Life as a Comedy Filmmaking Major at DePaul University!
Classes at Cinespace Studios & The Second City
With access to industry grade equipment, what I love most about my classes at DePaul is the amount of hands-on learning we get to do. I have had the opportunity to take classes at Cinespace Studios where popular television shows such as Chicago Fire and The Bear are filmed. The ability to start using film equipment as a first year student was an amazing opportunity that I didn’t find other schools offered. DePaul is also lucky enough to have an unique collaboration with The Second City, so I fulfill major requirements through comedy classes as well! We get to do improv in class and every week we have a fun new comedy related assignment to play around with. I love that I am encouraged to implement my creativity into my class projects and collaborate with others. I have had so much fun in my class at The Second City this quarter making vaudeville acts, silent films, and radio shows. Plus, I met some new friends to talk about Saturday Night Live with!
DePaul Improv & Sketch Comedy Club
I am a member of DePaul Improv & Sketch Comedy’s executive board. As the secretary of the club, I book all of the rooms for improv and sketch teams here at DePaul and manage our group’s schedule. I applied for the role going into my sophomore year thinking I wouldn’t get it, but luckily I did. It has been such an amazing leadership experience that has introduced me to so many like minded people who love comedy just as much as I do. It has also taught me so much about event planning and team collaboration. I am proud to serve on the first mostly female executive board in the club’s history. The DePaulia even wrote an article about us! Leading the club alongside other women who understand the challenges of navigating the male-dominated world of comedy has been an incredibly heartwarming experience. I’m proud that our club not only showcases that women can do comedy—but that we can lead it, shape it, and own it!
My First Comedy Writing Internship
I have been pursuing my first comedy internship this quarter while earning credit from DePaul! Internship credit at DePaul counts as “Experiential Learning” which is a requirement students need to fulfill before graduation, so internships are a great way to complete that! Pursuing internships for credit at DePaul is also great because you can make progress towards your degree while simultaneously gaining industry experience. My internship consists of writing comics and it has really broadened my horizons medium wise. I enjoy writing comics a lot now, so it is a nice skill to have acquired. Experience in a comedy workplace has been wonderful and I am glad I chose to receive school credit from DePaul! It is super easy to earn credit for these experiences, so I would highly recommend it!
Writing & Performing Comedy Shows
Here at DePaul, I have had the opportunity to write for multiple sketch comedy groups! I have performed sketch at notable venues in Chicago such as iO Theater and The Annoyance Theatre. I even got to see one of my very own sketches performed on stage in a show at The Second City! Coming to DePaul has allowed me to make so many advancements—teaching me new writing skills and granting me a license for an industry standard screenwriting program! (I use Final Draft all the time, so getting access to this through DePaul is a life saver!) With the resources DePaul provides and all the opportunities the city offers, opportunities to write and perform here are super accessible. I’ve enjoyed being able to write, perform, and help plan comedy events here at DePaul, and I am sure I will continue doing so in the future!
~Tessa