Featuring students both on the screen and behind the scenes, Roller Palace, Boston University’s entirely student-produced sitcom, premiered Friday night at the Photonics Center, where its pilot episode was shown.
The College of Communication students were part of an mtvU and MSN contest, which provided the airtime and some funding for the production.
More that 150 students viewed the series, which revolves around Carly, a spoiled Manhattan girl, whose world is changed drastically when her mother is re-married to the King of the New Jersey Roller Palace Hot Dog Empire. Video chats with her incarcerated biological father provide an outlet for Carly’s feelings concerning the engaging group that is her new extended family.
The premise was stated in the program, but not even the video editor had first-hand knowledge of the finished product, which will air on mtvU March 20.
“This will be the first time I’ve seen the whole thing,” editor and COM senior Ashley Kennedy said. “There was a viewing in L.A. earlier which a few people attended, but our pilot was just part of a festival. The BU premiere is all about Roller Palace.”
Director Paul Schneider, the only non-student on staff, whose credits include Beverly Hills 90210, JAG and The Mendez Murders, said he signed onto the project because he “wanted to give students in the film and television departments a taste of what it is to do a full-blown production.”
“They got a taste,” the COM associate professor said. “They got more than a taste, they got a whole meal.”
Director of photography Rohan Chitrakar said he was caught off guard by Salem’s mid-December weather.
“We basically had to change the whole thing from a spring/summer setting to the middle of winter,” the COM graduate student said. “We were going to re-shoot, but we just adjusted the script instead.”
For Kennedy, Roller Palace afforded her a chance to edit footage that someone else had shot, as opposed to her own work.
“You’re very connected to your own work,” she said. “Because you’re disconnected from other people’s footage, it’s easier to be objective. After all, that’s the way it’s done professionally.”
Audience members, cast and crew said Roller Palace was nothing if not professionally done.
Brandeis undergraduate Bessie Bianco, a friend of “Waitress #1,” said she was impressed with the level of production. While she said a shot or two had that “filmed-in-the-basement” sort of feel, the overall production blew her away. Bianco said she especially enjoyed the circus-esque theme song that “was catchy and really flowed with the New Jersey/Roller Palace theme.”
“I really think there should be more shows made by students,” she said, “especially on mtvU. I hope they pick up the show. The premise offers so much to work with.”
The crew said they have similar sentiments regarding the professional process the sitcom underwent.