October 15, 2011

OFF CAMPUS, the sitcom produced by students from the Department of Cinema & Television, won the Outstanding Achievement in a Student Production, Arts and Entertainment/Cultural Affairs, at the annual NATAS awards at the Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards Gala on September 24th.    The honors for OFF CAMPUS keep coming during the November sweeps as CBS-owned The CW Philly 57 /WPSG-TV (check local listings for the station in your area), will air three episodes of the series on successive Saturdays starting on November 5th at 11:30 PM. All three episodes will be re-broadcast on Saturday, November 26th from 1:00 – 2:30 AM. and Sunday, November 27th from 2:00 – 3:30 PM.  OFF CAMPUS will be the lead in for IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA.

Television program director Professor Andrew Susskind is the executive producer of the project, which is now beginning production on season four.  “Our goal is to make OFF CAMPUS come as close to a professional network primetime production experience as possible for our students,” said Susskind. “Our NATAS win was wonderful recognition and it’s an honor for a major network affiliate to choose to air our series. It is a privilege to work with students who are so creative, skilled and dedicated.”

Perry Casciato, The CW Philly 57’s director of programming and an adjunct professor in the Television Management program, is pleased to showcase the student production on a broadcast station. “After we screened OFF CAMPUS, we felt the series deserved a larger platform and were also delighted to have the opportunity to feature both the program and the talents of our community on The CW Philly.”  

OFF CAMPUS uses an interdisciplinary approach that has Screenwriting & Playwriting students writing the scripts, and Film & Video and Television students handling all aspects of production. During the twenty-week production schedule, students fulfill a variety of production roles including producer, director, gaffer, grip, audio engineer, lighting technician, camera operator and director of photography.  Westphal Interior Design students serve as art directors; Fashion students oversee costumes and makeup; and Music Industry students create the musical score. Support from The Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies makes possible OFF CAMPUS.

OFF CAMPUS features the adventures and misadventures of recent college graduates and roommates Claire, Dean, Felix, Hailey and Nick.   The new third episode finds the roommates’ lives disrupted by strange doings in a neighbor’s apartment.