October 24, 2013

Philadelphia’s CW Philly 57 will air the third and fourth episodes of Drexel University’s original student-produced sitcom TV series OFF CAMPUS on Saturday, Oct. 26 from midnight to 1 a.m. (EST). OFF CAMPUS tells the story of recent college graduates living in an off campus house in Philadelphia. The show is a lighthearted and honest look at the confusing world that America’s young people face in today’s turbulent economic times. OFF CAMPUS stars professional actors Kat Catanakis, Jamie Kerezsi, Chris Ready, Jay Robin and Tom Saporito.  

The third episode of OFF CAMPUS finds the roommates’ lives disrupted by strange doings in a neighbor’s apartment. In the fourth episode, tensions rise when one of the roommates’ former flings unexpectedly “moves back in.” 

In early September, the fourth episode won the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ (NATAS) College Production Award of Excellence in the “Outstanding College Long Form Fiction Programming” category. The "Crystal Pillar" award was presented to six former Westphal College of Media Arts & Sciences students at the Mid-Atlantic Emmy ceremonies. It was the second such award for OFF CAMPUS in the last three years, previously earning an NATAS award for “Outstanding Achievement in a Student Production” in 2011 and a nomination in 2012 for “College Production–Arts and Entertainment/Cultural Affairs.” CW Philly 57 previously picked up OFF CAMPUS in 2011.

Producer and director Andrew Catania and supervising producer Laurel Chadwick, both 2012 Drexel graduates, were part of the nominated team in 2012 and the winning team in 2011. New 2013 graduates Andrew Misialek and Alex Igidbashian were recognized as both directors and writers, Arlynn Katz and Megan Pollin were recognized for their roles as producer and editor, respectively. 

TV Production & Media Management Program Director Andrew Susskind supervises OFF CAMPUS’s student crew. He says, “The TV Series Production class is intended to emulate as closely as possible the experience of producing a prime-time network television single-camera pilot, exposing students to the rigors of budgeting, scheduling, production and editing. More importantly, OFF CAMPUS honestly reflects the unique uncertainties, challenges and possibilities of the world that awaits today’s college graduates.”

“CBS, and The CW Philly in particular, are delighted to have been able to provide a broadcast outlet for this student production since 2011,” says Jon Hitchcock, President and General Manager of CBS 3 and The CW Philly. "The fact that Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design can continue to produce programs of broadcast caliber is something both the College and all of us in Philadelphia can take pride in.” 

Dean Allen Sabinson said, “Over the course of an entire school year, students in our Department of Cinema & Television craft the scripts and handle all aspects of the production and post. We reach out to students in Music Industry, Fashion Design and Interior Design for assistance on scoring, costumes and production design. And, under Andrew Susskind’s inspired supervision, they create an ongoing series that is of professional quality done in a manner that affords our students the closest possible experience they can get to working on a Hollywood set. We couldn’t be more proud of OFF CAMPUS for the NATAS honors and exposure on CW.”

OFF CAMPUS is made possible by the generous support of the The Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies.

Drexel University News Media Contact:
Britt Faulstick
News Officer, Drexel University Communications
Phone: 215-895-2617
britt.faulstick@drexel.edu