Tag Archives: students

BU’s College of Communication Pioneers Emerging Media Studies

BU Comgrad, Inside COM Classrooms, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Ali Parisi
MS Public Relations ’16
BU College of Communication

Even if you’re not in the communication world, chances are you’ve probably heard at least one conversations discussing new media—social media has changed everything, from interpersonal communication to journalism, and more.  Traditional media may still be around, but new media is quickly growing.  It feels like an absurd amount of media outlets and technologies have come and gone over the past few years, especially with the widespread use of smartphones.  I had to wait till my freshman year of high school to get a chunky old flip phone.  Now, parents are handing iPads and iPhones to their kids before they can even talk!

YLNnbxyzAfter a few years of discussion, BU’s College of Communication finally decided to introduce a one-year Master’s program that focuses solely on new and emerging media.  The MA program, Emerging Media Studies, is one of the first in the nation to do so (go BU!).

One of the primary courses taught within EMS is a collaborative class entitled Extended Group Research Project Seminar.  Quite a mouthful, right?  But the year-long class is not as intimidating as it seems.  According to EMS Director and Professor James E. Katz, Ph.D., the class aims to prepare students to take positions that will be a fast track to leadership in various organizations by helping them to become experts in big data, consumer psychology interaction, and research methods.

Bqf1SyLCMAAACfP
Professor Katz with his Reddit Gifts present.

“Our goal is to mentor students in doing meaningful research relating to emerging media so that when they take their post- graduate positions, they will already know how to do research and will have a portfolio to show employers,” explains Katz.  I may be a PR student, but I already love the sound of this class.  It’s a class that does more than just theoretical and academic discussions.  It’s actually preparing students for the “real world” after graduation.

One of Katz’s students, Katharine Sipio, heartily agrees.  Having majored in both English and Communication Studies at Saint Joseph’s University for undergrad this past spring, Sipio is excited for the possibilities this class has opened up.

“The readings and projects we do not only give us some strong writing samples, but [also] research skills that would be applicable in different types of careers,” says Sipio.  After taking this class, Sipio can see herself going into a “various number of communications careers such as a social media consultant, or maybe even going into PR, media management, copywriting, or exploring the world of digital writing and publishing.”

In addition to Sipio, I was able to talk with two more of Katz’s students, Adrien Park (Syracuse, ’14) and Brittany Anderson (UMASS Lowell, ’14).  All three of them had nothing but good things to say about this class, even describing it as their favorite class of the semester.  Park adds that the class has become somewhat as a family between the students and faculty because it is solely for EMS students.

“The professors and TA’s are extremely caring and helping, giving us a lot of great tips and insight about working on research [projects],” explains Park.

10506717_663452263764378_2277617751775910995_o

Next semester, the class will begin working with a project sponsor.  This sponsor will be a local organization for which students will work on a research project that focuses specifically on that organization’s needs – just one more example of how BU is preparing its students for post-graduation careers.

Make sure to follow EMS on Twitter @DEMSatBU and like them on Facebook so you can stay updated on all the happenings within the program!

Does this sound like a program you’d like to learn more about? Tell us why in the comment section below!

Please feel free to ask us any questions you have about the EMS program and be sure to check out or website for more information on all graduate programs offered through BU’s College of Communication. 

COM student represents BU at this year’s Coaches vs. Cancer Tripleheader

BU Comgrad, COM Spotlight, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Keiko Talley
MS Journalism '16
BU College of Communication

“It’s the word we all never want to hear. “Cancer.” Not a single person on the planet looks forward to hearing those six letters spill out of the mouth of a doctor or a loved one. Not a single person wants to go toe to toe with one of the most villainous diseases known to man. Unfortunately many of us either will directly deal with the disease or be close to someone that has to. There are no statistics necessary to back this up, as everyone alive today has already been impacted by cancer one way or another “ (Connor Lenahan – Lets Beat Cancer www.connorlenahan.com).

