COM Ambassador Blog

Richie: Indie Production Company

Hey everyone,

If you read my last post, you might’ve heard that I was able to get an internship at the Cannes Film Festival for this summer. Obviously I’ve been incredibly excited for it. I’m sure I will learn plenty about the festival process, screenings, distribution of motion pictures, and even more.

However, I am most interested in the production of actual movies. While I could try searching for another internship or job on the actual set of a short film, I instead thought, “What better way to learn about making movies, than just going out and making plenty yourself?”

That’s why three friends of mine and I have decided to start a small production company. We’ve helped each other out on our Production 1 films and since last year have been shooting and editing a few live sessions for independent musicians around Boston. We’ve had experience working with each other and thought it was time we stepped it up. With a name finally agreed upon, oneonefive productions has finally begun preproduction for our own independent short film.

Preproduction:

Recently we’ve been making changes to the script, setting up a budget, and creating a schedule. We’ve even gone into researching the best resources for casting, equipment rental, and even deadlines for film festival submissions months in advance. Our first film’s will be about three adolescent working class Boston kids. Unable to receive a college education, like so many in their position, they grow a resentment towards the student’s inhabiting their city from distant parts around the country. The group cons and robs affluent college students in the Boston area, yet our protagonist begins to have a change of heart.

We’re confident in the story premise but still definitely have a few details to iron out before we start shooting.

Getting Jobs to Fund our First Film:

Apart from making changes to the script I wrote, a large part of what’s been on our plates has been funding the project. Although a Kickstarter campaign was thought of, we feel we must be a bit more established before we can realistically start getting strangers to give money for our film. This is why we’ve been focusing on getting jobs shooting promos, live music sessions, music videos, and anything else we may find a client interested in. Our first job will be at a hair salon on Newbury Street, interested in shooting a few instructional videos on how to use their products. This way, we’ll be getting more experience, building contacts, establishing a track record, and funding our film all at once.

Our production company is very young, but we’re all very excited to finally be doing more of what we love. We always talk about crafting our skill or making that first real legitimate film. Though we may have a bit until that film gets completed, the group is happy that action has been replaced by mere talking. I definitely recommend engaging some close friends of yours in different talks and meetings and see if you guys can create a small production company or artistic collective. I definitely think it’s the best way to start learning apart from classes or internships, and start establishing a name for yourself! By the way, if anyone has us in mind for a shoot, email us at oneonefiveproductions@gmail.com!

Anna: The Best Spots in Boston

As I come to the end of my time here in Boston, all of my friends from high school/home seem to be making last minute attempts to come see me and the city. Obviously, I have been trying to get them all to visit for the past 3.5 years, but you know how it is. No one ever has money or time or (fill in your friends’ favorite excuses here). Nonetheless, my best friend since the age of 10 is coming to see me next month, so in the spirit of having a visitor (YAY!), I figured I’d share some of my favorite things to do around the city with out-of-towners. Full Disclosure: There really are only so many times you can walk the Freedom Trail, so get creative with your guests for your own sake!

Institute of Contemporary Art:

The ICA is located on the waterfront near the courthouse, but it’s worth the short trek. Pretty much everyone (your parents) wants to see a museum when they come into town, so you might as well take them to a cool one. The ICA has all sorts of awesome exhibits. For example, this past summer they had a really extensive display of some of the best music album art.

La Famiglia Giorgio:

Going to the North End is a must for every visitor, so save some money and go to my favorite spot La Famiglia. The portions are huge. Honestly, they are ginormous. I have never seen anyone be able to finish a plate of pasta there, and yet, my friends still claim that they can. There is also a secret 20% student discount, so anyone with a college ID can spend less for leftovers for days.

Brattle Book Shop:
For any of your friends interested in antiquing or vintage anything, the Brattle Book Shop is the place to take them. There is a ton of really cool used books and an amazing selection of first edition books. Even if you aren’t into books like I am (I know it’s weird), I promise you and any visitor will love it here. It’s also a really cool place to pick up a unique gift or souvenir since a good section of the books are about New England and Boston.

