11 SIMtv episodes and counting!
- #1 Pilot (featuring a welcome message from Katya!)
- #2 “SIMply Spooky” – launch Halloween 2020
- #3 “SIMtv #3” – launch Thanksgiving 2020
- #4 “SIM Showcase” – launch New Years Eve 2021
- #5 “What do we do now?” – launch Inauguration Day 2021
- #6 “SIMtv Music” – launch March 18, 2021
- #7 “The Kind of Late But Not Enough That We Can Say F— Show!” – launch April, 1, 2021
- #8 “SIMtv Silent”- launch April 17, 2021 at Cyberarts Gallery Window Show
- #9 “SIMBIG50” – launch April 17, 2021, 7 pm with live introduction, followed by zoom cocktail hour
- #10 “Sunnyside Manor” – launch May 1, 2021
- #11 “Unmasked” Featuring “Video Store” – launched 2023
SIMTV guidelines for current SIM Majors:
The SIM community has traditionally defied the preconceptions brought by the challenges of history. During COVID, we have faced a new world in which physical distance is redefined our means to be social, public, artistic and communicative. The world was brought to a halt and the internet became the only context available for education, art, amusement and frustration.
A public exhibition of the work of artists in the SIM Department is one of the anchors of our curriculum each semester. Traditionally, these are the “SIM BIG Show” in the fall semester and the All School Show in the spring. These showcase the talents, critical inquiries and artistic advancements of our community members through a communal production effort that requires all our hearts and minds to work together in translating what we do in SIM to a general public and making it solid, cohesive, entertaining, confrontational and many times weird and funny.
In the fall of 2020, as our department was confronted with the realities of social distancing and we were prevented from traditional audience gatherings, students were invited to rethink ways to interface with a public audience. With TV as a model to both embrace and push against, SIM created streaming broadcasts that only SIM can produce. These episodes were launched our own SIMtv.org website and on the Boston Neighborhood Network channel.
The format is a frame within which anything can happen. There are many historical and contemporary broadcast examples we can use as a structural reference – Saturday Night Live, Some Good News, ZOOM, Monty Python, to name a few. The format is flexible, it allows itself to be twisted while preserving its integrity, and it is able to hold the multiversity of work proposed by the community. There are several levels and forms of participation that, as a student, you can combine and redefine: from behind-the-scenes production roles (music production, animation for intros, social media management, video editing) to on-screen talent (music performance, sketch acting, MCing, general content creation).
Lights, camera, action!
The work for SIMTV may be broken up into the following proposed departments. These are suggested departments based on best practices in the TV production scene. As we dive into this work, roles and responsibilities will emerge that make sense within our community. Some students will gravitate toward production organization while others will prefer to work on their individual practice and submit content to be aired. Some students may be able to work in physical social bubble groups while others will work entirely remotely.
Core Leadership
- Executive Producer / Showrunner – Oversees the entire production, tracks deadlines, manages overall vision, and ensures all teams are aligned.
- Director – Oversees creative decisions, ensures segments flow smoothly, and works with talent and editors to maintain a cohesive style.
- First Assistant Director (1st AD) / Production Coordinator – Manages scheduling, and communication between departments, and keeps production running on time.
Writer’s Room
- Head Writer and Editor
Visual & Technical Production
- Lead Video Editor – Edits and assembles footage, ensures final cuts are polished, and manages file organization.
- Graphic Designer / Animator – Creates on-screen graphics, animations, and lower thirds as needed.
- Tech Operations – Technical troubleshooting.
- Accessibility – Creates closed captioning.
Sound
- Sound & Music Lead – Edits audio, manages music (theme, segments), and ensures good sound quality.
Promotion & Distribution
- Marketing & Social Media Manager – Promotes episodes, runs social media pages and websites.
- Distribution Manager – Manages video uploads and makes sure all files are organized. Uploads to BNN, Vimeo, and Website