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has teamed up with colleges and universities all over the country to help raise money for the fight against “The Big C”. This year, for the season home opener, Boston University Men’s Basketball will compete in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tripleheader at TD Garden with Boston College, Harvard, Holy Cross, UMass, and North Eastern.

Since October 16, these schools have been trying to raise the most money for the fight against cancer. Each of the six schools has nominated one person to be their representative for this event. The top two fundraisers will be announced at the end of the first game of the Tripleheader on November 16. Winners will have the opportunity to compete in a shoot-out against each other during the event.

Boston University chose junior, Connor Lenahan, (@connorlenahan) to raise awareness and money on their behalf. Some of the other representatives include former Celtics player Togo Palazzi (Holy Cross), American Idol contestant Ayla Brown (Boston College), and former Piston’s player Lou Roe (UMass).

Team

According to the guys on BU’s basketball team, Connor is considered “the least narp narp of all time” (a “narp” is a non-athlete, regular person). The terriers think of Connor as a member of the team, although he would never be able to physically play as a member of the team.

14-7533-CONNOR-027

Connor suffers from Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), often called brittle bone disease. It’s a rare disease that leaves Connor with fragile bones. OI affects somewhere between 20,000 and 50,000 people in America. It is a caused by a genetic defect that doesn’t allow the body to make strong bones, causing many breaks and fractures in the body. The bones of a person suffering from OI are so fragile that putting a blanket on them can cause a fracture. All of the breaks and surgeries that Connor has had leaves him walking with a limp on his right side and needing a wheelchair to get around for most of his day. Although he has never been able to compete in organized sports, Connor has never let his disease hold him back from his one passion; sports. In fact, you might know him as a PA announcer for Boston University.

Despite never being able to play organized sports, Connor’s love for sports grew making him a die-hard sports fan. He uses a wheel chair to get around campus, but is not bound to his chair. Overall, Connor remains positive and open about everything. He is most known for his blog (www.connorlenahan.com) where he discusses a variety of topics from his condition and surgeries to Toy Story 4.

I had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with Connor about being chosen to represent Boston University. He explained to me his rare condition and his passion for being able to give back to people and make some sort of difference in peoples lives. He explained to me how he wouldn’t be as passionate and excited to compete if it was just a regular shoot out, but the fact that he gets to be the person in charge of asking for donations and creating a difference in so many people’s lives makes the experience more exciting. “It would give me bragging rights with my friends-- I got to play against a former Celtics player while being 5’3” and in a wheelchair forever,” said Connor when telling me about the possibility of him winning and competing in the shoot-out.

Thug

I will be following Connor in his race to raise as much money as possible, until we get him on the court on November 16. I encourage everyone to follow Connor with me and help donate and spread the word for an amazing cause. Connor has set a goal of raising $1,500 for The American Cancer Society and the Coaches vs. Cancer event. In the short time between when I first met him and when I wrote this story, Connor and Boston University went from $200 in donations to $1,705, which is more than his original goal. However, with your help, we can raise even more than that.

Please donate here, and help Connor compete in the shoot-out this weekend at the TD Garden, proving to everyone his disease is not holding him back from doing what he truly loves.

vhY2uPea

Behind the scenes: Film/TV and Journalism grad students work together

Beyond the Classroom, BU Comgrad, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Nikita Sampath
MS Broadcast Journalism '16
BU College of Communication 

On various Fridays throughout the semester, BU's Film and Television department at the College of Communication hosts free premier screenings of innovative film and television programs. This screening series is part of the department's Cinemathèque: meetings and conversations with filmmakers/television-makers. The series' curator is Gerald Peary, a cinema professor at Suffolk University and a long-time film critic for the Boston Phoenix. He chooses his BU programs based on his extensive contacts in the professional film world and from his travels to film festivals around the globe.

For each featured production, a special guest  (the producer, filmmaker, etc.) is invited to COM for the screening. During the screening, film students quickly escort the filmmaker to a brief interview shoot.  Afterwards, a Q&A is held to provide more information to the audience regarding the production process.