SOWA Open Market:

This South End market is only open on Sundays, but contrary to popular belief, the fun lasts all year ‘round. In the summer, you can bring your friends and family to the outdoor market that features a lot of art and clothing stands and all of Boston’s best food trucks. In the winter, though, it transforms into more of an indoor farmers market. Still, it’s a cool place to visit. Plus since you’re already in the South End on Sunday, you can stop at one of the neighborhood’s many amazing restaurants or cafes for brunch.

Jason: Interning at WGBH

Boston University is a great school in itself, but as a COM student the education would not be complete without the number of great internships the city of Boston has to offer. Whether you’re studying to become the next Anne Curry, Lizzie Grubman, or Scorsese there is an internship in Boston that is perfect for you. For broadcast journalists we’ve got Channel 5, NECN, NESN, for PR majors there’s Boston Medical Center and CONE Communications, and for Film/ TV TD Garden, and a number of production companies that are making films through out the year.

Just last week, I was offered an internship position at WGBH, Boston’s member station of PBS. The opportunity came up on me rather quickly after the documentary that I had been planning to make with my sociology professor was put on hold because of a funding issue. Nevertheless, I’m now excited to say that I’ll be working on the production of a new American Experience Documentary on JFK.

My first day was Monday and I’m already in awe. I have my own huge cubicle with a brand new IMac, a WGBH email address and phone number extension. The cafeteria has everything from sushi to steak and I’m surrounded by Emmy’s and numerous other awards that American experience has won.

For the beginning, I’ll be logging all of the stills and video related to JFK that WGBH already has in their database. After that’s all sorted through, we’ll being production and film new interviews, B-roll footage, etc. For now I work there four hours on Mondays and Wednesdays but once the summer starts and production gets into full swing I should be there five days out of. I’m so pumped about this and will definitely keep you guys updated on the happenings for this project.

“TomKat”: Spring at COM

Hey guys! A big shout out to all of our followers! Whether you are a prospective student, an incoming freshman for the fall, or just enjoy reading about life in COM, we hope you have been enjoying the blogs this semester. We will continue blogging as the university is open so we still have plenty of new things coming at your guys in the next two months.

Here's just an overview of some of our other social media outlets if you guys want to take a look:

Twitter: Follow @comugrad (College of Communication), @DeanSaboSays (Asst. Dean Sabovik), and @COM_Ambassadors for daily tweets about what's going down at COM.

Facebook: Were you recently accepted to the College of Communication? Make sure to "like" BU COM Class of 2016.

Website: Check out our COM Ambassadors Website! Soon to be updated with all of our newest ambassadors.

Youtube: Be sure to see our youtube channel. And follow fellow COM Ambassadors, Kate, Jason, and Alexa on COMlife.

We look forward to blogging for you guys for another fun two months! Hope you stay tuned in.

Signing Off,

TomKat

Tiffany: COM Alumni Really Are the Greatest Resources!

Spring semester hitting its midway point is the cue for summer internship application deadlines and for interviews to begin! A couple weeks ago, I had an interview for a summer internship position at my dream advertising agency, Digitas. Digitas is a worldwide advertising agency that is not only known for its awesome list of huge clients, but also for pioneering digital advertising. They have offices all over the world, but one of its biggest North America offices is located in downtown Boston, a convenient 20-minute T ride away. I was anxious and excited to be given the opportunity to interview, but was also nervous because I was informed by human resources that upon my arrival, I would be meeting with four of their employees in back to back interviews. I did my research on the agency as well as on my interviewees and discovered that one of them was actually a recent COM alumnus. While this made me feel a bit at ease, I also felt the need to impress her even more since she would be familiar with my background and could very well be tougher on me.

As she walked into the room, she greeted me with a warming smile, but wasted no time getting down to business. She clearly had read my resume, as her first remark after initial introductions was that she realized we had been on BU’s National Student Advertising Competition Team (NSAC) together over a year ago. After sharing with each other our experiences with NSAC, we realized that we probably never really met because my first semester with NSAC was her last semester not only with NSAC, but also with BU as she was graduating early and had a job offer waiting for her at the agency.

