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{{Short description|Former student internet broadcast organization}}
Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV) is the Harvard University student-run television organization.
{{Infobox broadcasting network
| network_name = Harvard Undergraduate Television (HUT
V)
| network_logo = Harvard Undergraduate Television logo.JPG
| country = [[United States]]
| network_type = [[Internet television]] [[television network|network]]
| available = [[Internet|Online]], internationally
| owner =
| key_people = Derek Flanzraich, Eric Paternot, [[Emily Brodsky]], Maxwell Whittington-Cooper
| launch_date = 1975 (as "Harvard-Radcliffe Film Workshop")
| founder =
| past_names = Harvard-Radcliffe Film Workshop (1975–1992)<br>Harvard-Radcliffe Television (1992–2009)
| website = [http://www.hutvnetwork.com/ www.hutvnetwork.com]
}}


'''Harvard Undergraduate Television (HUTV)''' was a [[Harvard College]] [[student television station]] broadcasting to the [[Internet]] between 2009 and 2013.
HRTV is a loose collection of small production groups with their own shows, some series that ran for several seasons, such as [[Ivory Tower]] (a serial soap opera created by Sara Alexandra Bibel and Andrea N. Moore), Crimson Edition (a news show), Great Performances (showcasing theater, dance, and music events at Harvard), The Common Room (a situation comedy show), Survey Says! (a game show created by Peter Pinch, now Director of Technology at [[WGBH]]), and Yard Tails (an animated cartoon show created by Justin Massengale).<ref>HRTV Annual Report, 1966, prepared by Kathleen Kouril</ref>


HUTV carried original, student-produced content from eleven shows<ref>[http://www.hutvnetwork.com/shows Shows] at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref> and from individual Harvard students.<ref>[http://www.hutvnetwork.com/video Videos] at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref> HUTV shows included [[Ivory Tower (Harvard Undergraduate Television)|''Ivory Tower'']], ''On Harvard Time'' (an award-winning comedy news show<ref name="On Harvard Time award">2008-12-29. "[http://onharvardtime.blogspot.com/2008/12/oht-wins-pan-ivy-recognition.html OHT Wins Pan-Ivy Recognition!]." The On Harvard Time Blog. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref>), and video reports by ''[[The Harvard Crimson]]'' (Harvard's daily student newspaper).<ref>[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/thecrimson ''The Harvard Crimson'' Videos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413182701/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/thecrimson |date=2009-04-13 }} at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref> The network had a full production studio and post-production editing facilities in [[Pforzheimer House]], a Harvard dormitory.<ref name="Voice Article">Shen, Brian (2009-03-16). "[http://www.thehvoice.com/articles/deeper-look/2009/03/inside-vision-reinvent-harvard-s-television?page=0,0 Inside the vision to reinvent Harvard's television]". ''The Harvard Voice''. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref> HUTV last updated its programming and website in 2013, and is now defunct.<ref>[http://www.hutvnetwork.com/shows Shows] at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref>
HRTV has a production studio and post-production editing facilities in [[Pforzheimer House]] (formerly North House), in the Quadrangle that was formerly [[Radcliffe College]] Houses.

HUTV, under the guidance of co-President Derek Flanzraich, replaced then-defunct Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV) on April 6, 2009,<ref>2009-04-06. "[http://www.flybyblog.com/?p=1668 HUTV Launches New (Sexy) Web Site]." ''The Harvard Crimson's'' FlyByBlog. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref> inheriting HRTV's shows and staff.<ref name="Voice Article" />


==History==
==History==


===Harvard-Radcliffe Film Workshop (HRFW)===
HRTV was founded in 1992 by Emily Brodsky, now a [http://es.ucsc.edu/personnel/Brodsky/ Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Santa Cruz].
In 1975, Bob Doyle who was then working as a [[research fellow]] in Harvard's Department of [[Harvard College#Concentrations|Visual and Environmental Studies]], founded the Harvard-Radcliffe Film Workshop (HRFW), which offered [[filmmaking]] instruction and [[film screening]]s in the Morse Music Library in the basement of [[Pforzheimer House]], which was then known as North House.<ref name="Desktop Video Group">[http://www.dtvgroup.com/HRTV/ Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV)] at Desktop Video Group. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref>


In the 1980s, Doyle helped form the [http://www.dtvgroup.com/index.html Desktop Video Group] to "support undergraduate [[video production]] and television distribution" at [[Brown University|Brown]] and [[Harvard University|Harvard]] Universities.<ref>[http://www.dtvgroup.com/index.html Home page] at Desktop Video Group. Retrieved on 2009-04-21.</ref>
HRTV Honorary Board of Advisers has included many individuals prominent in the entertainment industry , including [[Matt Damon]], [[Jack Lemmon]], [[John Lithgow]], [[Conan_O'Brien]], [[Elizabeth Shue]] and [[Mira Sorvino]].<ref>HRTV Members' Handbook, ed. by Mandel Ilagan</ref>


===Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV)===
In the early years (1994-1996), many shows were edited in a special HRTV edit facility in the basement of [[Bob Doyle]]'s [http://www.dtvgroup.com Desktop Video Group].
[[Image:Harvard Radcliffe Television logo.jpg|thumb|150px|right|The HRTV logo]]
In 1992, Emily Brodsky founded Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV).<ref name="Desktop Video Group" /> That same year, [[Ivory Tower (Harvard Undergraduate Television)|''Ivory Tower'']], the [[Ivy League|Ivy League's]] oldest [[soap opera]], became one of HRTV's first shows.<ref name="Oldest Soap Opera">Estes, Adam Clark (2009-01-13). "[http://www.ivygateblog.com/2009/01/the-birth-death-and-soggy-afterlife-of-ivy-soaps/ The Birth, Death, and Soggy Afterlife of Ivy Soaps]." IvyGate Blog. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref>


Until 1996, HRTV's shows were [[video editing|edited]] using Desktop Video Group equipment. In 1996, the Morse Music Library, which had previously been the site of HRFW's instruction sessions and film screenings, was re-organized into a [[television studio]] for HRTV, overseen by Doyle and aided financially by [[Pforzheimer House]].<ref name="Desktop Video Group" />
Distribution of shows was initially difficult. Videotapes were shown on a big screen television weekday evenings in the Common Rooms or Dining Rooms of various Harvard Houses.


In its early years, HRTV screened its shows in dormitory common rooms and dining halls,<ref name="Desktop Video Group" /> as well as on various [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]] [[Public-access television]] [[cable TV]] channels.<ref>Gootman, Elissa T. (1993-02-23). "[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=235688 Harvard Soap Opera To Premiere in April]." ''The Harvard Crimson''. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref><ref>Isa, Margaret (1993-10-27). "[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=146969 Locals Access TV Station]". ''The Harvard Crimson''. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref><ref>Neyfakh, Leon (2003-11-07). "[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=349886 Selling Ivory Soap]." ''The Harvard Crimson''. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref> In 2006, HRTV began posting all of its shows exclusively online, though episodes of ''[[Ivory Tower (Harvard Undergraduate Television)|Ivory Tower]]'' had been posted online before then.<ref>Zamcheck, Abraham M. (2006-03-10). "[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=512001 HRTV Shows Off New Website]." ''The Harvard Crimson''. Retrieved on 2009-05-23.</ref>
Some shows were submitted to the National Association of Collegiate Broadcasters U Network.<ref>[http://www.dtvgroup.com/BTV/ Brown Television and NACB at Brown University]</ref>


Several prominent Harvard [[alumni]] in the film and television industries have been members of the HRTV Honorary Board of Advisers, including [[Matt Damon]], [[Conan O'Brien]], [[Mira Sorvino]], [[Jack Lemmon]], [[Elisabeth Shue]], and [[John Lithgow]].<ref name="Desktop Video Group" />
Today HRTV shows are streamed as web video on the Internet via [http://www.crimsonclips.tv/ CrimsonClips.tv]. The HRTV website (hrtv.org) now redirects to CrimsonClips.tv, a blog.


===Harvard Undergraduate Television (HUTV)===
==Production Facilities==
On April 6, 2009, HRTV relaunched as Harvard Undergraduate Television, under the direction of co-president Derek Flanzraich.<ref name="Voice Article" /> The transformation included a new website and a short promotional video featuring Harvard professor and prominent psychologist [[Steven Pinker]] smashing a television and telling viewers to "get with the times" by watching television online.<ref>[http://hutvnetwork.com/video/hutv-promo-get-with-the-times-feat-steven-pinker HUTV Promo Video] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410090141/http://hutvnetwork.com/video/hutv-promo-get-with-the-times-feat-steven-pinker |date=2009-04-10 }} at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref>


==Current Shows==
Back in 1975-76, a predecessor to HRTV, the North House Film Workshop, offered a house filmmaking course in the basement of Holmes Hall when Bob Doyle was Research Fellow in Harvard's Department of Visual and Environmental Studies at the [[Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts]].<ref>[http://www.dtvgroup.com/HRTV/ Desktop Video Group's HRTV page]</ref>


