership contributes to the School’s growing national reputation:

“Our students are doing work that’s on par with top graduate programs, and that’s before they even finish their undergrad.
Having ASUS as a partner lets us build spaces where that kind of excellence becomes normal.”

And for a school focused on staying ahead of the creative curve, that alignment between technology and ambition is critical.

“What makes ASUS stand out is that they’re not just building powerful machines—they’re building them for creative people,” Bierman continues.
“We’re not adapting general-purpose computers into our workflow. These machines were made for what we do.”

The Toolkits For Success

Looking Forward

For Jonathan Mason, the integration of ASUS ProArt isn’t just a hardware win—it’s a philosophical fit.

“ASUS understands that technology should serve creativity. That’s what makes them the right partner.”

At Rowan University, this ethos is already paying dividends. Students graduate with the confidence, experience, and tools they need to thrive in a changing media landscape, ready not just to meet industry standards, but to set the standards.