She came prepared with questions about my resume and coursework that were so different than the rest of my interviewees as it was clear she, as a COM alumnus, was plenty familiar with my background. We talked about the courses I took, discovering that she took many of the same ones as well, and asked me detailed questions about the projects I worked on, as she had done the same ones only a couple years ago.

Interviewing with a COM alumnus was such an amazing experience that I hope everyone is lucky enough have. It was awesome to be able to talk about my experiences and goals with someone who I had so much common ground with. It was almost as if it was easier to talk about my experiences, expanding upon them in more detail, and convey what I wanted out of my future simply because it seemed as if she already knew me and the environment, mindset, and general background that I was coming from.

Even if I didn’t land the internship, it was still great to make the connection as I’ve come to discover that COM alumni are really one of the greatest resources out there. I highly recommend networking and putting yourself out there as early as you are comfortable doing so because it will only help you in the long run. Even if that is just having coffee with a COM student who is a year or two older than you, chances are that they will be working in the real world when it is time for you to start thinking about it.

A week ago I was offered a spot in their summer internship program and gladly accepted. I’m so excited to have this amazing opportunity and look forward to learning and working alongside BU alumni. Stay tuned for updates in the summer months about my summer in Boston interning with Digitas!

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Brittany: Back up your Back-Up

The other day I was one of the COM editing lounges putting the finishing touches on a video package due later that day. For whatever reason, I turned my chair around and accidentally snagged the USB wire connecting my external hard drive to the computer. As my hard drive went crashing to the ground, one of my friends jokingly said from across the room: “I hope you liked your hard drive.”

I laughed it off and plugged it back in to resume work, but then the worst happened: my hard drive started making a loud whirring noise, and didn’t show up on the desktop. I immediately snatched the hard drive out of the computer and went running straight for the tech crew down the hall. He plugged it in, held it up to his ear, and said two syllables: “uh oh.”

As a broadcast student getting ready to enter the job market, an external hard drive is of utmost importance: on it was every package from every class I’ve ever taken at BU. There’s anchoring clips, live stand ups, sports features, hard news stories—everything!

Currently, my hard drive is in the hands of the BU IT department, and I’m hoping for the best. However, in the event of a worst-case scenario, all hope is not lost. Past and current professors have stepped up, offering their support (“We’ll do more projects to replace what you lost!”) and assistance (“I have some of your packages saved from the class you took with me”). I’m confident that between what might be left over on other people’s hard drives and what might be hidden in the archives of BUTV, I’ll be able to pull almost all of my content together.

Throughout all of this, the funniest thing is that most of the people I’ve told this story have had a similar reaction: did you back it up? I never knew I had to back up my external hard drive, which is supposed to be my back up! So to everyone else reading this, do yourself a favor and back up your back up! And if you don’t back up your back up and your back up fails… make sure you have people behind your back to help you figure out the next step! 🙂

Sarah: Free (and legal!) Movies on Campus

We all love free stuff, and as college students, we have plenty of it available. At any given campus event, you might walk away with flip cam, a gift card or, best of all, a free t-shirt. While I welcome all free things, there is nothing quite as satisfying as a free movie. Here are a few (legal) ways to catch a free flick right here on campus.

Krasker Film Library

This place is Mugar’s hidden gem. In the basement of the library hides a secret stash of over 18,000 movies on DVD, Blu-ray and the ever-popular VHS. Krasker has every film from Citizen Kane to Superbad, and plenty in between. All of the films are catalogued and can be reserved online. You can’t take films out of the library, so head here on a rainy day when you have an afternoon to kill.

Geddes Language Center

This is the Krasker of foreign films, housed on the fifth floor of the College of Arts and Sciences building. There are thousands of films in nearly 30 different languages, including Russian, Korean, Italian, ASL, Creole and Yiddish. Language professors typically use this facility for class screenings, but individual students can also reserve films. All you need to watch a film is your BU ID. These films must also stay at the center.