===HUTV Productions===
In 1996, Doyle revamped the old Harvard Radcliffe Film Workshop to become the new HRTV studios. With the help of Kathleen Kouril, a Boston-area filmmaker and Non-resident Tutor at Pforzheimer House and with financial support from Pforzheimer House Masters Woody and Hanna Hastings, a lighting grid and cycloramic blue screen were installed in the former Morse Music Library. As the screening room for Harvard Radcliffe Film Workshop, it was equipped with a large pull-down screen. This became the main HRTV studio.
HUTV currently produces eight shows.<ref name="Home Page">[http://hutvnetwork.com/ Home page] on HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-18.</ref>
*'''''Ivory Tower''''' - Created in 1992 by Sara Alexandra Bibel and Andrea N. Moore, [[Ivory Tower (Harvard Undergraduate Television)|''Ivory Tower'']] is HUTV's longest-running show and the [[Ivy League|Ivy League's]] oldest [[soap opera]], and according to the show's staff the oldest college soap opera. In fall 2008, ''Ivory Tower'' switched from a soap opera format to a [[situation comedy]] format. It has been popular not only on the Harvard campus but also, since being posted online, in [[South Korea]].<ref name="Desktop Video Group" /><ref name="Oldest Soap Opera" /><ref name="About Ivory Tower">[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/ivorytower/about About ''Ivory Tower''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220214712/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/ivorytower/about |date=2011-02-20 }} at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.</ref><ref>Zamcheck, Abraham M. (2006-03-10). "[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=512001 HRTV Shows Off New Website]." ''The Harvard Crimson''. Retrieved on 2009-04-18.</ref>
*'''''Respectably French!''''' - A [[sketch comedy]] show created by Nicholas Krasney, Ho Tuan, and Matthew Tai, ''Respectably French!'' is currently in its fifth season. In addition to popular sketch comedy programming, the show has interviewed and been endorsed by [[celebrities]] such as [[Kevin Nealon]] of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', [[Eric Idle]] of [[Monty Python]], [[Homestar Runner]], and [[Pleasureman Gunther]].<ref>"[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/respectablyfrench/about About ''Respectably French''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110401182310/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/respectablyfrench/about |date=2011-04-01 }}" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref><ref>"[http://respectablyfrench.com/rfv2/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=57 Celebrity Endorsements and Interviews]" at ''Respectably French's'' site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref> In 2008, Respectably French! has also covered [[ROFLCon]] and the [[2008 Republican National Convention]].
*'''''On Harvard Time''''' - HUTV's [[news satire|satirical news]] show, modeled after ''[[The Daily Show]]'', presents and comments on news at Harvard in a [[comedic]] fashion. Currently in its fourth season, ''On Harvard Time'' produces weekly episodes as well as periodic humorous interviews with both Harvard and national public figures, such as Harvard [[Dean (education)|Dean]] of [[University and college admissions|Admissions]] William Fitzsimmons, [[Deputy White House Chief of Staff]] [[Karl Rove]], and 2008 [[President of the United States|U.S. Presidential]] [[candidate]] [[Mike Gravel]]. ''On Harvard Time's'' November 2008 "Harvard Yale Aid" video, mocking [[Yale University]] before the annual [[Harvard-Yale football rivalry|Harvard-Yale football game]], was named 2008 [[Ivy League]] Video of the Year by [[IvyGate|IvyGate Blog]].<ref name="On Harvard Time award" /><ref>"[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/onharvardtime/about About ''On Harvard Time''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224073637/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/onharvardtime/about |date=2011-02-24 }}" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref><ref name="About On Harvard Time">"[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/onharvardtime/video All ''On Harvard Time'' Videos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218194829/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/onharvardtime/video |date=2011-02-18 }}" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref> Founded and created by Derek Flanzraich in 2006, today it is "HUTV's most popular show."<ref>Drago, Samantha F. (2008-10-01). "[http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2008/10/1/comedy-on-harvards-terms-not-many/ Comedy on Harvard’s Terms: A look into HRTV’s most popular show]." ''The Harvard Crimson''. Retrieved on 2010-05-08.</ref>
*'''''Crimson Edition''''' - A long-form news [[Documentary film|documentary]] show, ''Crimson Edition'' made its debut in 1995. It was relaunched with a more serious focus in 2006 by Executive Producer Eric Paternot, and is inspired by television [[news magazines]] such as ''[[60 Minutes]]''. Past topics have included Harvard's [[African-American]] community and the situation of the [[homeless]] in [[Harvard Square]].<ref name="Desktop Video Group" /><ref name="About Crimson Edition">[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/crimsonedition/about About ''Crimson Edition''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712233607/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/crimsonedition/about |date=2011-07-12 }} at HUTV's site. Retrieved 2009-04-19.</ref><ref>"[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/crimsonedition/video All ''Crimson Edition'' Videos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712233641/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/crimsonedition/video |date=2011-07-12 }}" at HUTV's site. Retrieved 2009-04-19.</ref>
*'''''HUTV News''''' - Founded in 2007, ''HUTV News'' is HUTV's short-form [[news]] show, producing shorter reports than ''Crimson Edition'' on a wider range of topics. Before HRTV became HUTV, ''HUTV News'' was called ''HRTV News''.<ref>"[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/hutvnews/about About ''HUTV News''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091106222712/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/hutvnews/about |date=2009-11-06 }}" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref><ref>Opening animation of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqIhq1Dosf4 "Going Green" video] on YouTube. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref>
*'''''Harvard Hooligans''''' - This [[comedic]] show follows a group of college roommates. Most ''Harvard Hooligans'' episodes depict them speaking into a [[webcam]] and portraying a [[stereotypically]] [[nerdy]] students commenting on Harvard events. However, members have also interviewed [[comedian]] [[Will Ferrell]], covered the [[2008 Democratic National Convention]], and run for president of the Harvard student body over the course of the show.<ref>"[http://harvardhooligans.com/about/ About the Hooligans] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420191534/http://harvardhooligans.com/about/ |date=2009-04-20 }}" at the Harvard Hooligans blog. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref><ref>"[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/hooligans/video All ''Harvard Hooligans'' Videos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712233816/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/hooligans/video |date=2011-07-12 }}" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref>
*'''''Love@Harvard''''' - Modeled after ''[[The Dating Game]]'', ''Love@Harvard'' is a show in which three students compete to win a [[dating (activity)|date]] with another student contestant. It debuted in November 2008.<ref>Jain, Niha S. (2008-10-27). "[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=524925 HRTV To Spark ‘Love At Harvard’]." ''The Harvard Crimson''. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref>
*'''''H-Biz Tonight''''' - Formerly ''HBS TV Market Minute with [[Mia Saini]]'', ''H-Biz Tonight'' features short daily reports from [[Harvard Business School]] student [[Mia Saini]] on [[economic]] news.<ref>[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/hbiztonight/video/hbs-tv-market-minute-with-mia-saini-128 An ''H-Biz Tonight'' video] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105050247/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/hbiztonight/video/hbs-tv-market-minute-with-mia-saini-128 |date=2009-11-05 }} from 2008-12-08 at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref><ref>"[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/hbiztonight/about About ''H-Biz Tonight''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105050226/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/hbiztonight/about |date=2009-11-05 }}" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref>


