Department of Radio-Television-Film debuts its first TV pilot

Fort Worth, TX

5/1/2008

Fork in the Road, a television pilot produced by TCU radio-television-film (RTVF) students, premiered on May 2. The feature presentation was preceded by a red carpet ceremony, and a question and answer session with the cast and crew of Fork in the Road followed the show

Fork in the Road is the story of Audrey Sinclair; a young woman assigned the task of determining if a dysfunctional country diner in the town of Guthrie has the potential to become a national chain.

“The quality of the show was outstanding, and as in the past the experience, gives the students as close to a real-world experience as can be replicated in an educational environment,” said Chuck LaMendola, an instructor of RTVF and director of the project. “The project is a collaboration of several classes in the department including producing, dramatic writing, entertainment law and finance, audio I and video II. Students participate in every step of the process from the extensive writing process and constructing sets to casting and drafting contracts. Fork in the Road is truly a student creation.”

“It gave us each a glimpse into the reality of the deadlines, demands, creativity, cooperation, and devotion necessary to work in the entertainment industry,” said Kristin MacLaren, co-producer and senior RTVF major.

The RTVF department at TCU facilitates a department-wide project every two years. In past years, the department has produced 7-10 episode soap operas and several short films. This was the first attempt at a television pilot. The process allowed the students to replicate the experiences they will encounter in the real world.

Fork in the Road was a collaboration between several classes with students involved every step of the way. From participating in the extensive writing process to constructing sets from scratch, from casting to drafting contracts, Fork in the Road was a complete student creation made possible through the support and guidance of TCU faculty.

For more information about the project, please contact the director, Chuck LaMendola, at c.lamendola@tcu.edu or co-producer, Kristin MacLaren, at k.maclaren@tcu.edu.