Claremont Colleges TV: Ready for Primetime Players

What does a post-apocalyptic web drama have in common with a satirical look at a student senate committee or an interview show set atop the majestic Spacecouch? They’re all creations of Claremont Colleges TV (CCTV), an online television station founded by The Claremont Colleges in 2013 as a means of introducing students to the joys and rigors of media production.

CCTV operates out of Studio47 at Pomona College and enlists the talents of multiple Scripps College students for its programming. Everything is run and produced by those who volunteer.

Anna Marburger, a Scripps senior from Cleveland, Ohio, got involved with the club because of her love of acting.

“My high school drama club was a big part of my life, and I’m really glad to have something like that in college,” she says. Marburger has since parlayed her interest into roles on two CCTV shows, Far From the Tree and Senate.

Scripps senior Allegra Breedlove, from Tucson, Arizona, started her work at CCTV to help promote the 5C theatre department through news segments for plays like Uncle Vanya and the popular musical Spring Awakening. She’s since gone on to create her own segment called “Allegra Learns” and works as a comedy development intern at Disney.

“I wanted to show that Scripps has a strong, positive presence in the 5C theatre department!” she says. “CCTV news segments help let students know about our productions and encourage them to come support theatre, while also celebrating the awesome talent involved with the shows.”

Merritt Gohn and Eliana Finberg, two Scripps first years from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Portland, Maine, respectively, joined CCTV early last fall and quickly gained valuable experience and community participating in the club. Gohn, who works on news videos for CCTV, says it helped introduce her to new people and land an internship in film production this summer.

Finberg, who works on Senate, believes CCTV encouraged the creation of a community that shares interests in media and art.

“I’ve made friends and become close with them through working on these projects,” she says.

And CCTV isn’t the only resource out there for students; the Claremont Entertainment Mafia, an alumni association from The Claremont Colleges working in the entertainment industry, serves to further connect the creatives writing and directing short-form drama, comedy, and news on campus.

In less than two years, CCTV has already impacted Scripps and its neighbors with its ability to provide opportunities, hone skills, and practice media production in a variety of ways. With dedicated Scripps students nurturing its growth, it will be ready for prime time in no time.

Follow CCTV on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

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