School of Communications students help produce humorist Jeanne Robertson’s new comedy DVD

By Sophie Ortiz ’21

In March, humorist Jeanne Robertson filmed her ninth comedy DVD, titled “Rocking Humor,” with production support from an entirely Elon University crew. In total, 10 School of Communications students collaborated with eight Elon faculty and staff members to make the DVD a reality. The final product was recently released and is available on www.jeannerobertson.com.

The production process mimicked a live-to-tape show, where Robertson performed in front of an audience and the event was recorded. During the March taping at the Paramount Theater in Burlington, Julia Walter ’20 served as technical director and other Elon students took roles as camera operators, audio assistants, production assistants and photographers. A complete list of the crew is below.

​A member of Elon University’s board of trustees, Robertson has worked with Elon communications students regularly over the past 14 years. In fact, five of her nine recorded DVDs have been Elon productions. She said the longstanding collaboration “adds life” to the show and she believes the students benefit from getting experience on a professional set.

“It’s a win, win, win situation,” Robertson said. “It’s another way for the students to demonstrate Elon’s commitment to engaged learning.”

For Robertson, partnering with Elon students is a no-brainer because they “have always proven to be that good,” she said. Robertson added that it is also convenient and inexpensive, but that is not the main reason she employs a majority student production team.

“Elon has a tendency to do things right,” Robertson said.

​Mallory Siegenthaler ’21, who served as a photographer on set, enjoyed getting an up close look at the professional production. “I was taking p​ictures of Jeanne and the Elon crew, so I could really take in everything happening around me,” the cinema and television arts major said. “It was a collaborative and welcoming environment.”

Robertson is currently touring around the United States performing the same show the Elon crew taped in the spring. As for her next DVD special, Robertson hesitates to say what’s next.

“I often think about what if I name my last DVD ‘Last tape,’” Robertson said. “And then I ask my assistant, Toni, what happens if we do another one? And she says, ‘we would just name it, ‘Last Tape … Again.’”

Crew

Executive Producer: Linda Lashendock (Belk Library)

Production Producer and Editor: Bryan Baker (SOC)

Chief Engineer: Jeff James (Teaching and Learning Technologies)

Director: Nicole Triche (SOC)

Technical Director: Julia Walter (SOC student)

Videographer: Ted Moree (Teaching and Learning Technologies)

Production Assistant: Julie Prouty (Teaching and Learning Technologies)

Jeanne’s Stage Production Assistant: Allie Petty (SOC student)

Voice Over: Brian Dudiak (Athletics)

Audio Assistant: Marco Giorgio (SOC student)

Camera: Gabriel Salvador (SOC student)

Camera: Kat Milbradt (SOC student)

Camera: Rachel Kading (SOC student)

Camera-Cut Away: Mitch Herndon (SOC)

Camera-Cut Away Grip: Tyler Chavez (SOC student)

Camera Assistant: Azzurra Catucci (SOC student)

Photographer: Sophia Ortiz (SOC student)

Photographer: Mallory Siegenthaler (SOC student)