In the midst of looming midterms, essays due dates and long study sessions at Robarts, signing up to be trapped in a house with seven strangers might not be the first thing on everyone’s agenda. One group on campus, however, thinks otherwise.
Next Friday, inside their offices on the fourth floor of the clubs house at 21 Sussex Ave., the student-run University of Toronto Television (UTTV) will host auditions for their latest reality TV show, set at U of T and expected to air on the group’s YouTube channel.
Contestants will be locked in a house together. The winner will receive $500. MINHEE BAE/THE VARSITY
The show, which has yet to be named, has been described a cross between Survivor and Big Brother. According to producers, the show will feature eight students locked in a Mississauga house for 12 hours. Every hour, the students will face a mix of physical and mental challenges. The winner of each challenge will receive immunity from being voted out of the house in the next round.
Because they will be isolated from all technology — no phones, no computers, no internet — producers say they hope competitors will be spurred to form alliances and rivalries leading up to challenges. The final winner will receive a prize of $500.
One aim of the show is to get students out of their comfort zone, says director Ana Sani. The show, she adds, is aimed at debunking the myth that U of T students spend all their time at the library.
“There’s this perception that U of T is all studying and no fun. We wanted to show that we’re not like that,” says Sani.
Auditions are still ongoing and Sani says that turnout has been good, with about 50 students trying out so far. Sani says the show’s team wants to get as many auditions as possible and stresses that anyone affiliated to
U of T can try out. The UTTV crew is looking for a diverse mix of students with unique personalities who will show off the multiple talents of students at U of T.
“We have such a large student body with such an eclectic mix of individuals. This is something we want to showcase,” she says
The idea for the show was planted two years ago, when Nathan Martinak, the show’s producer, launched a similar program called Sudden Death Lockdown. Challenges included assembling puzzles and playing games akin to beer pong.
Sani says they are sticking to the original show’s premise and general rules. With a higher budget this time around, the production quality will be amped up, prize money has increased, and competitions will be more difficult.
“UTTV has expanded greatly over the past two years and this will definitely be our biggest challenge of the year,” says Sani. The club, which bills itself as the university’s only dedicated television station, attracts wide student involvement. In addition to filmmakers and would-be silver screen producers, the club’s active membership includes writers, actors, cinematographers, reporters, and graphic designers. The group has emerged as an exciting new arrival in a thriving eco-system of campus media that already includes several newspapers and magazines, a radio station — and now, a television network.
The idea of the reality show has spread rapidly. UTTV has been featured in the Toronto Star and Metro News, provoking campus-wide interest and discussion about the upcoming show. Expectations have been heightened by the added exposure, Sani admits, but she’s not too worried. “It is a bit nerve-racking,” says Sani of the media attention. “But all we can do is try our best and see what happens. This is such a great opportunity for UTTV and U of T students, we’re excited to get started.”
Once the show’s eight contestants are chosen, the UTTV crew will launch into the pre-production, which includes filming player bios and picking the location. After filming in mid-March (or after exams), Sani says they are hoping to launch the show early September during next year’s Frosh Week.
