Boston University is thousands of miles from the glitz of Hollywood, but its film and television department now ranks beside the University of California, Los Angeles, highly regarded for producing the cream of the cinematic crop.
The Hollywood Reporter on Oct. 2 included BU on its list of 12 schools “that represent good investments for aspiring industry players.”
To maintain that progress, BU hired Randy Steinberg, a full-time faculty member since 2005, as the school’s first motion picture industry coordinator. Steinberg will help College of Communication students market their films to festivals and professionals to cultivate talents.
“Up until now, it really has been on the students to [promote] themselves,” Steinberg said. “Now a position exists solely to bring attention to the work that BU film students are doing. We can compete and get the word out there.”
Steinberg said he has worked to contact festivals and professionals about student pictures, promote films from the on-campus Redstone Film Festival and raise media attention for the pilot of the student-made series Res. Life, which will be showcased at a California comedy convention Dec. 3.
“Ultimately what I want is for [industry professionals] to come to us, that they’ll hear about the good work that the students are doing,” Steinberg said.
Professors say the new position will help to organize the often hectic process of finding producers interested in student projects.
“Up to this point, it has been very much an ad hoc process,” said film professor Robert Arnold. “This position will really streamline [the marketing] process and create additional opportunities for students to showcase their work.”
Some of Steinberg’s efforts have already paid off. After Steinberg helped COM senior Aviv Rubinstein publicize his film Woman on the Moon, British magazine Shots featured the film in its New Directors reel.
“It’s a really great opportunity to bridge the gap between school projects and great little art films into future employment opportunities and festivals,” Rubenstein said.