Megan Pollin
BS film & video production '13
From "Off Campus" to the Big Apple
By Kelcey Zacarese
“Off Campus” is the award-winning sitcom produced by Drexel students, about the confusing world that America’s young people face in today’s economic times. The series has picked up a number of awards, most recently 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 in the fall of 2013.
Megan Pollin ’13, a film and video production alumna who, as a student, was one of the show’s editors, was on hand to receive the Mid-Atlantic Emmy®, also known as the Crystal Pillar.
“I started working on ‘Off Campus’ my sophomore year,” said Pollin. “They were looking for an editor and I was really trying to get into editing and make myself known in the film department.”
She admits to going to the awards ceremony, joined by five former Westphal students who worked on the series, with no real expectations of winning.
“We just thought we’d go there, eat food, hangout and have a good time,” she said. “When they said that we won, all we could think was, ‘Shoot, one of us has to give a speech!’”
This is the second such award in the past three years for “Off Campus,” which is described as a cross between “Friends” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” The show was picked up by CBS’ The CW Philly 57 in 2011 and previously earned an NATAS award for Outstanding Achievement in a Student Production in 2011 and was nominated again in 2012 for a NATAS award for College Production—Arts and Entertainment/Cultural Affairs.
Pollin’s first experiences in filmmaking were in high school when she found herself making music videos and commercials as a hobby.
“People would commend me for my editing work and that’s when I realized, I can actually go to school for this,” she said.
Pollin arrived at Drexel from Harrisburg, Pa. as a film major. She knew right away that she wanted to get a great co-op to help expand her experience and knowledge in the industry.
“For my co-op, I worked in New York at a post-production company called Sixteen 19,” said Pollin. She explained that she came into work every day with a positive attitude that left a lasting impression on her colleagues.
“In May, right before graduation, I went back to Sixteen 19,” she said. “They took a look at my résumé, gave me some pointers, and gave me a list of people who I should contact for jobs. One of them got back to me and that’s how I got my current job.”
Pollin can’t disclose many details, but she is fulfilling her dream working in New York City on a feature film.
“I grew up in a rural area, and I remember the first time I went to New York I was like, ‘Wow, this is the best place ever!’” she said.
Pollin said that throughout her entire experience working on “Off Campus,” the support she received from the film and video production department really helped her get through the stressful weeks that sometimes come along with being a busy Drexel senior.
She said that working with Film and Video Production Professor Andrew Susskind on “Off Campus” really helped her open up and transform from a quiet student to an outgoing and determined one.
“As graduation was approaching, I was getting really nervous about what to do next and what I should be preparing for, and he was really helpful with encouraging me and helping me take the next step,” said Pollin. “He said that things were going to happen, and that everything was going to be alright.”
It’s safe to say that Professor Susskind was right. Things certainly did happen and the future is bright for Pollin. She is excited about her current project working on a feature film, and she looks forward to visiting Los Angeles in the next few years.
