Students produce the ‘Tom Crean Show’

When it comes to finding a job in the field of television, experience is everything, said Jo Throckmorton, an instructor in the department of telecommunications.

In one of his classes, students have a unique opportunity to find that
experience.

They will produce the “Tom Crean Show”.

The show will air on the Big Ten Network in early December.

“The ‘Tom Crean Show’ is actually kind of special,” Throckmorton said. “It gets so many viewers in the Big Ten Network area that it actually draws ratings, which is a big thing for the students.”

In previous years, shows like this and the “Kevin Wilson Show” were produced by the IU Athletic Department.

However, Walter Gantz, department chair for telecommunications, helped move the show into students’ hands.

During the summer, his department struck a deal with the athletic department.

“I think this is one of the classic win-win situations,” Gantz said. “The athletic department is showcasing its students and ... our students can showcase what they can do.”

Throckmorton, outside producer for the show, oversees the students as they run everything from writing the script to editing the final product.

However, the students are the ones truly running the show.

“I provide guidance to the students on what it’s like in a real environment,” Throckmorton said. “Then we put them under the pressure of what it’s like to do a show.”

Senior Nathan Crowder is one of the students involved with the show.

“It’s fast paced,” Crowder said. “You’ve got to know what you’re doing, especially with the talent.”

The talent, or on-air personalities, are often volunteers from outside of the telecommunications department.

Students from other departments can also volunteer to help the field crews that film show footage outside of the studio.

Crowder is the host of a segment of the “Kevin Wilson Show” called The Hot Seat.

“We go to Nick’s English Hut and we have somebody who sits down with the, like, assistant coaches, and we just ask random questions,” Crowder said. “It’s really funny to get their off-the-cuff reactions.”

Throckmorton said the experience these students gain will give them a definitive leg up when it comes to applying for real-world jobs in TV.

“It demonstrates to potential employers that they actually worked on a show that required some amount of pressure,” Throckmorton said.

“If they go in for an interview, they’d say, ‘Here’s the show that I directed ... and we got these kinds of ratings.’”

Gantz agreed.

“They’re going to get credits on a nationally televised show,” he said.

During the course of the year, Gantz said the crews for the “Kevin Wilson Show” have improved dramatically, and he expects this to continue with the “Tom Crean Show.”

“This is the first time we’ve done it, and I expect that next year we’ll be better,” Gantz said. “And as more students find out about it, we’ll have lines of students wanting to get into these courses.”