When I first came to BU, I was super excited to get involved in as many clubs as I could, and that’s what I did. I tried out lots of different clubs, and I’m still in some of them, but there’s one I want to highlight in this blog post: BUTV, the student operated TV channel.
I knew I wanted to be involved in a dance club and a theater group, but something I was really excited about was joining one of the shows on BUTV. There were so many to choose from, but one really stuck out to me- COED, the comedy mockumentary. So, I emailed the producers and signed up! I was assigned the role of a production assistant, more commonly known as a PA, and we started out shoots for the new season. I’ll admit, I was really nervous to get started. Even though I am a Film & TV major, I had never been involved with any type of production before. I was worried I would be too inexperienced, and have no clue what I was doing on set. I couldn’t have been more wrong. From the moment I arrived at our first shoot, I immediately felt welcomed on set. Everyone was super nice, and I instantly felt as though I had been in this club before. Within the first two weekends of shooting, I was already learning how to use the audio recording equipment, and recording scenes to be used in the final product. This meant that when I started my first film course my second semester, I already knew how to use the equipment we were talking about in class.
Something else special about this club is that it’s really easy to gain experience, and take on new roles in the show. For example, I started as a PA, and after the first semester the producers offered the role of Script Supervisor to me. This meant that at every shoot for the next season, I would take notes about the scenes to send to the editors, as well as make sure continuity was kept in every take. Then, when this next semester came around, I applied for the role of Head of
Marketing. I wasn’t sure that I would get it, but I figured I would at least try. And, I got it! Now I make fliers and run the social media page to help increase interest in our show, and it’s been such a great experience. Also, I run our Instagram account- @coedbutv. You should follow it.
The main takeaway from this is that it’s really easy to gain experience in BUTV, as well as having a bigger role on set. If you are a Film & TV major, or even just interested in working on a show, BUTV is one of the best clubs to join. It is a great opportunity, and even if you’re not sure if you’ll like it, just try it! Trust me, you’ll love it.
