Comedic collaborations, battles between Mario and Kirby, a new website and the taping of the first episode of a new show are the tools Athens Video Works Productions will use to reach out to new viewers and members.
Called AVW Week, the group kicks off Monday with the launch of the new website, which will include information about the 12 shows on the AVW roster, including classic programming such as Fridays Live, along with newer shows like Life in Adams, a mockumentary style show similar in style to The Office.
“We decided to go with a minimalist approach (for the website) and it looks sleek and it looks sexy,” said Thomas Sinard, marketing manager for AVW.
Sinard said the new site will allow show producers to better design sections of the site designated to their respective shows. This in turn can make it more interactive for viewers of programs such as the children’s show Confused, which takes user-submitted questions from email or Twitter to be answered in a show broadcast every semester.
Throughout the week, interviews and information will be released through the new website and on Thursday, and those interested in working with AVW will be able to meet with directors and producers of the shows AVW has to offer.
But the best opportunity to see what AVW is about is to see it in action, Sinard said, and that will be over the weekend starting Friday night with a special hour-long edition of Fridays Live featuring special guests from AVW Newstime, another show that satirizes news in the vein of The Daily Show.
Fridays Live, AVW’s longest running show, which has been produced since the ‘80s, will be shot in its regular spot in the Radio Television Building’s Studio C, but for the first time it will be broadcast live in the Baker Student Lounge, said Chris Denzel, director of Fridays Live.
“This is going to be a unique show … it will be a great opportunity to understand what AVW is about,” Sinard said. “It’s one of our oldest shows and we are proud of it.”
Saturday will be dedicated to the shooting of the first episode of a show called TOUR. Created by Denzel, the program will follow around students, a la The Amazing Race, as they attempt to complete challenges given by organizations and businesses around OU and Athens.
“I wanted to get people involved with AVW more and not necessarily as a participant in the organization but for people who were interested in it,” explained Denzel, a junior studying integrated media.
AVW Week will wrap up Sunday with a special Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament that will be covered by AVW Tech Heads, a group that discusses video games and technology through podcasts and videos. Highlights of the tournament will be made into a video following the event.
Eight players will play on four consoles, with 32 total participants, said Trista Thurston, producer for Tech Heads. There will also be another game, Just Dance, and door prizes to keep those waiting and non-participants entertained, she said.
If You Go
What: Show Premieres and Fridays Live Broadcast
Where: Bobcat Student Lounge
When: 5:30 p.m., Friday
Admission: Free
What: Fridays Live with AVW Newstime
Where: Radio Television Building, Studio C
When: 7 p.m., Friday
Admission: Free
What: Super Smash Bros. Melee Tournament with AVW Tech Heads
Where: Baker 240
When: Sunday, Registration: 11:30 a.m., Begins noon
Admission: Free
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