Cinematheque

If anyone knows the worth of a good movie, it is BU’s Film & TV department. Each semester, several writers, directors, producers and actors visit COM as a part of the department’s Cinematheque series. Our guests typically screen a movie or TV episode and then hold a Q&A session afterwards. Sometimes we’re even lucky enough to get COM alumni who have struck some success in the business. Last month, Jennifer Getzinger was here to screen an episode of Mad Men that she directed. Pretty cool, huh?

Redstone Film Festival

Another department event, this film festival is all about student work. All COM students are invited to submit their original work, which is judged by a panel of industry professionals. Once a year, they roll out the red carpet in front of the Tsai Performance Center to screen the top films and announce the winners. It feels like a Hollywood movie premiere right on campus. The theater always sells out, so show up early!

Programming Council Events

BU’s Programming Council hosts more campus events than I can ever keep track of. From open skate to comedy shows to semi-formal dances, PC does it all. My favorite PC events, of course, are free movie screenings. They host “drive-in movie” nights throughout the semester at different locations. When the weather is nice enough, they even project movies on jumbo screens on the BU Beach or Nickerson Field. The usually show double features, like Bridesmaids and Horrible Bosses, and serve free popcorn!

And if you just love the ambiance of the traditional movie theater, check out the GSU ticket office on the second floor for discounted tickets to Regal Cinemas. Being a BU student has its perks – take advantage of some of them!

Jon: Surviving Midterms

Midterms. That dreaded word that causes students everywhere to quake upon hearing it. What’s scarier than the thought of the first big cumulative exam of the semester? The tell-all test when you reveal if you’ve been actively learning all semester or if you’ve been sliding down into your lecture hall seat and grabbing an hour or two of beauty rest every day. Get ready, cause it’s show time.

As spring break begins next week, professors tend to be loading on projects and exams left and right, in an attempt to get that one last evaluation in before students flee to sunshine and warm beaches. However, if you can keep your head among all this craziness, it’s more than possible to manage your time and successfully conquer your midterms. Here’s a handy list of tips to how you can survive “hell week”.

1) SLEEP - This comes first on the list because it is by far the most important preparatory tool and is also the easiest to sacrifice when things get crazy. Make sure first and foremost that you get your 9 ½ hours every night, because once you start to slip on that, you’ll fall into a vicious cycle of working inefficiently and therefore sacrificing more sleep as tasks take longer to complete. Also, research shows you will be happier, healthier, and better academically if your brain has the rest it needs.

2) Drink lots of water – It’s easy to fall prey to the tantalizing lures of coffee and energy drinks, which promise to give you those extra hours of focus you need. However, if you’re not getting enough water in your day, these diuretics will make you jittery and irritable. Hydration is key to staying healthy, so try to limit your consumption of caffeinated beverages.

3) Start studying early – What seems to be common sense to any impartial bystander is often ignored by frantic college students. The more of a head start you get on your studying, the more prepared you will be. I try to plan at least a week’s worth of course review, so that if gaping holes in my knowledge appear I have time to do something about them.

4) On a similar note, DON’T study the night before an exam – This old adage that they told you in SAT prep classes applies to your college tests as well. Chances are you aren’t going to be retaining anything you’re trying to learn or review at this point. Watch a movie, play a video game, go to the gym, or just hang out with your friends. De-stressing and getting enough rest is the best preparation you can get the night before a test. I can’t emphasize this point enough – don’t fall prey to the “last-minute-all-nighter-double-header” study sessions your friends or floor mates might be engaging in, it’s not worth it.

These four tips may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how easy it is to forget about them or rationalize not doing them. Stand by this list, and make sure you’re taking care of your physical and mental health, and you’ll be well on your way to midterm success.
Stay frosty,

Jon

Lauren: The COMmunicator’s Got No COMpetition

It was just a typical day when Ashley Waxman, a first-year graduate student here at COM, stopped by one of my COM classes to talk about “The COMmunicator,” the official newsletter for the Department of Mass Communication, Advertising and Public Relations at COM. She encouraged the students in my class to attend one of their meetings, and lured us in with the prospect of free cookies and baked goods. I figured that I would give it a shot and was pleasantly surprised by what “The COMmunicator” had in store for me!

