Oral Presentations: UC 331
GrizCode: a comedic web series defining what it means to be a University of Montana "Grizzly"
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Andrew Smith
Abstract / Artist's Statement
The University of Montana has had declining enrollment since 2012, having 16,000 students in 2011 to less than 14,000 now. This statistic correlates with the national attention this university received in 2012 regarding rape reports that were botched. Published in 2015, a book called “Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town” featured the town name and a photo of the clock tower on the cover which further propagated a “rape” stigma toward this university.
To replace the “rape” stigma and give this school a more accurate image, the authors created GrizCode. GrizCode is a web series featuring a compilation of student interviews on subjects ranging from “picking an advisor” and “the Kaiman,” to “going to the gym” and “on-campus laundry.” GrizCode provides viewers with the perceptions of students matriculating at UM and advice to those interested in enrolling.
This university has an infinite amount of subjects to talk about, so the authors limited them to main areas of campus, common college-related activity, and general events and landmarks of Missoula. To keep the show interesting, the editing is done concisely, with cuts every 5 to 20 seconds from interviewee to interviewee. This keeps the viewer’s attention and gives the show a humorous flair. The authors decided to do a web series because of film’s popularity in online entertainment and releasing this information to the internet would make it accessible from an online search of “UM.”
This project involved screenwriting, lighting, green-screen, animation, and sound design – everything taught in the BFA Filmmaking program. For the full series, go to YouTube and search for GrizCode.
Category
Visual and Performing Arts (including Creative Writing)
GrizCode: a comedic web series defining what it means to be a University of Montana "Grizzly"
The University of Montana has had declining enrollment since 2012, having 16,000 students in 2011 to less than 14,000 now. This statistic correlates with the national attention this university received in 2012 regarding rape reports that were botched. Published in 2015, a book called “Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town” featured the town name and a photo of the clock tower on the cover which further propagated a “rape” stigma toward this university.
To replace the “rape” stigma and give this school a more accurate image, the authors created GrizCode. GrizCode is a web series featuring a compilation of student interviews on subjects ranging from “picking an advisor” and “the Kaiman,” to “going to the gym” and “on-campus laundry.” GrizCode provides viewers with the perceptions of students matriculating at UM and advice to those interested in enrolling.
This university has an infinite amount of subjects to talk about, so the authors limited them to main areas of campus, common college-related activity, and general events and landmarks of Missoula. To keep the show interesting, the editing is done concisely, with cuts every 5 to 20 seconds from interviewee to interviewee. This keeps the viewer’s attention and gives the show a humorous flair. The authors decided to do a web series because of film’s popularity in online entertainment and releasing this information to the internet would make it accessible from an online search of “UM.”
This project involved screenwriting, lighting, green-screen, animation, and sound design – everything taught in the BFA Filmmaking program. For the full series, go to YouTube and search for GrizCode.