===Content Partners===
All the walls of the old music library were sand-filled cinder block construction to provide maximum sound isolation. The walls were placed at odd angles to prevent resonances, and one room included a set of double-paned wide glass windows with a view into the screening room. This became the studio control room.
HUTV also currently features three "content partners" on its site.<ref name="Home Page" /> These shows are not produced by HUTV staff, but according to HUTV's website "HUTV distributes their content as part of [their] mission to connect media groups on the Harvard campus."<ref>[http://hutvnetwork.com/help Help/FAQ] at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-18.</ref>


*'''''The Harvard Crimson Video''''' - Video reports from ''[[The Harvard Crimson]]'', Harvard University's daily student [[newspaper]]. ''The Crimson'' began producing videos in March 2009 as part of its [http://www.thecrimson.com/blog_summary.aspx?blogID=56 "Project Sorrento"], an effort to modernize the paper's website through the use of [[multimedia]].<ref>Child, Maxwell L. (2009-03-16). "Okay, but seriously, what is Sorrento?". ''The Harvard Crimson''. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref>
Adjacent to the control room were the edit suites. which offered four computer-based non-linear editing systems - two [[Avid]]s, one [[Media 100]], and a Fast Video Machine, supported by a combination of hard drives and removable media Jaz drives. A rack held a monitor and dubbing decks for making videotape copies. Three large equipment closets stored the tripods, portable lighting kits, camcorders, and archived tapes of HRTV productions.
*'''''UCTV''''' - Biweekly addresses from the President of the [[Harvard Undergraduate Council]] (UC), Harvard's [[students' union|student government]], to the Harvard [[student body]], modeled on the weekly [[United States presidential address]].<ref>"[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/uctv/about About ''UCTV''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712233945/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/uctv/about |date=2011-07-12 }}" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref><ref>[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/uctv/video/harvard-uctv-april-16-2009 "Harvard UCTV April 16, 2009" video] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091106174046/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/uctv/video/harvard-uctv-april-16-2009 |date=November 6, 2009 }} at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.</ref>
*'''''The Yard''''' - An [[improvisation|improvised]] "docu-soap" about six Harvard undergraduates, premiered in 2009 and produced jointly by students at Harvard and [[Emerson College]].<ref>"[http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/theyard/about About ''The Yard''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712234134/http://hutvnetwork.com/shows/theyard/about |date=2011-07-12 }}" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-05-24.</ref>