I quickly learned that “The COMmunicator” gives its readers insight into anything and everything that is going on in the MC/AD/PR Department! From special awards that COM has received, to cool upcoming events and interviews with successful alumni who are working in the industry, “The COMmunicator” covers it all! All the writers, editors and staff members are graduate or undergraduate students at COM and their website contains blogs, funny videos (check out “Good COM/Bad COM”) and tons of articles relating to everything COM.

Before I knew it, I was placed on the marketing team for The COMmunicator. We meet once a week in the COM study lounge and brainstorm creative ways to promote the website! We come up with clever designs for the flyers we hang around the COM buildings and research happenings in COM and the Boston area to tweet or post about on Facebook.

Working on “The COMmunicator” has helped me feel more connected with COM than ever before! I definitely suggest that any students who want to get more involved with COM check out “The COMmunicator!” They are always looking for students to write articles or help with their marketing/social media efforts!

The COMmunicator” will also be hosting a special event on Thursday, April 12^th that will feature COMpetition, COMedy and much more! Keep an eye out for more information!

Get connected with “The COMmunicator”:

Website: http://bucommunicator.com/

Blog: http://bucommunicator.com/categories/five/

Twitter: @bucommunicator

Facebook: BU COMmunicator

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Julianna: My Top Five Favorite Study Spots on Campus

5. PAL Study Lounge in Mugar Library

I’m the type of person who needs background noise during my study seshs, so the complete silence of Mugar just drives me insane. PAL is the only area in the library where you can talk as loud as you want or unwrap that candy bar without getting glares of doom. During finals week last semester my friends and I crammed around a table in PAL over Arnold Palmers and string cheese and studied our little hearts out.

4. Espresso Royale Caffe

Whenever I have a burning desire to look intellectual as I measure out my life in coffee spoons (a.k.a. read T.S. Eliot), I go to the resident hipster caffe of East Campus. Note, ERC is not owned by BU, but while you are there you are bound to bump into someone for your philosophy class or one or two TAs. I basically lived at ERC last spring during finals week. My routine was to snag a small round table in the back, order a shot of espresso, and get into the zone with my studying while I listened to the indie music playing in the background. Side note, do yourself a favor ladies and use the bathroom at ERC. It’s not immaculately clean or anything, but the stall doors are covered with lyrics and lines from poems. Definitely an experience. Their spicy chai tea is also an experience.

3. COM Lawn

This study spot is only available in September and May when it’s warm, so take advantage! I chill in the grass with my friends in between classes and type up assignments. Let’s be real, studying on the COM Lawn results in mostly people-watching and taking in the sunshine, so save this spot for lighter studying or catching up on emails. COM Lawn days definitely require a pair of Ray Bans or intense, oversized shades alla Mary Kate and Ashley.

2. SMG Starbucks

This Starbucks is located on the second floor of SMG and is basically the watering hole for SMG students, but I spot a decent number of COM kids whenever I’m there. I go to SMG Starbucks to do homework three times a week on average. Make sure to get there at awkward hours, such as 5-10 minutes before and after classes generally begin, so you can get a coveted table by an outlet. Hands down you’ll find me here on most Sunday afternoons with a venti soy iced coffee and in my Sunday finest: leggings and a flannel button-down.

1. Hillel House

BU Hillel is located on Bay State Road, and probably the most beautiful building on campus. It may be the center for Jewish life at BU, but Hillel’s doors are open to all students. Late shameless plug alert: I work as a part-time receptionist Hillel, and it’s basically my second home here at BU. I am obsessed with this place. If I’m not in class or behind the reception desk, then you can find me doing work on the second floor in the student boardroom or in the library on the first floor. During finals week the building is open for extended hours and the fourth floor chapels turn into study spaces with round tables and a traveling “hydration station.”