Sarah: How to be Funny

Last semester, I waved a bittersweet goodbye to my required courses. This semester, I loaded up on Film & TV electives and hit the ground running. It’s been a hectic semester, but in the best way possible. All my classes are practical and very hands-on (and don’t have finals!). In my production class, I made films. In my creative producing class, I put together packages for talk shows and documentaries. I’ve been busy doing the things I love to do and hope to make a career out of, and that’s what college is all about.

I thought I’d dedicate this blog post to perhaps my favorite class this semester – Writing Situational Comedy Scripts. The class teaches the fundamentals of comedy storytelling and how we see it executed in the current television market. Essentially, it’s a class in being funny. The coursework involves writing several drafts of TV spec scripts, or nonprofessional scripts written for existing shows. The class is taught by Michael Loman, one of COM’s stellar faculty members. Professor Loman was a staff writer for The Cosby Show, Happy Days and All in the Family, to name a few, and also acted as Executive Producer of Sesame Street for 10 years. Needless to say, he is qualified to teach the class.

Over the course of the semester, the class completed two major projects. The first was a group spec script for a current sitcom – ours was Modern Family. Since almost all shows have a staff of writers who group write, this part of the class is meant to simulate the writer’s room. We were all responsible for writing and pitching a story outline to the class. Then we picked one story and went to work. We all know how much of a struggle group projects can be, so imagine the plight of 16 writers – 16 loud, opinionated writers – trying to create a quality script. There was a lot of fighting, a lot of laughing and a whole lot of bad jokes. But in the end, we produced something to be proud of.

The second project is a personal spec script, which we completed on our own. This project is your chance to shine. I decided to write for one of my favorite new shows – New Girl. I spent weeks creating an outline, writing drafts and meeting with my professor. Oh, and rewriting. And rewriting, and rewriting and more rewriting. Now I have a polished spec script for a new series that I can use when I start applying to jobs (which is crazy soon!).

So on that fateful day when you must bid adieu to your requirements, find solace in all of the cool COM classes you have yet to take!

 

Jon: COM Talks

Hey everyone! As a self-proclaimed ad-geek, I love getting as much info about advertising as I can. Luckily for me (and all my peers), COM hosts a number of awesome events and speakers throughout the year, and there’s another one coming up tonight!

At 5 p.m. tonight, Mike Schneider, the SVP and Director of the Digital Incubator at a&g, will be giving a talk titled: The Role of Authentic Content in Modern Branding. While at first glance, that may seem like an awful lot of buzzwords, I can assure you that there is substance to back them up!

You see, I got the chance to hear Mike Schneider (or @SchneiderMike, as the Twitterverse knows him), last year at a panel COM hosted on how companies and agencies going beyond the basics of social media and use it to effectively access and communicate with their target communities. Pretty cool, eh? Like I said: ad-geek.

Anyways, I was blown away by Mike’s breadth of knowledge and comfort with public speaking. He was quick, personable, incredibly sharp, and best of all, witty. Not only did he teach the audience some valuable lessons, but he kept them entertained while doing it (largely as a result of his banter with fellow panelist and COM professor Edward Boches). After hearing him talk, I certainly felt more informed about how I could more strategically implement a social media plan if I were thrust into that role at an agency.

Tomorrow he will speak again on the topic of content branding; a recent trend where advertisers and agencies create real content that expands or shapes a brand’s image, rather than simply trying to sell it to a target market. Agencies and clients are rapidly seeing more value in this kind of content, as it provides content consumers actually want to engage with for its own sake, while simultaneously giving the brand exposure. A great example is this Mini Cooper campaign launched by DDB Paris that featured a game based on Google Maps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uveD0Z3lIWo.

Opportunities like these are just one more of the many reasons I love COM. Make sure you take advantage of them! They are informative and helpful for career development, as well as quite entertaining.

And the best part? They’re almost always free.

Until next time,

Jon

Link to the Event: http://schneidermike.eventbrite.com/

 

Julianna: The Perfect Study Mix

There is no denying it—the three weeks that follow Thanksgiving are always the busiest and most stressful of the semester. This is the time to meet deadlines for papers and projects before reading week and final exams arrive. For me, this is not only my busiest semester ever, but my busiest post-Thanksgiving/December. I believe the essentials to powering through the rest of the semester are to stake out a few go-to study spots (mine are definitely 26th Floor of StuVi II and SMG Starbucks), squeeze in FitRec time and to find the perfect music for studying and writing papers.