==References==
Hi-8 camcorders, lavalier microphones. tripods, intercoms, editing decks, a Panasonic MX-10 switcher, and digital video title generator were the key production components. A Panasonic LCD projector was mounted on the screening room ceiling.
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
The switcher, title generator, four video monitors, and the intercom master were installed on a large roll-about cart - a "studio on wheels" - that could be taken around the Harvard campus for multi-camera recording of university events. The Great Performances series, which documented university events, produced a modest income for HRTV.
*[http://hutvnetwork.com/ Harvard Undergraduate Television (HUTV) Website]
*[http://www.dtvgroup.com/HRTV/ History of Harvard-Radcliffe Television at Desktop Video Group]


[[Category:Harvard University]]
HRTV videotaped and transmitted a live multi-camera stream of the [[Ig Nobel Prize]] award presentations in Sanders Theater to universities around the country using the experimental IP Multicast backbone (MBone) network, with the help of MIT computer researcher, now Professor, [[Robert Tappan Morris]].
[[Category:Student television stations in the United States]]

In 1994, the old Radcliffe Radio Station broadcasting booth was converted to an audio recording facility for Quad Sound Studios (QSS), with multiple shielded microphone cables running up through the walls to the Holmes Living Room for recordings of music recitals. In 1996, QSS students began collaborating with HRTV producers who needed more sophisticated audio support for their productions.

As the cost of PC-based editing came down, and more students came to Harvard owning their own MiniDV camcorders, the HRTV studios in Pforzheimer House were used less and less. Students could shoot on location and edit the show on desktop or laptop computers in their own dorm rooms.

HRTV, in association with the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), produced the Senior DVD project for the graduating class of 2008.<ref>[http://www.crimsonclips.tv/blog/2008/05/25/HRTV_and_HAA_present_Senior_DVD_Class_of HRTV produces Senior DVD]</ref>

==HRTV Productions==

'''Ivory Tower'''

"Ivory Tower ," created in 1992 by Sara Alexandra Bibel and Andrea N. Moore, is HRTV's longest running and most popular program. It takes an irreverent, but meaningful, look at Harvard life and the problems and issues confronting students on campus. It showcases the talents of some of the University's best actors, screenwriters, technicians, producers, and musicians.

"Ivory Tower" is based on the daytime serial format and thus takes great pride in being a character based program rather than a plotline driven one. It stays true to the history of the program in order to maintain the same continuity that daytime serials achieve, albeit in a much smaller and more intense span of time. Daytime serials continue to be the keystone of daytime network programming and much of their popularity stems from their use of character and not plotlines to achieve their differences and their reflection of everyday life with all the drama, suspense and passion one would wish everyday life would actually have. The longest running "soap opera" on television now has been on for over fifty years (it was on the radio before it came to television) and its longevity is testimony to the popularity and quality of this genre globally. This is not to say that interesting plotlines are not a vital part of a daytime serials success, but rather that plotlines are a means of creating complex characters which one grows attached to through viewership, and this is also the reason why different shows can use the same or similar plots to achieve totally different effects.

Some of "Ivory Tower's" most classic moments seem to have come straight out of the nighttime serials of the 1980s, such as the cat fights between "Laurel" and "Dominque," "Slater's" embezzlement and most recently the rape of our ingenue "Gabrielle." Future episodes are likely to include the same as well as other storylines based on current campus events, topics, and controversies. Because the average member of the Ivory Tower staff is only here for four years, the character turn over is more rapid than on network television, but are nonetheless key to the show's success and have created a loyal following. Ivory Tower is fun, exciting, and requires the teamwork of over two dozen actors, technicians and production staffers. Hopefully Ivory Tower will have the same longevity as its network predecessors and continue to maintain the loyalty of the Harvard community which makes Ivory Tower possible.

'''Crimson Edition'''

"Crimson Edition," HRTV's news magazine show debuted in 1995 and improved by leaps and bounds in 1996. Modeling itself as a hybrid of "20/20" and "Hard Copy," "Crimson Edition" attempts to be both a light-hearted commentator on Harvard life as well as a recorder of campus events. This is not to say, however, that "Crimson Edition" is a lightweight news show. Quite the contrary, "Crimson Edition" reporters revealed --- in a Spring '96 investigative piece --- serious deficiencies in Harvard's acclaimed athletic facilities.

"Crimson Edition" reporters might find themselves anywhere from a Boston jazz club to the famed underground tunnels of the Quad on a given story. Scoping out the unusual is both expected and appreciated on "Crimson Edition." Stories are meant to document Harvard happenings and to make the student audience laugh at itself. Past episodes have included mini-series stories such as "Question of the Week" and "Profiles of Campus Stars" -- stories sharing one format and featuring different content. Reporters are encouraged to introduce their own stories and provide background information throughout the piece. In addition, "Crimson Edition" episodes are anchored by three members of the CE team in order to lend a studio-like atmosphere to the show -- each story begins and ends with commentary from the main anchors in the studio environment.

