If someone were to tell me that beginning freshmen year of college I would have the option of working the camera, switchboard, and interviewing worldly acclaimed journalists and icons I would have said they were crazy…. BUT THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED. Boston University’s television channel, BUTV10, has various student-run shows- ranging from sports to soaps -that welcomes Terrier involvement beginning freshmen year. BUTV10 allows for students to gain hands-on-experience and fosters a community of varied thoughts and opinions.
At the beginning of the school year I attended an information session, which supplied me with tons of information about the various shows produced by BUTV10. I knew immediately knew from the show descriptions, that “The Wire” and “On that Point” compelled more to my aspirations of being a broadcast journalist. I signed up for the shows thinking that as a freshman I would be given mediocre jobs and have to competitively climb my way up the ladder. I could not have thought more wrong.
Within my first day of shooting for The Wire – BUTV10s morning news show- I expected to straggle my way into Studio West, sit, and merely watch the crewmembers as they record. WRONG. Upon entering the studio I was delegated as cameraman, shown the proper way of positioning the camera, taught camera vocabulary, and shot for both the national and campus segments. I was terrified of the camera after the first shoot. However, after practice and healthy criticism from other crewmembers I began to become attuned with the equipment, or “a natural” so to speak. After a few weeks of becoming acclimated to working the teleprompter, sound, camera, and even directing here and there I began to be assigned national and campus stories to report.
BUTV10 welcomes students without a second of hesitation. Professor Cavalieri, the BUTV10 faculty advisor, encourages students to become involved in shows regardless of major or enrollment in COM. Many crewmembers within On that Point– BUTV10s political talk show- are enrolled in other colleges at BU.
Due to my involvement with BUTV10 many cool and exclusive opportunities have arisen. For instance, early this semester, Mad Men director Jennifer Getzinger stopped by Studio West and agreed to a short interview which I stage-managed. During Super Tuesday I joined a crew, mostly consisting of freshmen, and assisted the Graduate Program’s Newsroom Class as they conducted live coverage of the days results.
BUTV10 is offering me a jump-start on understanding and handling broadcast technology, forming scripts, and tweaking on camera bumps before I begin my major focused classes. I have formed great friendships with crewmembers within my shows of involvement. In fact after pitch meetings and episode shoots the crew of On that Point often eats dinner at Warren Towers.
To read more information about all of the BUTV10 shows along with watching recent segments visit www.butv10.com .
CONGRATS ON ADMITTANCE! 🙂
Taylor W.