Boston
University’s Department of Film &Television is
taking the first steps toward establishing itself as a
center for innovative television. This groundbreaking
initiative calls for students and faculty to write and
produce television projects through creative and
financial partnerships with outside
companies.
“Our colleagues in the sciences have long forged
alliances with the
commercial
sector and the government,” says Department Chair
Charles
Merzbacher.“These
arrangements have been a two-way street: the outside
world
has
underwritten research in the academy, while that
research in turn has yielded
significant
discoveries and useful products. We’re asking why
that same model can’t be applied to the development
of motion pictures.”
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| Boston University’s Professor Paul Schneider with his screenwriting class in January of 2005. Screen lift courtesy of mtvU |
Professor Schneider and class consider the potential of a student-produced sitcom pilot for
mtvU. Screen lift courtesy of mtvU. |
In
May, mtvU, MSN and Boston University (BU) announced a
unique collaboration to create a television series
pilot produced entirely by BU students. The pilot will
premiere on mtvU – the 24 hour channel devoted
entirely to college students – early next year. mtvU
has embarked on a yearlong journey to document
students from BU’s acclaimed Film and Television
Department and the School of Theatre Arts at the
College of Fine Arts, as they develop, write, cast,
produce and star in an original sitcom pilot of their
design. Production of
the
pilot itself will be made possible by MSN, which will
also provide back-end tech support throughout the
production process.
mtvU
began following Professor Paul Schneider’s
“Advanced Television Writing”
class
in January 2005. Each student in the class has pitched
Schneider – himself a former television director
(episodes of “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Jag,” and
THE
MENENDEZ
MURDERS, a TV movie for Fox) – their ideas, and each
has begun
writing
a script. Five scripts are now being read by a panel
of judges in Los Angeles. The panel includes Ted
Harbert (President and CEO of E! Networks), Gary
Newman (President of Twentieth Century Fox
Television), Ruthanne Secunda (Endeavor Talent
Agency), Ross Martin (Head of Programming, mtvU),
Cheryl Dolins (Senior Vice President, Comedy
Development, NBC) and Greg Malins (Executive Producer
of “Will and Grace” and former Executive Producer
of “Friends”).
These
judges will select one student’s script for
production. Come fall, production of the pilot will
take place under the umbrella of an eight-credit
course called The New Television Workshop.A group of
students drawn from both the Film and Television sides
of our Department as well as from our graduate and
undergraduate programs have been specially selected
for this course. They will produce the winning script
under the direction of Professor Schneider.A small
team of professional mentors will also advise the
students as they learn their roles in the camera,
lighting, sound or production management departments.
The
entire BU sitcom process will air on mtvU for a total
of three weeks (two
original
programming hours per week), building to a finale
during the third week,
when
the pilot will world premiere on mtvU, reaching over
725 colleges and universities.
“At
its heart, this partnership with mtvU is about
unlocking an educational opportunity for our students
and creating an exciting and unique platform from
which they can showcase their creativity and
talent,” says Professor Paul Schneider.“We are
delighted to be involved and look forward to some
great programming.”
“The
moment Professor Schneider contacted us about his
class,” said Ross Martin, mtvU’s Head of
Programming,” we knew this project embodied the very
premise upon which mtvU was built. We’re thrilled
that, together with Boston University and MSN, mtvU is
providing college students with yet another
unprecedented
opportunity to showcase their talent, creativity and
passion on a
national
scale.
The
three-way collaboration of mtvU, Boston University and
MSN creates a uniquely innovative opportunity to
showcase MSN Messenger.The students
were
recently informed by Professor Schneider that MSN will
sponsor
production
of the pilot, and that they will, in turn, integrate
MSN Messenger creatively into the storyline.
Furthermore,
MSN Messenger will be an integral part of the
pilot’s casting process, as students use the service
to cast several roles for the production of the pilot.
Viewers can track progress of the BU student team via
a weekly weblog, written by the winning student
writer, that will appear on www.mtvU.com, www.msn.com
and www.bu.edu.
“We’re
very excited to join forces with mtvU on this
program,” said Anupam
Gupta,
Director Product Management of MSN Messenger for
Microsoft Corp.“This is a great opportunity to
support an innovative educational opportunity while
also showcasing how MSN Messenger can help customers
stay connected with people they care about.”
“mtvU
is proud to be the conduit for advertisers to connect
with the college
audience
in innovative new ways,” says Carolyn Everson,
National Director,Ad
Sales,
mtvU.“While the marketplace is talking about the
next evolution of product
placement,
mtvU is already serving as an incubator where
advertisers can take
integration
to the next level.”
mtvU
is the largest, most comprehensive television network
just for college students. 24hrs a day, 7days a week,
mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers,
student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout
the U.S. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college
life, reaching students everywhere they hang out,
through a three pronged approach -- on-air, online and
on campus. mtvU focuses on content including music
programming,
news,
student life features, events, pro-social initiatives
and more.
For more information about mtvU, and for a complete
programming schedule, visit www.mtvu.com.
MTV
Networks owns and operates the cable television
programming services MTV: Music Television, MTV2, mtvU,
Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite,TV Land,VH1,
CMT:
Country Music Television, and Spike TV, as well as The
Digital Suite from MTV Networks, a package of thirteen
digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV
Networks. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint
ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals
whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.
Boston
University’s College of Communication, with an
enrollment of more than 2,300 graduate and
undergraduate students, specializes in journalism,
film and television, mass communication, advertising
and public relations.The Television Program has
concentrations in production, screenwriting and
management.
Press
releases from Boston University and mtvU were combined
along with a conversation with Charles Merzbacher,
BU’s Department of Film and Television
Chair,
to compile this article. PUB
