Film Students Take on YouTube

Posted by Nicholas Beckman in Film

ArcadeTV is a new comedy web-series being produced by Film School students William Khouri and Carlos Correon. Design by: David Avendado Morado

Jackalope Magazine recently sat down with senior film student William Khouri who, in his final semester at SFUAD, hopes to leave the school grinning. Khouri’s own creative ventures have ranged from dramatic shorts to serial horrors. His latest project, however, will stray from the dramatic realm of short film and into the Wild West of media venues: YouTube. Khouri and his friends recently launched a Facebook page for ArcadeTV, a new comedy web series set to begin production in a few weeks. Filho, along with his producer Carlos Carreon, also a film student, are personally financing the project while also actively seeking sponsorship from sources outside of SFUAD.

In their most recent meeting, the diverse group of international and domestic students that currently comprises ArcadeTV laughed and chatted amongst themselves before the formal presentation began. The group included familiar faces in the film department—many transfers from Brazil—and the rest were just there to support friends. Khouri addressed the group and thanked them for showing up.

The group of people working in Arcade TV.

The birth of ArcadeTV came roughly one year ago when Filho and friends were sharing beers and laughs. The group decided that a comedic web series would play well with the SFUAD student body and Khouri soon found himself writing out proposals and cranking out scripts over the summer break. He took notes from Porta Dos Fundos—a Brazilian Comedy Group comprised of former TV personalities all of whom left their TV lives behind them to tackle the interwebs. Citing this group as a pivotal role model for their show, Khouri realized the profitability of YouTube. “That inspired us to conquer this market.”

“We approach comedy in different ways,” said Khouri, whose own comedic inspirations stem from famed comedy group Monty Python as well as Saturday Night Live and Mr. Bean—to name  few. Khouri says each show will be an individual sketch with one related aspect appearing at the end of every episode (for spoilers, you’ll have to tune in!). With a crew of roughly 25 students, all varying in degrees of participation—some providing technical support with cameras and lighting equipment, with others workshopping scripts and lending a “helping hand” on set—Khouri and Carreon have already established a fan base within the Film School community.

“He’s making moves,” said senior Daeja Jackson, admiring Khouri’s perseverance. Jackson said her own contribution to ArcadeTV will depend largely on what tasks are actually needed. “Really, I just want to contribute creatively.”

When he sat down to speak and take pictures with Jackalope Magazine, Khouri referred to his approaching graduation in May—a daunting thought second-semester seniors know all too well. He said that graduation was the motivation propelling him toward reaching a final product, adding that he plans to stay in Santa Fe to see ArcadeTV stand on its feet. Khouri hopes to have a million subscribers to ArcadeTV’s channel a year after production, a goal he described as “not as ambitious as it sounds on YouTube.” YouTube has made powerful strides in the world of comedy, providing careers for otherwise unknown media-makers like GoodNeighborStuff and Lonely Island—whose fan-base had largely come from YouTube viewers. Both groups went on to writing/performing careers on Saturday Night Live.

ArcadeTV currently meets a few times a week to discuss future dates and to workshop scripts so that the crews can be prepared to shoot multiple sketches in a day’s time. Khouri says they hope to begin principle photography for the series in a few weeks.