"Crimson Edition" allows its reporters great freedom in choosing stories and in editing their work.. But, as freedom brings responsibility, "Crimson Edition" reporters are required to edit their own pieces. The general direction of a story should be agreed upon by the entire CE team and final edits will be under the jurisdiction of the Executive Producer. While "Crimson Edition" prides itself upon its flexible format and willingness to incorporate the odd-ball piece, it is exclusively a hands-on community where team members learn by working and pitch in at every level. It is an ambitious show which necessitates that its members commit themselves to seeing a project through to completion. The rewards of working, however, cannot be beat.

'''HRTV Great Performances'''

"HRTV Great Performances" showcases theater, dance. and music performances at Harvard. Performances at Pforzheimer House, HRT s headquarters, are given first priority in the taping schedule. This program gives HRTV crews the o Minty to learn how to do multi-camera shoots in a situation where audience, lighting, and other lighting factors are out of HRTV' s control. Taped versions of the productions enable a larger audience to experience them, add to the quantity and quality of HRTV output, and are deposited with the Harvard University Pusey Library Theatre Collection to provide an historical record of on-campus performances. Pforzheimer House arts spaces, particularly Holmes Living room and the dining hall, are the primary taping locations for this series, along with Memorial Hall, Lowell Hall, and Agassiz Theatre. "HRTV Great Great Performances" is also a revenue-generating production, and one which provides a unique service to performers and fans of Harvard's theatrical and musical communities. Dubs of the show are offered for sale at a reasonable price soon after the performance, and the proceeds help to defray some of HRTV's considerable production costs. This program is perfect for those HRTV members who love the arts, are fascinated by the challenges of live switching in a multi-camera set-up, and have some entrepreneurial flair.

'''The Common Room'''

"The Common Room" is the comedy talk show of HRTV. It is one of the newest shows and has been around officially for only one semester. During that time the concept of the show was created and an experimental pilot episode was filmed. The show is, in general, based on popular late night television shows. It features a host who serves as stand-up comedian and interviewer, as well as several sidekicks who interact with the host and take part in comedic skits. One or several guests are invited to each show. In looking for guests we look for people who are easy to talk to, have some interesting talents and/or accomplishments, and whose names are known on campus. Guests for the show will come mostly from the Harvard community, but attempts will be made to get celebrities from outside of campus to come in. Although the guest interview is an important part of the show, "The Common Room" is at heart a comedy show. The setting for the show, as the name suggests, is reminiscent of a typical common room at Harvard. The comedy skits and host/co-host interactions, however, will sometimes be nothing like you'd expect a Harvard common room to be. Actually, the writing team plans to get most of its material from real life, so it shouldn't be too far-fetched.

Forming a production team for the show was one of the most difficult and most exciting tasks of last semester. The hard work paid off when the team proved its high quality with the success of the experimental pilot episode. The team is headed by an executive producer who chairs an executive board made up of the directors of various departments. On the board are the host, who also serves as Creative and Concept director, the Head writer, the Talent Coordinator, and the heads of such essential departments as Public Relations, Finances, Equipment and Crew Management, and Publicity. Each member of the board is given a great deal of responsibility and freedom in accomplishing the goals of his/her department. Some, like the Head Writer, choose to put together a team of their own to help them with their responsibilities. Efficiency and frugality are the main strengths of the production team; all members constantly strive to produce the best possible show while also attending to their schoolwork, other extracurricular activities, and a social life. Time commitment to the show varies with the position on the production team, but is never more than several hours a week.

Because of the nature of this show, much of the work is done outside of formal meetings. Department and board meetings, however, are essential parts of the production process and allow members to come together, share ideas, and solve problems which they come across. There is one executive board meeting per week, and the plan is to have a weekly rehearsal for actors, two weekly meetings for writers, and one meeting a week where actors and writers can come together and try out some comedic material. This last meeting would be taped with one or two cameras in order to get the actors as much time in front of a camera as possible. Meetings for other departments will be held as they are deemed necessary by each department director. Aside from formal meetings, each member of the production team is asked to attend the show taping, which is the culmination point of the efforts of everyone on the team. There will be three tapings each semester, each one on the first Saturday of each month, October through December in the fall semester and February through April in the spring semester. The hope is to produce at least three episodes per semester for a total of at least six per year.

The show is always looking for new members and ideas. New actors, writers, and especially tech people are always needed. To facilitate this, the first ten minutes of each regular Executive Board meeting, Sundays from 9-10pm, is open to everyone. These meetings have been held in one of the meeting rooms of Loker Commons and the plan is to continue to use this location.

'''Survey Says!'''

Name a place Harvard students go on their first date. Most Harvard students would be hard-pressed for an answer to this question. But on "Survey Says!," that's half the fun, as Harvard's dorms and houses compete to guess the most popular responses to questions that can challenge even the most astute intellectuals. Envisioned as a "Family Feud"-type game show set at Harvard, "Survey Says!" began its run during the 1995-96 school year under the leadership of advisor Peter Pinch '94. Three episodes were taped in front of live audiences at Currier and Winthrop Houses; prizes were provided by Harvard Dining Services.

