Boston University’s multi-platform student-run television network, butv10, is channeling the academic pressure and social anxiety of the college student experience in a new online series, “Paper Trail,” set to premiere Thursday at 5 p.m. on butv10.com.
Co-produced by College of Communication seniors Wes Palmer, Andrew Fewsmith and Amanda Domuracki, “Paper Trail” tells the story of a business student and his roommates whose partying habits have led to academic probation. In turn, “they resort to cheating to keep their grades up and discover that the academic black-market may be more profitable than they could have ever imagined,” according to the show’s logline.
“The show follows this group and the rise and fall of their test-selling business,” Domuracki said in an email. “We wanted to explore gray areas of morality and touch upon some gripes of the college education system.”
The series is expected to run for nine episodes. The production team hopes to engage students and add variety to the current butv10 lineup, Domuracki said.
“We want to ensure that we’re not dragging the series out for too long. We [will] release the first six episodes this fall, and the next three will be released in the spring,” she said. “We really wanted to create something fresh that would get students excited to watch it, not just because they knew someone who worked on the project, or because it was made by their peers, but because the story seemed really exciting, interesting and relevant.”
The biggest difference between “Paper Trail” and other butv10 student productions is its cinematic value, Palmer said.
“We’re really trying to push the boundaries of what people expect from college television and student filmmakers,” he said in an email. “We placed a huge emphasis on cinematography in particular, as we felt that was one of the areas most lacking in student work and would be a major factor in setting our show apart from other student productions.”
Palmer said “Paper Trail” puts an emphasis on “production value, writing and telling a story” that closely resembles a true drama series.
“The show is produced much like real television shows, where we have a large block of production and post-production and then release the show on a weekly basis,” he said. “This allows viewers to actually make a connection to the show and come back and watch the next episode, which is incredibly important for a drama with one, continuous storyline.”
Fewsmith described the show as a cross between AMC’s “Breaking Bad” and “The Social Network” as it explores criminal thrill and moral ambiguity, demonstrating both the creative and technical talent of the production team.
Pre-production for “Paper Trail” began in fall 2013 with script writing, casting and location scouting, Fewsmith said. Filming began this spring and will wrap by the end of the year.
“Paper Trail” actress Gabriele Rae Fougner, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said all kinds of people will enjoy the show, and students interested in getting involved in butv10 should do everything they can to do so.
“If you love comedy, it’s there. If you love romance, it’s there,” she said. “I would just say do it. There’s so many responsibilities for everybody, you can do whatever you’d like.”
butv10’s Inside Boston co-producer, Supriya Muppala, a COM senior, said her own experience at Inside Boston has surpassed any internship experience she has gained, and “Paper Trail” took a unique approach to college television.
“‘Paper Trail’ is essentially giving viewers more of what they want to see on the network, which is incredible when it comes to reaching the diverse audience of butv10,” she said.
butv10 currently hosts three news shows, three drama shows, three sports shows, three comedies and five “variety” shows, Muppala said. Among the 17 student productions, “Paper Trail” adds to the network’s entertainment genre, providing viewers with an entertainment piece that differs from what is currently offered.
“‘Paper Trail’ challenged butv10 by bringing something really innovative to the network, not only with their content, but also with the quality of it,” she said. “They have really set a standard for the quality of production that the network expects.”
