After a successful test screening of his independent horror film "Dolly," in FDH 109, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Rod Blackhurst returned to campus in November to collaborate with UNLV Film students on a proof-of-concept short for his next project, "A Very Lovely Girl."

Working closely with Professors May May Luong, Jason Edmiston, Tom Bjelic and Adam Paul, Blackhurst led a team of students and alums to prep, shoot, and edit a rough cut of his short proof-of-concept - mostly within a span of 7 days.

With preliminary conversations happening over Zoom to work out logistics and schedules (Blackhurst resides out of state), Luong was able to crew the project with students from her Production II class and two sections of Bjelic’s Film Sound class.

The short scene - in which a young girl locked in a basement prepares for the arrival of her captor - required a single location that could be built in the basement studio of FDH. Production Designer and Art Director Nicole Peterson (MFA ‘19) transformed two flats and a door into the dank basement required, while an existing window looking down into the studio from the former Film Department conference room was dressed and lit as a residential basement window.

Limiting locations and with a cast of three, shooting was scheduled over two days to allow for learning and assessment. Editor Mark Bricker (’16) was on site during shooting to assemble footage in near-real time. Down the hall from the FDH studio, Bricker and Blackhurst were able to share notes, re-cut, and, in a few cases during the weekend shoot, adjust the storyboard plans to improve upon the story.

“May May was able to assemble and organize a production set-up that felt like an ideal studio operation, with much of the storytelling collaboration happening on set,” observed Paul, who pitched the idea of a visiting director for a one-week intensive to the department in September.

“Academic schedules usually don’t allow for much complexity in production - students tend to have a lot going on, making finding a committed crew a challenge,” Paul said. “With a tight turn-around, it could be next to impossible to leave enough room for learning, explanations, and patient mentorship. But this project proved with the right filmmaker and short project we could bring a working professional to UNLV Film to share their expertise in a real-world setting without compromising the project or the students’ learning experiences.”

The hoped-for result, Paul noted, came to pass. “The goal was to utilize UNLV Film’s best asset - its people - to provide benefit for the students as well as a new professional collaborator. Rod now has a proof-of-concept tool to solicit funding for his next feature, and our students have a professional on-set experience they’ll never forget.”

To view the proof-of-concept for “A Very Lovely Girl,” click here.