USC Upstate students and crew celebrate during a successful take while filming the university’s first student-produced short film, part of a new hands-on course developed in partnership with FilmPool founder Brenton Earley. Photo courtesy of Brenton Early.
USC Upstate is bringing Spartanburg to the silver screen with their very first student-produced short film.
The film is the product of a partnership between USC Upstate and FilmPool, a Burbank-based production company owned by Brenton Earley.
Known for films such as The Engagement Plan and God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust, Earley first came to the Upstate several years ago while scouting possible farm locations for a film. On a recommendation from the film commissioner, he landed in York County, and fell in love with the area. He ended up filming several movies in York, as well as Columbia and, ultimately, Spartanburg, where he brought An Ode to Mary Jo to life.
In January, Earley was approached by USC Upstate’s Chancellor Bennie L. Harris, who had a vision for expanding the school’s film department. Together, alongside Professor Laura Rikkard, who had previously worked with Earley on An Ode to Mary Jo, they fleshed out a new course for USC Upstate students—an introduction to film that would provide students a hands-on opportunity to see what it takes to create a film.
Students were tasked with writing a script over the summer in order to hit the ground running at the onset of the fall semester. Earley brought in a professional writer and director to give feedback on the script, and the following weeks were a whirlwind of instruction from 11 different industry experts.
“Each week, I’d have a professional come in to class: a production designer, head of hair and makeup, head of wardrobe, a first AD, a writer-director who, at the time, had the number two film on Netflix…they would Zoom into class and talk to the students about who they are, what they do, what their job entails, and then give professional feedback,” explains Earley.
The time and care that these experts brought to the students didn’t end with Zoom calls. “The majority of these people—all except one—were able to come into town, work on the film, and shadow the students,” says Earley. “They were teaching and at the same time allowing the students to take full control of the film, because we wanted to make it a true student film.”
The film itself is a poignant story of grief, bridging the gap between a student mourning the loss of a loved one and an elderly woman who has been grieving for the past five years. “It’s really beautiful to see the gap of the younger generation and usually the most forgotten generation in film, which is the elderly,” says Earley.
Filming took place from October 14-17, but while the cameras may have stopped learning, the 26 USC Upstate students behind the short film still have a lot to learn. “The film is shot, but we still have to do post-production,” explains Earley. He hopes to present the final product to the world in early 2027. The film’s impact, however, will go far beyond its premiere.
“It really was the perfect storm of bringing people together who are passionate about paying it forward to help the next generation understand filmmaking,” says Earley. “It’s been so rewarding to be in class and see how this process has changed students’ lives and their whole scope. It’s opened up a door to a whole new medium they could never think of.”
“All the students got a new confidence about them as human beings, and as creatives, and as filmmakers,” Earley says. “They also thought the beauty of it was the closeness that people developed over four days of filming and two days of filming.”
One of the most impactful moments, he says, came from an industry professional at the end of the filming process. “He came and gave me a hug, and he was emotional, and he said, ‘I really appreciate you asking me to do this. My wife and I don’t have kids, and I’ve always wanted to share what I do with the younger generation. This really checked that box for me, and I would do this anytime you want me to do this.’ This is a guy who works on major television shows and movies, and these pros, they drove themselves in or flew themselves in to be a part of this.”
As he’s spent more time in the Upstate, Earley has continued to fall in love with the area. “I tell people we’re not trying to bring Hollywood to Spartanburg, we’re trying to bring Spartanburg to Hollywood,” he says. “There’s something unique about the Upstate, and we’re really trying to elevate the people here who are already so talented and give them opportunities to grow. That’s why I’m here two weeks a month now. There’s something special here. It’s very enriched in arts, and you have a lot of university kids that don’t want to leave. Maybe we can help build the film industry with them.” Between Earley and his business partner, the pair has a combined nearly 100 years of experience, and they’re excited to share that with the next generation of Upstate talent.
“We just want to be here to support and work alongside this community,” says Earley. “That’s why we want to invest in these students: time, energy, money. It’s just our way of giving back, because we said, people here helped me when I first came here to get my film, Ode to Mary Jo, going. We want to give back.”
Earley is excited to continue partnering with USC Upstate and looks forward to working with the next group of students. “A lot of students didn’t know this was on the curriculum, because it was a new class,” he says. “It’s going to be super exciting to see it grow.”
