Claremont Colleges Television (CCTV) is making its
move.
CCTV, a TV production club that was revived
at Pomona College last semester, is expanding its reach to the 5C
student body. Last fall, the Studio 47 outlet began with approximately 25 members, and its shows were limited to news and comedy sketches.
This semester, the club has grown significantly in
its membership and diversity of material. There are now more than 40
participants from all 5Cs working on CCTV, and the network hopes to
increase its viewership and number of production members as it moves forward.
“We definitely want to be one of the major
medias [on campus] and keep students informed on what’s going on,” said Peter Chen PO ’16, co-founder and current executive director .
CCTV is producing six features this
semester: news, comedy, film critiques, a drama series, a Shakespeare series, and what
producers are calling “Untitled Sitcom.”
CCTV’s Shakespeare series, the creative work of
producer Alex Nolan PO ’15, will feature seven episodes of William
Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” set in modern-day Claremont.
“We’re reinterpreting a lot of the relationships
and characters,” Nolan said. “However, we’re doing that while keeping the original text in
order to look at what’s changed between Shakespeare’s day and this one—and
what hasn’t. The play is a bunch of fun, [with] lots of odd
vignettes and wacky characters exploring their identities and making poor life
choices.”
CCTV’s other sketches are
relatable and pertinent not only to college students, but also to a broader
audience. Videos range from the comedy sketch “Srirachaholic,” which hilariously
shows a character’s love affair with Sriracha hot sauce, to an interview with
the fall semester 5C Hackathon winners describing the app they invented.
“Untitled Sitcom” is a mockumentary-style feature that uses dry humor to poke fun at student government officers.
All comedy productions at CCTV are written by multiple people and do not stick to a specific storyline. If a strong idea for a series comes along, it will not be turned
away.
“We want to come out with things that people
want to watch,” said Jane Scearce SC ’15, who is the co-producer of CCTV’s comedy
section. “If people don’t want to watch what we’re putting out, we’ll have to
modify our content.”
While other media outlets have long been available
for student participation, a TV station has never held a strong
presence at the 5Cs. However, CCTV is hoping to change that with its variety of
productions.
“In a really idealistic way, I want it to be
a Claremont pastime,” Chen said. “I want people to go on and
watch our sitcom when they’re procrastinating on their homework.”
However, CCTV offers more than just
entertainment. All features by CCTV are entirely produced, written, and performed by students, providing hands-on experience to its contributors.
The network also
holds workshops on film production and editing. The next workshop is on Feb. 22, and will focus on film editing with Adobe
Premiere.
“I think the network is really appropriate
considering the times,” said Sara Scheidemantle SC ’17, who is considering pursuing media studies. “I know a lot of media studies majors, and I think CCTV
would be a great way for them involved and get firsthand experience.”
Chen added, “CCTV is a great opportunity for students to learn how to
actually operate a camera and edit and add effects. Students could apply what
they learn in class to something more hands-on.”
CCTV welcomes ideas from non-members and is interested in taking on new contributors.
To learn more about CCTV, search “CCTV” on YouTube
or visit its website at http://studio47.aspc.pomona.edu/
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