Here is a list of my favorite songs that will serve as my soundtrack to upcoming study sessions:

“The Calm” by Drake

“Angels” by The xx

“Blue in Green” by Miles Davis

“Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones

“Pink Matter” by Frank Ocean and Andre 3000

“Wait” by M83

“Lay, Lady, Lay” by Bob Dylan

“Climbing Up The Walls (Zero 7 Mix)” by Radiohead

“Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For a Sunbeam” by Nirvana (MTV Unplugged in New York)

“Your Hand in Mine” by Explosions in The Sky

 

Tom: Take a Break from Boston… Go Abroad

Hello all! I am in the midst of writing this blog post while checking through my London Visa Application – so I figured this would be the ideal time to discuss my own “break” from Boston this upcoming spring. As I alluded to in an earlier blog post, I will be heading to London this upcoming spring with the BU Study Abroad Programme and will be taking part in the COM Internship Program.

After an incredibly exciting and fast paced semester of COM, Advertising and more and more theater, I knew I was ready to take a break from the Boston University Campus Scene. This is why I decided to apply for the London Programme.

I understand that there are a number of myths out there that may make you concerned about studying abroad. I’ve decided to take this blog post to combat those myths and again, encourage you to GO ABROAD!

Myth #1 – The Program is Too Expensive

Undoubtedly, studying and travelling abroad can get costly – especially when you have the opportunity to travel and experience all the sights around Europe. However, the great thing about the BU Abroad Program is that the program costs are not much different than a typical semester at BU. For me, all of my scholarship, grants and loans carried over to the London Program. I also managed to cut down the program costs by applying to be a Resident Assistant.

Myth #2 – I Won’t Be Able to Graduate On Time

Not true! This is Reason Number One Million why COM is the best. COM offers COM Internship Programs abroad in a number of locations (such as London, Paris, Madrid, Los Angeles, to name a few). While abroad, with this internship and some liberal arts classes – you can actually satisfy all of your requirements while travelling abroad. Plus, the internship is so worth it when looking for jobs after graduation.

Myth #3 – I Won’t Be Able to Handle the Culture Shock

Yes, there will be Culture Shock. I won’t lie and say there isn’t. But as someone who’s known many people who go abroad, the culture shock is actually the best part of studying abroad. While some people may be turned away by the idea of a new culture – use this experience as a way to broaden your horizons. The new things you’ll get to experience may pleasantly surprise you.

Long story short – go abroad! You won’t regret it. I’ll keep you updated next semester with all of my exciting London adventures, along with fellow COM Ambassadors – Dany, Julianna and Sarah!

Signing Out,

Tom

Richie: Thankful after Sandy

Most of us see Thanksgiving break as a quick break from school. It’s seen as a time to fill-up on turkey, watch some football, bump into old friends, and go Black Friday shopping. It’s a great time to be with family, but unfortunately most of us don’t actually stop and take time to give thanks. I know I’m guilty of it. This past weekend was the first time I went back to Lindenhurst in the past few months and I quickly found I had a lot to actually be grateful for.

Lindenhurst, being a town on the south shore of Long Island was very affected by Hurricane Sandy. For weeks I had seen friends posting pictures on facebook of their homes flooded, property destroyed, home-made signs threatening looters, and even photos of the National Guard who had set-up checkpoints. My home was just a few blocks north from most of the destruction so my family had luckily only suffered a power outage for a little over a week. But I had many close friends who lost a lot of property, had basements and first floors flooded, and some who weren’t even able to live in their homes anymore.

A friend who came back from college for Thanksgiving Break actually ended up staying with me every night. All the storage he kept below his home and in the garage had to be moved into his home and there was physically nowhere he could actually sleep. He’d spend the days with his family at a relative’s house and the nights at my place. He had always been a close friend so it was great having “sleepovers” like we used to when we were younger, but obviously we wished it could’ve been under better circumstances.

I drove around some of the areas that saw the most destruction and was taken back. Most of it had been cleaned up, but debris still lay around in many places, some roofs torn off homes, and a close friend’s house I saw was completely blocked off with caution tape.

It was a very surreal but a very sobering experience. It helped me be thankful for what I had. I enjoyed thanksgiving with my family and we even began decorating for Christmas around the house a bit early. My girlfriend even came out to visit a close family friend who lives a few minutes from me and she got to meet my family for the first time. It was a great break and seeing my family was very much needed. I hope that my friends and any other victims of the storm, on Long Island or anywhere else, will soon find help in rebuilding and recovering. I know I’m waiting to get back for Christmas break and hopefully see things better worked out around my town.

Steph: Thanksgiving Break On My Mind

Hey everyone! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the only thing on my mind is my flight home to beautiful Miami. I can't wait to break out my shorts and tank tops for the holiday season!

For most of you, this will be the first time you go home since you've come to BU. Since you only have a few short days that will fly by, heres a list of things you should make sure to do while you're at home!

1. Catch up on sleep. For me, the second I lay in my own bed is a moment of utter happiness and peace. There is nothing better than a good night's sleep at home. After a 3/4 of a semester staying up late to do work, take advantage of this week to get back on a normal sleep routine. Your body will thank you.

