Pepperdine looks to expand its student-led comedy night by adding another production to the lineup.
“The Beacon” is set to premiere its pilot episode to the Pepperdine community Friday at 7 p.m. in Elkins Auditorium, and everyone involved with the project is waiting with bated breath.
Entirely student-created and run, “The Beacon” crew and cast have put a lot of hard work into making a product fit to join the rankings of Pepperdine’s funniest productions — PIT and “The Randumb Show.”
Helmed by funnyman Ben Holcomb, a sophomore and Graphic columnist, the show focuses on a misfit college newspaper staff that seems to do more harm then good when it comes to the journalism world.
Not only was the show pitched by Holcomb, but it was written by him as well. Students will even be able to see his on-camera acting chops as well as his take on the role of Henry, the editor in chief of the oddball newspaper staff.
Holcomb isn’t the only behind-the-scenes man to get his time in front of the camera. Joshua Alexander, the show’s associate producer and a sophomore, plays Holcomb’s second-in-command and the more competent of the comedic duo.
The cast is filled out with only the best of the best, and students are bound to notice a few familiar faces. Theater students, along with “The Randumb Show” and PIT regulars have committed to bringing “The Beacon’s” dry wit comedy to life.
“We definitely lucked out. We have some of the best actors on campus [on the show],” Holcomb said.
The sitcom is filmed in a style similar to that of the style of NBC’s hit show, “The Office.”
“[The Beacon] is a mockumentary like “The Office.” A drier show like that,” said Luke Rodgers, senior and executive producer.
And the dry humor is second nature for the crew, who kept the punches rolling with lots of laughs and jibes at each other when discussing “The Beacon.”
Holcomb, Alexander, Rodgers, and editor and assistant producer Taylor Heinrich, a sophomore, talked about the project and the work that went into it.
“Ben wrote [the scripts] over the summer,” Heinrich said. Summer marked the start of pre-production as well.
“Over the summer we talked about the script, and by the time we started filming, it was locked [for the most part],” Rodgers said.
The sitcom was cast during the spring semester and production spots were also being filled to assure that “The Beacon” had the most efficient crew possible. The man who oversaw production and also earned the role of master scheduler was Rodgers.
“I signed on as that roll to get production done,” Rodgers said. “And we got it done.”
“Luke is like a godsend to ‘The Beacon’,” Holcomb added.
Admiration aside, “The Beacon” cast and crew is nervous yet excited to introduce their sitcom to an audience, because it will be the first time anyone apart from the producers, editors and creators has seen the footage. Not even the actors have taken a peek.
“It’s us testing the waters,” Rodgers said about showing the pilot to audiences on Friday.
“That’s what a pilot is,” Alexander continued.
The four students who have helmed the project are eagerly anticipating student reactions.
“It would be great to get student’s opinions,” Heinrich said.
After the pilot airs, “The Beacon” crew hopes that they receive a positive response for the season pilot.
“[We want] students to be desperately craving the show,” Rodgers said.
“The Beacon” also hopes that students enjoy the pilot enough to return for the rest of the season, which will be comprised of seven episodes spread throughout the school year.
The pilot shown on Friday will be a 35 minute-long segment. “The Beacon” cast and crew went all out for the sitcom.
“We went big,” Luke said about the pilot. And what other way is there? Go big or go home as they say, and “The Beacon” crew most certainly did not want a mediocre sitcom to go home to.
