Megan Barnard, a junior from Maryland, studying film and television, sat down with me to talk about her interests and all things Bay State. BU’s student run TV network, BUTV10, has been producing Bay State for 150 episodes and counting. It’s the longest running college soap opera and I found out just what makes it so special.
Q: How did you get into BUTV10 and Bay State specifically?
I came to BU and I knew I wanted to join lots of clubs. I figured I should join the TV station. I didn’t even know at this point that I would be a film major, I thought I would do communication studies. I went to the training days with Professor Cavalieri and started going to Pals & Friends and The Hungry Terrier meetings. I didn’t like either of them, but two sophomores living on my floor suggested I join Bay State. That’s when I found out it was the show for me.
Q: What is your role now with the show?
I’m like a hybrid producer-director. I was supposed to give up my director title, but Bay State is going through a re-vamp right now and the professor in charge asked me if could stay on as a director for this first episode. I am producing the show as well.
Q: What made you want to stay so involved with the show?
I automatically got a better vibe from Bay State. When I first went there, the show was already in production and I could shadow the camera and help build the set. I was doing hands-on things from the get-go and meeting all these really nice people. It helped that I knew two people from my floor, but everyone else was so friendly and I knew I could make friends there. From the first few weeks on, I knew I wanted to be the producer of this show.
Q: For those who aren’t familiar with the show, can you describe the storyline of Bay State?
Bay State’s current tagline is “Sex, Drugs, and Murder”. It’s full drama, no one graduates from Beacon Hill College. Whether it be that they become pregnant and they don’t know who the father is or they’re murdered and their neck is sliced with scissors. That was one of my first days on set. We’ve had some shoot-outs, breakdowns of drug dens—It’s crazy.
Q: Do you think BU has influenced who you are now?
Definitely. I thought I was going to be a statistics and communications studies major, but coming here and joining BUTV10 made me realize I wanted to go in a completely different direction. That helps with the show as well because we try to make it about college students, so some of the experiences that we go through we try to elevate for the Bay State characters.
Q: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to get involved with BUTV10, or any club on campus?
Just join! I remember going to Splash and signing up for things and getting emails and not wanting to go to some things in the end. We’re all at college to figure out what is it we want to do, so try everything and if it doesn’t work out it doesn’t work out.
Q: Where do you think your interest in film will take you in the future?
I want to work in children’s animation. My dream is to work for Disney and Pixar, or DreamWorks. Working for a dramatic soap opera isn’t exactly the best preparation for that, but the advantage is I know what it’s like to be on set and to be a leader for a film crew. I am also very passionate about history, so making historical fiction is something that I’m interested in.
I had so much fun meeting Megan and hearing about her experiences with film at BU. She embodies the type of student who is following a dream they discovered they had at college. It’s exciting to see how her involvement with BUTV10 has shaped where she wants to be in the future. I can finally say that I learned what all the hype surrounding the show was about!
Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Bay State here.
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