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‘UCLA: Next’ saved from budget cut
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| JONATHAN
HARNISH/Daily Bruin |
| Four-time
Emmy Award-winning director Joe Dea speaks to
Film and Television 187A students, who also
produce the show “UCLA: Next.” |
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By Kristie
Bertucci
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
kbertucci@media.ucla.edu
With the help of a department chair, the UCLA student-produced
show and class, "UCLA: Next," continues for a third season despite
major budget cuts in funding for the arts programs.
The show, which is a cross between a reality show and a documentary,
was created entirely by a crew of about 40 UCLA graduate and
undergraduate students from various majors.
The format of the half-hour show has changed since it first
aired two years ago. The magazine-style program has expanded
its coverage to include not only UCLA, but also the southern
California community.
Due to budget cuts, "UCLA: Next" was going to be one of the
programs cut from the curriculum.
But due largely in part to the efforts of Barbara Boyle, the
new chairwoman of the Department of Film and Television and
Digital Media, the program was salvaged.
The predicted success of this year's program comes unexpectedly
to many after the uncertainty surrounding the program's budget.
This past summer, Boyle encouraged two of the original producers,
Julie Ann Sipos and A.J. Lewis, to raise funds to save the show.
Sipos and Lewis, with the help of Boyle, worked to sign on private
donors and sell corporate sponsors so that the show could continue.
Boyle became the new chairwoman in April and has had a distinguished
career in Hollywood, having produced such feature films as "Instinct"
and "Phenomenon."
The aim of this year's season of "UCLA: Next" is to depict how
UCLA students represent their surrounding community, said Sipos,
who is also a teaching assistant for the course.
"The show offers an opportunity to have your work air on national
TV and have some professional prime-time credit," Sipos said.
Some examples of future shows include a look at UCLA students
who assist Hollywood stars and a documentary of UCLA community
activists and their outreach.
This year, the show will be licensed by a broadcaster for local
and national commercial broadcast via DirecTV and DISH Network
for the first time, allowing it to be self-supporting and possibly
generate income for the film and television school.
In order to air, the show needs a minimum of $20,000. Though
the department has not raised all the money, Boyle, who is also
one of the sponsors helping to fund the show, has let classes
start as some of the sponsorship commitments have already been
made.
Thelma Vickroy, who teaches the "UCLA:Next" Film and Television
187A course and is a professor at California State University,
Northridge, said if the class would have been cut, a lot of
hard work would have been wasted.
"We have worked hard for two years, and I am glad we are able
to work hard for another year," Vickroy said.
Kevin Wheeler, a graduate student in film school and one of
the student producers for the show said he is glad that the
program was not cut.
"(The show) provides hands-on experience and gives me a chance
to produce a pilot for a TV series," Wheeler said.
Kenneth Ho, a second-year biology student, took the class to
gain some film background.
"It opens doors for anybody who wants to experience working
on TV," Ho said.
Many of the show's past students have gone on to become MTV
VJs and have produced shows for the Bravo and Showtime networks.
The show is currently in production and will start shooting
in January 2004.
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