Student Affairs
Dateline 04/21/00
Student Affairs Q&ALast month members of the Soap Operas Forum had the opportunity to submit questions to John Loprieno (ex Brad, As the World Turns) about his newest project...Student Affairs. Student Affairs is a unique take on the Internet and web soap operas. Different from traditional web soaps, in the sense that you don't have to read it, and different from the traditional soap operas in the way it's being created, aired, and marketed. Featuring an all star cast including John Loprieno (Cord, One Life to Live and Brad, ATWT), Krista Tesreau (Mindy, Guiding Light), Brian Fitzpatrick (Mitch, All My Children), Kirk Gieger (Kevin, OLTL) as well as Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie, Full House). SA will be broadcast in five minute increments each weekday. I expect this groundbreaking soap may change the way we view dramas for years to come.
Forum
Members: What
made you decide to take on an Internet project of this kind?
John Loprieno: Obviously soaps are near and dear to my heart. I’ve been involved in this medium for over fifteen years. Right out of Grad. School and onto a New York Soap! I’ve also been a closet techno-geek for as many years as I can remember. When the reality of streaming/broadband video came to my attention, it seemed like the logical progression. In my opinion, the innovative story telling and interaction that NetGenTV.com has developed is going to, in my opinion, breathe new life into the floundering medium.
FM:
When
does the new web soap premiere?
FM:
How
often will a new show air?
JL: Once we are up and running, shows will be posted one five minute segment a day, five days a week. Again, there will also be some exciting new innovations on a weekly basis.
FM: Is it easier having a smaller cast?JL: For reasons I can’t tell yet ;), the cast is not that much smaller. Certainly not when you consider that we only have 25 minutes of programming to fill and 15 or so characters on the canvas. The texture of Student Affairs will definitely be as rich as any Network soap.
FM: Does the taping work the same way as TV? Example: Do you tape scenes and then edit them and then put them on the Internet or is the process different being that it is the Internet?JL: Ultimately, it does function the same way as traditional television. It’s no secret that we intend to have the audience participate in a REAL way in the plot of the show. (If you’ve listened to our promos you know this!) But the show will be shot on tape and edited and THEN compressed for the web. That’s the tricky part.
FM: How is the Internet soap opera different from a TV soap opera?JL: You’ll have to keep watching to find out!! Hint: look closely at the letters/e-mails and voice mails!
FM: Is this just a short time project to see if it works or do you plan on making this a long running soap opera like they are on TV?JL: Student Affairs is in it for the long haul. In fact, we have talks in progress to actually bring SA to television to compliment the site. How’s that for role reversal?
FM: If it is a success are there plans to expand the cast and have more story lines?JL: Even better than that! NetGenTV.com is a Network unto itself. We already have in development a sci-fi show a reality based magazine show and a sit-com. Student Affairs is just the tip of the iceberg.
FM: What is the recording schedule like for this type of show? Daily, weekly??JL: The taping schedule will be weekly. We will try to shoot a show a week. (Maybe try to get a couple in the can so we can take a vacation!)
FM: How exciting is it for the actors to be trying this new medium?JL: We shot our EPK (Electronic Press Kit) last week and everyone is really pumped about the new medium and the technological aspects of SA. I imagine we feel a lot like the early pioneers in television did when the radio was the popular medium. Some people just don’t “get it.” They will soon enough. After we pave the way!
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