"Survey Says!" is one of the younger HRTV shows, and there is still a lot that can be done with it. Here are some possibilities for the show:

1. Have a special guest (like a professor) read a question
2. Have a celebrity tournament
3. Have Elizabeth Shue '88 or another member of the honorary board make an appearance on the show
4. Get other prizes to give away in addition to the Dining Services stuff
5. Get enough sponsorship so that the show pays for itself

'''Yard Tails'''

"Yard Tails" is HRTV's animated series, using computer animation software to simulate the look of traditional drawn-cell animation. The pilot episode, produced over the course of the 1995-96 academic year and screened in the spring of 1996, was 15 minutes long and included an original score. For coming seasons, the plan is to put out two episodes per year, one in the fall and one in the spring.

The show is a satire of first year life at Harvard. Its premise is that within the walls and floors of the dorms and buildings, there are miniature versions of all of Harvard's institutions, inhabited and frequented by mice, birds, bugs, and other animals of that size. These creatures make up the students, staff, and administration of this miniature Harvard and face all the issues and adventures of actual life. The principal characters of the show are two 4-creature rooming groups, one male and female, who live across the hall from each other in "Spayer Hall." This is a mini-version of Thayer found inside the wall of that dorm, and accessible through the floorboards of an actual student's room (see the pilot episode), and possibly other ways as well. Other typical student haunts such as the Coop have their own miniature versions inside their respective buildings.

The main character is Jason Fields, a field mouse from Iowa, who arrives at Harvard inexperienced and impressionable, and through whose eyes we see the fears, pitfalls, and misadventures of the average first year. He has three roommates: Eddie, a preppy, snotty. old-money finch; Tank, a Valley jock frog; and Mordechai, an antisocial computer-nerd grasshopper. Their neighbors consist of Coreen, a brilliant but good-natured pre-med lab mouse; Summer, an artsy chameleon; Nicky, an over-energetic and over- committed hummingbird; and Zel, a down-to-earth spider, who is the most sane one of the bunch. Zel helps Jason maintain perspective amid the comical extremes of the other stereotypical characters. Other assorted characters in the first episode are Tank's sports buddies, an otter, lizard, duck, and what appears to be maybe a ferret (we're not sure). The format makes possible humorous caricatures of other stereotypes as appropriate animals, such as administrators as snails or turtles, or finals clubs' members (e.g. the "Fly").<ref>HRTV Members' Handbook, section VIII, HRTV Programming</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

Latest revision as of 23:34, 28 February 2023

Harvard Undergraduate Television (HUT V)
TypeInternet television network
Country
United States
AvailabilityOnline, internationally
Key people
Derek Flanzraich, Eric Paternot, Emily Brodsky, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper
Launch date
1975 (as "Harvard-Radcliffe Film Workshop")
Former names
Harvard-Radcliffe Film Workshop (1975–1992)
Harvard-Radcliffe Television (1992–2009)
Official website
www.hutvnetwork.com

Harvard Undergraduate Television (HUTV) was a Harvard College student television station broadcasting to the Internet between 2009 and 2013.

HUTV carried original, student-produced content from eleven shows[1] and from individual Harvard students.[2] HUTV shows included Ivory Tower, On Harvard Time (an award-winning comedy news show[3]), and video reports by The Harvard Crimson (Harvard's daily student newspaper).[4] The network had a full production studio and post-production editing facilities in Pforzheimer House, a Harvard dormitory.[5] HUTV last updated its programming and website in 2013, and is now defunct.[6]

HUTV, under the guidance of co-President Derek Flanzraich, replaced then-defunct Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV) on April 6, 2009,[7] inheriting HRTV's shows and staff.[5]

History

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Harvard-Radcliffe Film Workshop (HRFW)

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In 1975, Bob Doyle who was then working as a research fellow in Harvard's Department of Visual and Environmental Studies, founded the Harvard-Radcliffe Film Workshop (HRFW), which offered filmmaking instruction and film screenings in the Morse Music Library in the basement of Pforzheimer House, which was then known as North House.[8]

In the 1980s, Doyle helped form the Desktop Video Group to "support undergraduate video production and television distribution" at Brown and Harvard Universities.[9]

Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV)

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The HRTV logo

In 1992, Emily Brodsky founded Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV).[8] That same year, Ivory Tower, the Ivy League's oldest soap opera, became one of HRTV's first shows.[10]

Until 1996, HRTV's shows were edited using Desktop Video Group equipment. In 1996, the Morse Music Library, which had previously been the site of HRFW's instruction sessions and film screenings, was re-organized into a television studio for HRTV, overseen by Doyle and aided financially by Pforzheimer House.[8]

