Full Sail Stories

The cornerstone of Full Sail University’s Film Production MFA is giving students ample opportunities for hands-on experience. While the master’s program focuses on the fundamentals of storytelling, visual aesthetics, technical roles, and marketing finished films, students aren’t just gaining theoretical knowledge – they’re getting valuable experience to help propel them into their careers after graduation. And that’s what sparked the idea for The Russell Gemstone, an eight-episode web series created by Film Production students and faculty as a way for students to apply their classroom knowledge to a real production.

The concept for the sci-fi mystery series came to course director Allen Gorney in 2023 as he was brainstorming ways students could put their skills to the test in addition to doing their coursework and thesis films. After Allen pitched it to other faculty, the project started in earnest.

As the showrunner, Allen created the production bible and oversaw the writing of each episode to keep the story cohesive. Other faculty members acted as cinematographers, producers, sound designers, and editors. Then over the course of a year, students took on roles like directors, script writers, camera operators, production assistants, actors, production designers, and more, passing the baton onto the next class of students to continue the work.

“Part of the magic of the project was that a new group of students could direct each episode each month, and each episode would be a different genre,” Allen shares. “So, we were able to play with the conventions of a specific genre and play with what it means to film that genre, like the lighting, tropes, and conventions that are associated with [a given genre] both visually and story-wise.

“And so, we created a pipeline where students would write the script together… and then I, as the showrunner, would approve it and tweak it to fit where it would be in the narrative, and then a few months later they would film an episode, but not the episode that they wrote, which was another great opportunity for them because in the industry, you're not always filming the thing that you wrote.”

Recent Film Production MFA grad Kakia M. Amarh wore many different hats while working on The Russell Gemstone during her time as a student, including script supervisor, grip, writer, editor, and producer.

“This experience solidified what I want [to do] long-term,” Kakia says. “I want to be a television producer and showrunner of my own show, and working on [The Russell Gemstone] gave me real-world confidence. It showed me that I can lead, pivot, collaborate, and execute. It didn’t just teach me production, it confirmed my calling.”

Since graduating, Kakia started her own film production company, Largo Legend, and just completed her second feature film, for which she hired more than 25 Full Sail alumni and staff. Currently, she’s writing two TV shows and another film. “[Working on The Russell Gemstone] made me a stronger filmmaker overall,” she says.

Making strong filmmakers is the goal of faculty in the Film Production master’s at Full Sail.

“My hope would be to reinforce for potential applicants that The Russell Gemstone isn’t just a one-off opportunity,” says Anne Russell, Film Production MFA Program Director. “But it’s representative of how the MFA is designed – giving students sustained exposure to real projects, defined professional roles, and collaboration with faculty and alumni in ways that closely mirror industry practice.”

After the web series was completed, a viewing party was held at Full Sail’s on-campus Dub Stage facility for everyone who had a hand in creating it.

“That was rewarding because the students all worked so hard on it, and [it was special] for them to see it all come together,” says Allen.

All eight episodes of The Russell Gemstone are available to stream on Full Sail’s Facebook page.