There goes the jock, surrounded with all the other meatheads and using his athletic aptitude to get through college… and there goes the Goth girl with her black clothes, dark eye makeup and antisocial tendencies. A panoramic view of a typical college scene is laden with these people who fit the mold of certain stereotypes. GSTV’s new comedy, Sophomores, plays on these stereotypes of college students to form a refreshingly new perspective on an old concept.
Co-produced by Yonas Michael and Sharon Ezra, this comedic satire revolves around five vastly different students at Bardell University who are all interconnected via a shared class. The show started with “something as simple as people-watching in the courtyard,” said Michael. “There are tons of wacky people out there.” These “wacky people” turned into the groundwork for a show unlike anything GSTV has produced before.
The concept for Sophomores may be simple enough, but the effort that has gone into producing the show has been anything but. Michael pitched the story idea to GSTV in September of 2009 and began work on the project immediately. “We need a good cast, a consistent crew, 30-page scripts for 8 episodes… it’s a lot of work,” said Michael. “It’s been a long process over the course of a year, and half of that year was manual work.” Finding a strong production crew and holding various casting calls for the perfect actors proved to be arduous work. The Sophomores cast and crew, which consists of about 30 members, is described by Michael as “awesome.” “They have done a great job this year,” raves Ezra.
Throughout the length of the season, the characters, which were initially based on negative stereotypes, eventually break away from these roles find their own identities. “The characters all grow through the season. There is a lot of story and character progression,” said Ezra. Not only do the fictional characters of Sophomores evolve in front of our eyes, but the behind the scenes work goes through its own transformation. “The writing, shooting, and acting gets better,” said Ezra when speaking of the production work through the course of the show’s season.
The show is shot around the campus, and the episodes show recognizable landmarks, such as General Classroom Building and the University Commons. Similarly, you will often find a familiar face or two, since the actors are Georgia State students. “You might be on it,” joked Ezra.
When asked why students should tune into Sophomores, Michael states that there is a certain connection level that the show is able to achieve. “It’s cliché, but everyone can connect with at least one character on the show. There aren’t just five main characters- there is a large pool of characters involved in the story,” said Michael.
“We played it safe in the beginning and did what people expected of us, and now we are beginning to push it,” said Yonas when describing the possibility of controversy in the storylines. From sorority drama to illicit drug busts, there is a wide array of storylines that the show covers. The storylines for Sophomores “are all situations taken from reality. College life can really be surreal sometimes,” added Michael.
Nearing the culmination of its first season, the future of Sophomores is still up in the air. With such success in its initial introduction, the co-producers have high hopes for the show’s potential. “We are looking to come back next year,” said Michael. “The show really kind of started off small and now we know who we are and what we can do.” With the inception of a new season comes the potential arrival of new crew members.
For students eager to get involved, the producers of the show are looking for people willing to help out in various ways. Whether talent comes in the form of actors, cinematographers, or writers, Sophomores is hoping to make some changes in preparation for the second season. “Not only is it a great way to get involved on campus, but it also looks great on a resume,” said Ezra.
Aside from the resume boost, the experience of working on a successful show is incomparable. Through countless hours and weekends of filming and table readings, the cast and crew of Sophomores grew close over the duration of the year. “It’s one big party, but we get work done as well. We have really become a family,” said the producers.
Since its premiere, the show has received a warm response from the Georgia State student body. “People recognize me and I’m not even on the show,” joked co-producer Ezra, who hosts the Sophomores’ after-show. As for the content of the show, Michael argues that all programs currently available are completely unlike that of Sophomores. “There are shows about high school life, but there is nothing about college. This is written by college kids and students can relate to it,” said Michael.
“Honestly, this is the most ambitious student television project I have seen. Between the writing process and the time it takes to shoot episodes, I don’t think students have put so much time and work into a production before,” said Michael when questioned of the differences Sophomores has compared to other GSTV productions.
Sophomores airs on GSTV every Wednesday at 8pm and can also be streamed online at sophomorestv.com. Anyone interested in getting involved can contact the producers at sophomoresgstv@gmail.com and should join the Sophomores Facebook page for current updates.
GSTV launches original comedy series ‘Sophomores’
Published: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 16:04
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Georgia State’s Sophomores television program entertains students while including familiar friends, scenery, and situations that arise at Georgia State.
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