BU to produce sitcom for mtvU

Boston University, mtvU and MSN announced a creative partnership yesterday that will result in a BU student-produced sitcom pilot to air on the university's cable network in early 2006.

Students in professor Paul Schneider's Advanced Television Writing class in the College of Communication are currently developing scripts for a 30-minute sitcom pilot, he said. A panel of all-star judges will choose one of the scripts to be produced in the fall using a cast and crew comprised solely of BU students. mtvU will air the pilot at the conclusion of a three-week series documenting the entire production process.

Schneider said the contest is an extension of a scriptwriting contest he developed last year with COM and BU alumnus Ted Harbert, president of NBC Studios.

"There was no outlet for actual television programming [in COM]," he said. "Our students here essentially do short films on video, but nothing that genuinely resembles a professional television show. I wanted to come up with something that's an actual television project."

In order to give students real production experience, Schneider decided to expand the scriptwriting contest for its second year by approaching mtvU to host the project.

"The problem, of course, was figuring out how to fund something like that," he said. "It's almost impossible to shoot a television program without having some sort of money."

mtvU General Manager Stephen Friedman said after Schneider approached the network last year, the decision to get involved in the project was simple.

"BU came to us with an incredible idea," he said. "We thought it sounded like an amazing way to capture some student talent in action."

Friedman said the project with BU is one of many opportunities mtvU regularly offers students, including earlier this year when the network sent COM freshman Andrew Karlsruher and two other students to the Sudan to film a documentary.

"We have opportunities [for students] on a weekly and monthly basis," he said. "This one is groundbreaking because we're working with a big sponsor and that makes it national, and we're working with it for a long time."

According to Monday's press release, the contest will be funded by a $100,000 grant from MSN. In return, the winning student will incorporate MSN messenger into the pilot.

COM second-year graduate student Robert Keary said MSN's involvement is a great addition to the contest.

"I think MSN is being really generous," he said. "It's encouraging to see support from such a large company."

In addition to the national scope of the project provided by MSN, Friedman said an impressive celebrity panel would choose a winner from the five final scripts.

"We have a great group of judges," he said. "Hollywood is interested in new talent."

Friedman said the judges include Rob Reiner and BU alums Harbert and Jason Alexander.

Some of the students involved believe Hollywood's interest in the contest will provide great exposure for the winner.

"It could be a really big opportunity to open some doors for whoever wins," Keary said. "And maybe it will put BU's TV writing program on the map."

Schneider said although he doesn't know how the project would turn out, he thinks it will be an asset to COM and the Film and Television department.

"It will make BU a magnet school for the best TV majors from around the country," he said. "It will attract some amazing talent to the university."

Besides being a source of pride for COM, graduate student Monica Mitchell said the contest is inspiring for students.

"It's gotten a lot of students excited about undertaking the project of writing a script," she said.

COM graduate student Erin Medley said she is pleased that mtvU will show the entire script-writing process because most people do not realize the amount of work it involves.

"Writing a script is not easy," she said. "It takes a lot of time and creativity. I hope this contest will show people that we work hard at what we do."

Although Keary wants the mtvU pilot to be realistic and include all aspects of the contest, he said he wouldn't mind if the show left some parts of the process out.

"I'm sure if I lose, all the footage of me saying how much I want to win will be edited into a nice, humiliating montage for all to see," he said. "Hopefully that won't happen."