Real World Productions

"The hardest class you'll ever love."
Students posing in front of the Capitol.
Nicole Beale, Jason Kashdan and Rebecca McKee – Their videos were shown at the Visitor Center on Capitol Hill. Executive Director of Child Justice, Eileen King, had the premiere of “Ignorance is This”, a national campaign designed to bring attention to children harmed by family court injustice.

Real World Productions, formerly known as Hothouse Productions, is a 4-credit class that operates as a student-run, client-driven production company. Projects include PSA’s for local TV stations, videos for nonprofits and for-profits, an occasional music video, and documentary shorts. Since 2022, the Boston/New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has honored four projects as winners of its Student Production Awards.

The College of Communication at Boston University created this course so that television and film students could learn firsthand what it’s like to do business in the real world. Operating as a production company for undergraduate and graduate students, students can shed their academic hats for the opportunity to work with clients on market driven productions.

Students gain experience in the professional demands of deadlines and budgets while also turning their ideas into meaningful videos.

From research and development to writing, shooting, and editing, Real World provides students the opportunity to hone their creative and production skills.

Join Us or Hire Us

Working for Real World (Students)

Apply for Real World
  • Undergrad Prerequisites:
    1. COM FT353
    2. 3.0 COM GPA
  • Grad Prerequisites:
    1. COM FT707
    2. 3.2 COM GPA

It is extremely beneficial if students have also taken production courses in lighting, editing, directing, and cinematography. Interested students should reach out to Prof. Sitomer at ssitomer@bu.edu. A letter will be sent to applicants asking that they provide a letter detailing their production experience and expertise. They may also include links to previous video projects. The letter can also be found here. These will be reviewed during the selection process. The department will register accepted students.

Working With Real World (Clients)

Real World Productions is a class that operates as a student run, client-driven production company. As such, we work with clients in the community on projects such as PSA’s, marketing and fundraising videos and mini-documentaries.

What People Are Saying About Us

Client Testimonials

Thank you so much – the video looks incredible and we’re just so thankful for all the time you all gave to help us bring this thorny policy issue to life! The final cut looks wonderful and we’re thrilled to sign off on it. It was a joy getting to work with you all and we can’t wait to share the video with all of our partners and community of support!

Madeline Poage, Director of Development and Communications, MA Appleseed Center for Law & Justice

This is so beautiful! So well done. Well shot, well edited, well told- everyone nailed it. I’m really blown away!

Katie Brandt, Founder and Executive Director, Love Is Out There / FTD

Student Testimonial

Never has a class more realistically prepared me for a job in the film and television industry. We are producers, editors, writers, and directors creating real content for real clients. Your fuel comes from being given the opportunity to deliver a professionally produced project to your client that maintains the reputation of a highly esteemed production company built by some of the brightest and most passionate students at Boston University.

Past Productions

Select Client Work

  • The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Two videos for their web site.
  • New England School of Acupuncture. 7-minute video.
  • Harvard University/McLean Hospital. Created a teaching video on huffing. Set on a Native American reservation in Maine.
  • Massachusetts Advocacy Council. A fund-raising video (focused on Marion Wright Edelman).
  • Troubadour, Inc. Get Ready for Boston for MassInteraction TV. A series of music videos from the CD Get Ready for Boston.
  • Boston Children’s Hospital. Two videos on cochlear implants.
  • The No Project: An international, anti-trafficking project.
  • MassDigi. This institute supporting the local game community wanted a video for its Summer Innovation Program.
  • Dress for Success. Marketing video for its Boston location.
  • Sociedad Latina. A video on the partnership with BU’s Wheelock College to prepare Latine youth for STEM careers.

Personal Profile: Raphaël Edwards

Man with brown hair in beige hoodie smiling at camera from chest up.
Man in black jacket and baseball hat using film equipment during a nighttime photoshoot.

Raphaël Edwards was a Real World Productions student during his time at BU. Since graduating from BU in 2023, Edwards has been splitting his time between New York and Boston as a videographer, director of photography, and editor. His team’s video for this course won a Student Production Award from the Boston/New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

“This class was eye opening to the real world of film and TV work for me,” Edwards says. “Collaborating with a team and working for clients are immensely valuable skills that prepare you for the transition from college to the industry. The experiences and lessons from this class have helped me throughout my freelance career up to today. I constantly have to cater my cinematography and editing work to a client’s specific needs and it’s not a given to know how to navigate that world. I’m grateful to have been able to start my journey in a school setting. If you are thinking of working in the film industry in any sort of way, I strongly suggest you take this class!”