In its early years, HRTV screened its shows in dormitory common rooms and dining halls,[8] as well as on various Cambridge Public-access television cable TV channels.[11][12][13] In 2006, HRTV began posting all of its shows exclusively online, though episodes of Ivory Tower had been posted online before then.[14]

Several prominent Harvard alumni in the film and television industries have been members of the HRTV Honorary Board of Advisers, including Matt Damon, Conan O'Brien, Mira Sorvino, Jack Lemmon, Elisabeth Shue, and John Lithgow.[8]

Harvard Undergraduate Television (HUTV)

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On April 6, 2009, HRTV relaunched as Harvard Undergraduate Television, under the direction of co-president Derek Flanzraich.[5] The transformation included a new website and a short promotional video featuring Harvard professor and prominent psychologist Steven Pinker smashing a television and telling viewers to "get with the times" by watching television online.[15]

Current Shows

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HUTV Productions

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HUTV currently produces eight shows.[16]

Content Partners

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HUTV also currently features three "content partners" on its site.[16] These shows are not produced by HUTV staff, but according to HUTV's website "HUTV distributes their content as part of [their] mission to connect media groups on the Harvard campus."[33]

References

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  1. ^ Shows at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  2. ^ Videos at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  3. ^ a b 2008-12-29. "OHT Wins Pan-Ivy Recognition!." The On Harvard Time Blog. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  4. ^ The Harvard Crimson Videos Archived 2009-04-13 at the Wayback Machine at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  5. ^ a b c Shen, Brian (2009-03-16). "Inside the vision to reinvent Harvard's television". The Harvard Voice. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  6. ^ Shows at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  7. ^ 2009-04-06. "HUTV Launches New (Sexy) Web Site." The Harvard Crimson's FlyByBlog. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV) at Desktop Video Group. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  9. ^ Home page at Desktop Video Group. Retrieved on 2009-04-21.
  10. ^ a b Estes, Adam Clark (2009-01-13). "The Birth, Death, and Soggy Afterlife of Ivy Soaps." IvyGate Blog. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  11. ^ Gootman, Elissa T. (1993-02-23). "Harvard Soap Opera To Premiere in April." The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  12. ^ Isa, Margaret (1993-10-27). "Locals Access TV Station". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  13. ^ Neyfakh, Leon (2003-11-07). "Selling Ivory Soap." The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  14. ^ Zamcheck, Abraham M. (2006-03-10). "HRTV Shows Off New Website." The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 2009-05-23.
  15. ^ HUTV Promo Video Archived 2009-04-10 at the Wayback Machine at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  16. ^ a b Home page on HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-18.
  17. ^ About Ivory Tower Archived 2011-02-20 at the Wayback Machine at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-17.
  18. ^ Zamcheck, Abraham M. (2006-03-10). "HRTV Shows Off New Website." The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 2009-04-18.
  19. ^ "About Respectably French Archived 2011-04-01 at the Wayback Machine" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  20. ^ "Celebrity Endorsements and Interviews" at Respectably French's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  21. ^ "About On Harvard Time Archived 2011-02-24 at the Wayback Machine" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  22. ^ "All On Harvard Time Videos Archived 2011-02-18 at the Wayback Machine" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  23. ^ Drago, Samantha F. (2008-10-01). "Comedy on Harvard’s Terms: A look into HRTV’s most popular show." The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 2010-05-08.
  24. ^ About Crimson Edition Archived 2011-07-12 at the Wayback Machine at HUTV's site. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  25. ^ "All Crimson Edition Videos Archived 2011-07-12 at the Wayback Machine" at HUTV's site. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  26. ^ "About HUTV News Archived 2009-11-06 at the Wayback Machine" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  27. ^ Opening animation of "Going Green" video on YouTube. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  28. ^ "About the Hooligans Archived 2009-04-20 at the Wayback Machine" at the Harvard Hooligans blog. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  29. ^ "All Harvard Hooligans Videos Archived 2011-07-12 at the Wayback Machine" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  30. ^ Jain, Niha S. (2008-10-27). "HRTV To Spark ‘Love At Harvard’." The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  31. ^ An H-Biz Tonight video Archived 2009-11-05 at the Wayback Machine from 2008-12-08 at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  32. ^ "About H-Biz Tonight Archived 2009-11-05 at the Wayback Machine" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  33. ^ Help/FAQ at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-18.
  34. ^ Child, Maxwell L. (2009-03-16). "Okay, but seriously, what is Sorrento?". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  35. ^ "About UCTV Archived 2011-07-12 at the Wayback Machine" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  36. ^ "Harvard UCTV April 16, 2009" video Archived November 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  37. ^ "About The Yard Archived 2011-07-12 at the Wayback Machine" at HUTV's site. Retrieved on 2009-05-24.
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