The Real World Close-up

College campuses can sometimes be difficult places for students to understand the expectations of the "real world" they will enter upon graduation, yet a Capstone course, Advanced Video Production, taught by Professor William Stanwood aims to do just that.

Capstone courses are designed to give graduating seniors and second-semester juniors a glimpse into life after college. Boston College considers them valuable opportunities for students to review their educational and personal developments and prepare for their upcoming careers.

For each of the last 10 years, Stanwood has charged the students in his course with the task of creating a video that highlights the main events on campus in the past year for a professional client, the Boston College Alumni Association.

To identify students for his course, for which "many apply, but few are chosen," Stanwood selects Communications majors who have demonstrated the ability to succeed at his rigorous project. Students in Stanwood’s class gain valuable, hands-on experience by writing a professional proposal, conducting interviews around campus, taping footage, and digitally editing the materials into a final product.

"The class is designed to show students what television production is like in the real world," says Stanwood. "Students learn to create a product that aims to meet a client’s needs rather than to express a personal viewpoint, and this is a valuable skill for after graduation."

This year, the eight students in Stanwood’s class, seven seniors and one junior, assisted by a recent alumnus, produced a video featuring the development of the Brighton campus, the recent high-tech innovations on campus, Unity Week, the evolution of off-campus BC hangouts, and the enhancements in the electronic housing lottery system.

The Boston College Alumni Association uses the video to connect alumni from across the country to the current campus environment.

View the video here.