Float Your Boat

Author

Jamian Shapiro

Degree Type

Honors Capstone Project

Date of Submission

Spring 5-1-2011

Capstone Advisor

Peter Moller

Honors Reader

Neal Coffey

Capstone Major

Television-Radio-Film

Capstone College

Public Communications

Audio/Visual Component

no

Capstone Prize Winner

no

Won Capstone Funding

no

Honors Categories

Creative

Subject Categories

Film and Media Studies | Radio | Television

Abstract

For the past year, I have served as the Executive Producer for the sketch comedy television show Float Your Boat. Syracuse University students produce this show through the student run television station, Citrus TV. The show is a single camera show shot entirely out of studio and on location. Each episode is composed of several sketches that can range from thirty seconds to five minutes. Each individual sketch is also posted online through a variety of websites visited by college students. Additionally, the complete episode is posted online and screened at the end of each semester. The screening is open to the entire Syracuse Community.

As Executive Producer, I accepted all responsibilities in making sure that Float Your Boat met our deadlines and requirements set forth by the Citrus TV Executive Staff. Additionally, I made sure that we produced a show of the highest quality. With this title I also oversaw a cast and crew of roughly thirty people. My responsibilities included but were not limited to: recruiting and maintaining an adequate cast and crew to facilitate the show, organizing two meetings every week for coordinating shoots and developing scripts, reserving equipment and locations for shoots, casting shoots, delegating post production assignments, and ensuring workflow moved at a pace that allowed us to meet the station’s requirements. I also had the last say in interpreting the guidelines set forth by Citrus TV with regards to content being appropriate or not to air.

In addition to this managerial work, I was heavily involved with the creative production of Float Your Boat. I served as the show’s head writer, principle director, cinematographer, director of photography, sound designer and editor. I was involved at some level with every sketch produced through Float Your Boat. Often times, I oversaw a sketch through each step of production from formulating the idea to finalizing it in postproduction.

I also have spent a great deal of time this semester teaching the underclassmen in Float Your Boat the skills and knowledge needed to produce a quality television show. I have already named next year’s Executive Producer and have begun teaching him the skills needed to ensure the show will be just as successful next year. With the underclassmen taking a more hands on approach, the show will continue to make quality content next fall despite this year’s seniors graduating. This being said, my job as Executive Producer of Float Your Boat was essentially to make the best possible quality show this year while laying the groundwork for next year’s show to be equally successful.

Recommended Citation

Shapiro, Jamian, "Float Your Boat" (2011). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 233.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/233

Creative Commons License

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