Setting up the interview.
Setting up the interview with Journalism and Film/TV graduate students .

However, it wasn't until after this year's first screening that the After this year’s first screening, the Cinemathèque team decided they wanted to shoot interviews with the featured guests. Clearly, figuring out the production technicalities for these interviews would not be an issue, but what they did need was someone who could ask the right questions.

Without much thought, fingers pointed in the direction of third semester Broadcast Journalism graduate student, Alistair Birrell. “I thought it would be a good way to hone my interviewing skills,” he said.

On Friday, October 24, Birrell interviewed filmmaker Frank V. Ross, during the screening of his film, Tiger Tail in Blue. This was Birrell’s second interview of the semester for Cinemathèque.

Allistair Birrell interviews filmmaker Frank V. Ross.
Alistair Birrell (MS, Broadcast Journalism '15) interviews filmmaker Frank V. Ross.

With only a fifteen minute window, Birrell must make sure he steers the interview in the correct way. “Where are you from?” Ross asked Birrell during the interview. “I’m from Scotland, but we can talk about me later,” Birrell quickly responded.

Birrell prepares some of his questions beforehand.

After each interview, students on the production team edit the video down to around three or four minutes. All interviews are featured on the Cinemathèque page, so be sure to check out Alistair's full interview with Ross.

Overall, this program is an excellent example of COM's Film and Television department preparing its students with hands-on, practical experience for the ever so competitive entertainment industry. These are lessons no textbook can teach, yet something every student should experience.

Take a look at the 2014 Cinemathèque schedule here to see what will be screening over the next few weeks. Although these screenings are designed to primarily  benefit  Film and TV students, they are free for all BU students and professors as well as the general public.

Interested in applying to one of the graduate programs at BU’s College of Communication? Tell us which one and why in the comments below.

To find out more about all of the graduate programs available through COM, be sure to check out our website here.

 *Pictures by Nikita Sampath

 

 

A look at what happens inside a Broadcast Journalism grad class

BU Comgrad, Inside COM Classrooms, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Nikita Sampath
MS Broadcast Journalism '16
BU College of Communication 

Broadcast Writing/Reporting (Course: JO 707) is a course taught at BU’s College of Communication (COM) that all grad students interested in Broadcast Journalism should take in their first semester. As the title suggests, the course is designed to teach us how to write a story for broadcast news and report on camera.  The course, which is taught by Professor R.D. Sahl, a veteran journalist with 40 years of experience in the field, teaches the main requirements of good story writing. These include: good writing, videography, editing, sound, natural sound and tracking. Timing is of essence too.

10552582_10204478245306873_1347469052476892526_n

At the start of the semester, JO 707 introduced us to script writing for television broadcast-- attention-grabbing, short and simple sentences, with editing and production commands. Each week, we begin class with a discussion of breaking news for the day.  We then spend a considerable amount of time watching and analyzing professional news packages. For an assignment, Prof. Sahl asked us to watch evening news telecast and break it down-- number of stories, kinds of packages, whether the reporter was on screen etc. This helped us learn the different ways in which news stories can be broadcast.

As for equipment, we’ve learned to use the JVC 100/150u to shoot our news packages and how to access the recording booth to do our tracking and voice overs. All necessary equipment can be rented (free of cost) from COM’s Field Production Services. Additionally, we use Final Cut Pro X to edit videos. We are very lucky in the fact that this software is available to all students in all editing and Mac computer labs at COM.  It’s great that students don’t have to worry about buying equipment or software of their own.

It’s only been six weeks and the eight of us grad students in the class are capable of producing entire packages by ourselves, one or two of which could be aired with some additional editing.

Check out this news package on the peer-sharing ride Lyft, done by Broadcast Journalism grad student Iris Moore, for last year's JO 707 class.

