At most other schools, not every student has the opportunity to create his or her own television show before graduating. Thanks to TUTV, Tufts students with skills or an interest in media have this chance, and many are taking advantage of it.
This year, TUTV has grown to over 120 members, including about 30 new members currently in training. When students join TUTV, they are asked to complete a training process at the studio so that they are comfortable with the equipment and behind-the-camera procedures. After training, students work on "Jumbo Love Match" to get experience with their new skills before taking on further projects.
Production manager Chris Hazenbush, a sophomore, describes TUTV as a club. Instead of dictating projects like other media publications, TUTV lets students come to the organization with their ideas and then provides them with the people and equipment that can turn their ideas into reality. "We help people make shows and be creative from a media standpoint," Hazenbush said.
The station does not aim for a certain number of new shows per semester, President Luke Yu, a senior, said, but instead aims at making sure that "as many students who want to make a show [can] make a show." The great thing about TUTV is that it allows students to "use production-style equipment to meet their goals," Yu said.
Students can bring proposals to TUTV at any time throughout the semester, although most are submitted at the beginning. As long as the student is willing to put in the effort and time to fulfill his or her goals, TUTV will supply equipment, training and crew members to help make the show.
"It can be difficult for a group of students to make a TV show," Hazenbush said, because classes and other commitments require so much time. That is why many TUTV shows are shot one episode at a time and do not yet have a premiere date or a regular schedule.
Despite the obstacles, however, Yu said that there were an above-average number of show ideas submitted this semester that are likely to be realized. "We have a lot of dedicated people this semester," Yu said, many of whom have already begun working on their projects.
Here's a list of new shows to look for on TUTV this semester:
"New England Radar" is a weekly news talk show featuring Tufts news, sports, politics and fashion from senior Heather Hauswirth and junior James Bologna (who is also a news editor for The Daily). The show has already aired a few times this semester and should be a regularly-appearing broadcast.
"50" is a take-off of the Fox hit, "24," set in a fifty-minute class block at Tufts. Filmed last year, "50" is currently in the editing stage and will appear in five ten-minute episodes this semester. Highlight of the series: a chase scene through campus.
"A Series of Interrelated Shorts" is seniors Prescott Gadd and Yuya Morimoto's aptly named series of episodes of different genres, each with its own main character who makes appearances as a minor character in other episodes.
"Good Eats with Alexis" will showcase reviews of diverse ethnic restaurants in the greater Tufts area by senior Alexis Miller. "The restaurants will range in food themes, environment and price, yet all restaurants will focus on reasonable student budgets," said Miller, and the show will "delve into aspects of how these eating spots are intertwined into the larger community."
"Six Months" tells the story of Jake, a college student who has been diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live. According to sophomore creators Harry Waksberg (who is a contributing writer for The Daily) and Miles Donovan, Jake decides to take advantage of his illness and be as rude to people as possible. Casting for "Six Months" has just wrapped up, and filming should begin soon.
"Drink and Jive" promises to combine performances by Tufts dance groups and demonstrations on how to make crazy cocktails in a "Dinner and a Movie" style, according to creators Jenny Rose and Emily Chapper, both sophomores.
JumboCast will continue working with TUTV, supplying it with footage of sports events, lectures and other campus goings-on.
Along with these new shows, this semester will see various improvements. TUTV has planned to purchase large LCD monitors for use in the editing process and will convert old filmed material to digital files that can be stored on two new archiving computers.
TUTV is available 24/7 on campus on channel 23 and online through its Web site. Although it is currently only possible to stream the broadcast, one of TUTV's long-term goals is to put its digital files on the Internet so that students can have access to old shows and broadcasts on-demand.