2. Spend good time with friends and family. Because that's what Thanksgiving is all about, am I right? I remember last year, Thanksgiving break was so amazing because it was the first time my best friends and I reunited after each going off on the new adventure called college (cheesy, but so true.) I'm pretty sure my 4 best friends and I stayed up until 4am just talking non-stop about the last 3 months. That kind of goes against my #1 on my list, but for your friends and family, giving up sleep is worth it. 😉

3. Eat like it's your only purpose in life. Now, I happen to think that I do this even when it isn't Thanksgiving, but the holiday is a great excuse to gorge yourself on some of the best home-cooked meals you'll have in a while. Even though the Thanksgiving dinner they served in Warren Towers last week was pretty incredible, nothing compares with eating amazing food in the comfort of your own home.

4. Do some schoolwork. I know, I know. Schoolwork is going to be the last thing you want to think about while you're at home enjoying your free time. But, time after Thanksgiving break seems to move at hyperspeed. You get back, blink, and oh guess what, you have a final in 2 days! I personally have two 10-12 page research papers, an ad campaign, and a project due in early December (gross.) So, as much as I hate it, I'm going to try my best to carve out some time to get a bit of work done. Being a bit productive will make you feel better once you get back to school and see how much work you have due.

By the time this blog is posted, I'll be soaking in the SoFlo sunshine. Wishing all of you a great Thanksgiving!! 🙂

Kaitlin: Stressed and Need Help?

Even though its meant to be a time for giving and loving, I know that for most people, this time of the year can be incredibly stressful.  Between studying and doing final projects and spending money on gifts and even the change of seasons, we all need to find a way to unwind, and that often means simply talking to someone.

The Behavioral Medicine wing of BU’s Student Health Services provides absolutely amazing support to students who may be going through a tough time, whatever it may be.  While they also specialize in helping with body image, alcohol/drug, crisis, sexual health, and sexual/gender identify issues, their expertise in assisting students with academic issues, depression, sleep, and anxiety problems may be especially helpful this time of year.

The information or treatment that Behavioral Medicine offers students who decide to stop in help them understand that they aren’t alone in facing these issues, and help them take control of whatever the problem may be.

I urge you to seek help if you think you need some relief, and promise that you’ll find it helpful.  If you want to make an appointment, you can call 617-353-3569, or check out the website for more information: http://www.bu.edu/shs/behavioral/.

Stay calm, stay peaceful, and be you.

 

Alexa: The Registration Process

Registration is one of the most magical and yet one of the most terrifying things a student will go through every semester. Here’s why:

1.There are so many classes to choose from.

Should I take Psychology of Sport or should I take Philosophy of Sport? What level of history should I take? Should I take Nutrition or Astrology? BU is a big school so there are so many different classes to choose from, which of course is a blessing but also a little bit of a curse.

2. You can’t go to sleep because you are terrified that you will miss your registration time.

This is more important than waking up at 7 AM on Christmas morning, or your birthday. There are many situations where you can over sleep, apologize and it will all be fine. This is not one of those times. To prepare for registration I like to strategically set 7 alarms on my phone in 10-minute intervals. I figure one HAS to trigger my brain to wake up.

3. You wake up in a state of panic during the middle of the night because you think you overslept and missed your registration time.

This happens about three times the night before registration. I quickly wake up at 3 AM thinking that the journalism class I have sought after and stared at through my computer screen is going to have zero seats left and I’m going to have to explain to my parents why I am a failure.

4. It is your registration time, and the page won’t refresh.

I wish I could accurately explain to you the minute before your registration time. For example, I registered at 11 this year and at 10:55 I was fine. I was cool, calm and collected but then at 10:59 my heartbeat started to accelerate. This is the moment before the race starts, the moment before you figure out if you won’t have class on Fridays, or if you’re going to have to start mentally preparing yourself for an 8 AM. I would most like to refer to this moment as the Hunger Games moment. The moment before the twelve tributes are allowed to step off of their circle and into the realm where only one will be victorious. Do you understand the picture I am trying to draw? Yes? Good. But then, the page is taking to slow to refresh and you think to yourself…oh my goodness I am being sabotaged! Then finally, the page refreshes and you go to your planner and try clicking on the classes you want so fast that your hand is shaking. You click, click, click, click and then press submit. Here it is the moment of truth…

5. You get the classes you wanted.

This is the moment of disbelief. The moment where Taylor Swift stands up on stage staring out at her audience in utter disbelief that they all came to hear her perform. You realize you are registered for 16 credits and that class you thought would fill up before you got a chance had 3 seats left, and you were able to grab one of them. This, my friend, is the state of grace, the perfect moment.