One student from JO 707 said, “Prof. Sahl is a meticulous evaluator. Having watched each of our packages several times he was able to give us valuable, detailed feedback so we don’t repeat our amateur mistakes in future packages.”

From JO 707, Prof Sahl says he hopes every student will take-away the following:

  • The best TV stories have strong writing, powerful video and sound, interesting characters and a compelling story line
  • Accuracy is the coin of the realm. Get it right.
  • Deadlines matter. Meet them.
  • Care about the stories you report. It will show in the final product.

10441033_10204510415503752_2794227260590248474_n

To learn more about the BU’s College of Communication Journalism graduate program, go here. A list of offered Journalism courses can also be found here.  

Have questions? Ask us in the comment section below. Also, be sure to visit our site to learn more about the various graduate programs we offer at COM.

Behind the scenes of butv10

Beyond the Classroom, BU Comgrad, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Keiko Talley
MS Journalism '16
BU College of Communication

butv10 is an on campus student organization made for and run by BU students. There are about 250 students in the organization, and each year it continues to grow due to the success of the students. Although there are mostly undergrads working with butv10, graduate students are also welcome to join.

Originally, before there was cable on campus, butv10 was called BUTV. In 2005, it was granted cable space and later turned into butv10. On campus students can watch butv10 on channel 10 or video on demand. Off campus, everyone is welcome to watch the live stream online.  butv10 offers a wide variety of shows including news, variety, sports, drama, and reality.

In the beginning of the fall semester, there is a general interest meeting where any and all students are welcomed. Students get to talk to different producers of different programs to get a better feel of what goes on and what is to be expected. After that meeting, there are frequent follow up meetings where students can further figure out which department and which program best suits their interests. For those students who missed the general interest meeting, the best way to express your interest in butv10 is by contacting them via their website, here. Although the program is run by students, there are two faculty advisors over looking all operations, Professor Chris Cavalieri and Professor John Carroll.

For example, butv10 has created BU's only cooking show, “The Hungry Terrier" -- your premier source of delicious “Rhett-cipes” and yummy eats around campus. The series focuses on giving you a good treat and keeping your wallet happy. Check out the first season below.

Most students join butv10 as an organization, but it is offered as a two-credit pass/fail class. According to Professor Cavalieri, all students are welcomed to join as long as they have the dedication and desire to engage in the discovery process. Like most jobs, butv10 is a place where you need to establish yourself before becoming a big name leader. New students are encouraged to come into the organization, but must be willing to work their way up; start with learning audio, then move to learning cameras, moving onto stage manager, and finally landing a spot in front of the camera.

As part of the new fall TV season trend, butv10 is airing its newest drama, Paper Trail. To hear what people are saying about this series, check out this recent article from BUToday. In the video below, watch the trailer for Paper Trail, which airs Tuesdays at 5 p.m. on butv10.

Additionally, I had the pleasure of seeing behind the scenes of Good Morning, BU, a program shown on butv10, since I recently joined their team. Although there are many undergrads working and producing the show, being a part of it has allowed me to see just what goes into producing Television programs. Building the set, working the lights, and writing the script for a half hour segment of Good Morning, BU takes well over three hours. Most of this work is done the night before the show airs live. The last minute prep work and graphics are done an hour and a half before the show airs, followed by rehearsals of the program and sound check. The hours before going live are hectic and tensions are high. Everyone wants the show to be great and free of mistakes. After the show is over, a sense of accomplishment, relief, and pride is shown through the students’ facial expressions, for they can mark one more day down with a million lessons learned.

BzhsKLsIMAAYArv

Whether you’re a freshman or graduate student, getting involved with butv10 is a great way for you to learn what working for an actual TV production is really like. Click here to see how you can become a part of butv10.

From sports anchors to associate producers, check out some of our successful BU COM alums who were involved with butv10 by visiting the Alumni page.

Have you seen one of the shows on butv10? If so tell us which one was your favorite and what you thought of it!

butv