As the semester comes to a close, Shorter University’s Communications Department also wraps up an important project in the Advanced Production class. Last week, the final episode of Survivor: Keep it COM – First Attempt aired on YouTube.

The Advanced Production class has spent all semester recreating Survivor with unique Shorter University twists on the reality show. We sat down with Professor Katherine Blair, who teaches the class and directed the show, to get the inside scoop about the show and the efforts behind it.

What is Advanced Production? 

“The course is Advanced Production where the students usually create short films as crew members (director, producer, sound, camera, production design, lighting, etc.) and audition the actors using a student-written script, but this semester I decided to challenge the class in a different direction. This was our first attempt at creating a reality series; hence the title “First Attempt” for the title Survivor: Keep it COM – First Attempt. The Survivors (cast) had to meet with me and be approved for the show. The crew members worked with cameras, sound, and props. I was the director and worked with the Survivors. We collaborated with the Theatre Department because Ted Thomas made the balance beams that we used for a couple of the challenges.”

Is there a reason you choose Survivor?

“I am a huge fan of Survivor and have watched almost every episode since it started back in 2000. I love the combination of challenges, surviving on little, and the social aspects of the game. I used my knowledge of the real Survivor and added some Shorter University qualities to the game. One thing I would change if we did another season in the future is to change Team Huddle back to Tribal Council like it is in the show. I wanted it to be different, but the setting doesn’t match the title. Unless we film in a locker room, I feel like Tribal Council is more compatible with the Rockery where we filmed, instead of Team Huddle.”

What did you feel like the class learned from this opportunity?

“The experience was unique in that the cast learned so much about themselves and their abilities beyond what they thought they could do. The crew was challenged with filming whatever happened because it was not scripted. There are no rehearsals, and the crew must keep up with the Survivors. One of the funniest moments came in episode four when a box of donuts blew off the table and the box itself flew right into the challenge area, and we just went with it. The students learned teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills.”

To watch the episodes, visit Survivor: Keep it COM – First Attempt – YouTube