The look on your face when you get the class you want

Disclaimer: While sometimes you aren’t able to get the certain section you wanted, or the certain teacher you wanted, rest assured that you won’t have a problem getting a full schedule. One of the great things about BU is that although they are one of the bigger universities, students aren’t left trying to fill their schedule. Go BU!

Happy thanksgiving!

Dany: Must-Follow Twitter List

Hello everyone! Hope these last few weeks of the semester are going well. Hard to believe we’re almost done with the fall semester. I hope your classes have been going great and you’re adjusting to the COM life flawlessly. In my opinion, the most important part of this lifestyle is being ridiculously fluent in social media. So to help you guys along, I decided to make you a short “Must-Follow” list of BU-related Twitter handles. You should already be following @comugrad, @DeanSaboSays, @COM_Ambassadors, and me of course, @danyvasquez_. So who’s next?

@BU_Tweets

Self-explanatory. Whether you want to brag about how great BU is, get the word out about an event, or just give a shout-out, you definitely want to be following this Twitter. They give updates when things are happening on campus, re-tweet student groups, and even ask you some fun questions every now and then.

@BUDiningService

Probably the most popular BU Twitter. Speaking from a PR student perspective, they are a great example of how to use social media to improve customer service and satisfaction. They are extremely responsive and up-to-date with everything going on. As an example, my friend and I went to Rize Late Night a few weeks back and had a terrible experience. We waited over an hour for fondue and when it finally came, it was basically a layer of oil with a murky chocolate base. We tweeted a picture of it to BU Dining Services and got a response within seconds. They apologized, talked to the manager, and invited us back for dinner on them. So, even if their many constant tweets get annoying sometimes, it’s definitely worth it to follow and interact with them.

@theGSU

Named Activities Info, this Twitter is like the GSU Link. It knows everything about every student event going on throughout campus. Whatever organization you’re involved with, you’ll definitely want to make sure you follow them and they follow you! It’s a great way to spread the word about events or meetings. They re-tweet student groups, give shout-outs, and keep you updated. So no matter what you’re involved with, make sure you follow them so everyone at BU knows it too.

@DeanElmore

Our very own Dean of Students is super active on social media. Whether it’s cheering on our Terriers at a hockey game or Instagramming the first snow of the year, you can bet he’ll be tweeting about it non-stop. He also shares really interesting articles or information about a variety of subjects. Sometimes, he’ll even tweet back at students and join in conversations. A lot of student groups use him to help spread the word about events or even invite him to come!

@BUAthletics

Again, pretty self-explanatory. Whether you’re following hockey, basketball, soccer, baseball, golf, rowing, or any other sport, this Twitter’s got you covered. They’ll tweet about score updates, game times and any changes, shout-outs to exemplary student athletes, and just general BU pride. There’s no better way to keep up with the Terriers.

BU is an extremely social media oriented university. It’s one of the things I love the most about it. This is only a glimpse of all the BU-related Twitters out there. There’s hundreds when you consider all the amazing student groups, and thousands when you consider all the individual students, faculty, and alumni. It’s an incredible network and as a COM student, it’s the best way to hone those skills and always stay up to dated with everything going on. This list skims the surface. It’s up to you now to dive in.

 

Lauren: IMAX is Believing!

I’m so excited to announce that for the rest of the semester, I’ll be one of the campus representatives for IMAX here at BU!  This means I’ll be hosting giveaways and events to promote the latest IMAX movies (like Skyfall and The Hobbit)!

Leading filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, JJ Abrams, James Cameron, Brad Bird and Ridley Scott prefer to have their movies formatted in IMAX because it creates an incredibly immersive experience for moviegoers!  With crystal-clear images, booming sound, and stadium seating that brings you closer to the screen, no other movie experience compares to IMAX! Some movies, like Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol and Skyfall, have even been released early in IMAX to build buzz and excitement!  In 2013, Oblivion will be doing the same!

If you’re ready to watch a movie like never before then head over to the AMC Loews Boston Common 19 theatre (located at 175 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02111) for the IMAX Experience!  Skyfall is now in theatres now and The Hobbit will be released on December 14th!

We recently promoted the release of Skyfall this weekend with our very own James Bonds by giving away martini glasses, decks of cards and free IMAX movie tickets all around campus!  But don’t worry if you missed out!  We’ll be having plenty of giveaways this semester!

At the end of this week, for example, just remember that there’s “No place like your dorm.”  Be on the lookout, and you might find some really great prizes where you least expect to find them!

We’ll also be hosting a study break with free pizza, refreshments and IMAX branded study materials right before finals weeks!  For updates on the IMAX Study Break and other IMAX giveaways and events at BU, you can follow me on Twitter (@laurhaslett)!


Make sure you like IMAX on Facebook and follow IMAX on Twitter for the latest info on upcoming releases and contests!