Lexi Hoggan, 20, is a sophomore at the University of Utah studying business. On November 6th, she’ll be launching her new show, View from the U through Studio 200. She has been working day and night on this production for months, and is thrilled to finally see it air. Luckily, Her Campus Utah had the opportunity to interview Lexi about the show, how it came to be, and where she hopes to take it in the future.
Photo credit: Lexi Hoggan
Her Campus (HC): How did you get started in student media at the U?
Lexi Hoggan (LH): I had originally been accepted into the Lassonde Studios due to my interest in starting a TV show. After multiple failed attempts to persuade people to help me, I decided to give up. During my second semester, my professor who doubles as my aspiration, Glen Feighery, told me he saw me writing for the Economist one day. I decided to revisit the idea of starting View from the U. One day I met with the head of Student Media and presented my idea, and he was ecstatic. From there, he put me in touch with the ever so talented Daniel Lee. Together, Daniel and I have dedicated our lives to ensuring VFTU success.
HC: How did you come up with the idea of VFTU?
LH: Growing up I have always had an active imagination (although, in fourth grade, my teacher failed me in art). From then on, I never thought of myself as creative or intelligent. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I started to discover my aptitudes. I was required to create a short film for my English class. It came very naturally to me, and I realized this is what I was meant to do. Film consumed my interests and thoughts from that point forward. I remember being caught in a conflict and thinking, “if this was a movie, what camera angle and lighting would best represent the situation?” My keen interest with film is what prompted me to create my high school’s first TV show. When it came time to choose a college I struggled between going to Syracuse University in New York or the University of Utah. My decision was ultimately made because the University of Utah didn’t have a news broadcast. I saw this as an opportunity to do something new and exciting.
HC: When and where can students watch the show?
LH: Our first episode will air on November 6th at noon. We will be using social media to distribute the link, but we will post it to YouTube.
HC: Where do you see VFTU in five years? Do you hope to have another student continue it once you graduate?
LH: I hope VFTU takes off and becomes a huge success. I hope that we get to a point where our viewers are anxiously awaiting the next episode. I think the way we have designed and created VFTU it could be successful at the U for a long time.
HC: What do you want to do after college?
LH: At this point in time, I have several very different things I want to do after college. I’d like to move to London and write a book, I’d like to establish my own production studio, I’d like to move to Costa Rica, and better my Spanish, etc. I believe everything happens for a reason. Whatever opportunity presents itself after college, I’ll go for it.
HC: How has launching VFTU impacted your college experience?
LH: [Laughs] For the past two months, I haven’t had a personal life. I am either writing, filming, or editing for the show. I owe my close friends and family all the praise in the world for being so understanding. Editing for the first episode alone took 14 hours. On average I spend about three-fifths of my day working on View from the U. Since a broadcast at the University of Utah was unprecedented, we have had nothing to reference when doing this. We have created all the boundaries, and that’s equal parts empowering and terrifying.
Don’t miss the first episode of View from the U this Monday at noon! And follow Studio 200 on social media below:
Thumbnail photo credit: Lexi Hoggan