Full Sail Stories

For the first time in university history, Full Sail University has not one, but two, finalist teams in the prestigious Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program.

That milestone alone is worth celebrating. But what makes it even more remarkable is who’s behind the work: one team of recent graduates and one led by current students – both developing and filming their finalist projects on Full Sail’s campus.

What is Coca-Cola Refreshing Films?

Now in its 28th year, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films is one of the longest-running branded filmmaking programs in the country. The goal of the program is to give students and recent graduates the opportunity to get hands-on experience creating content for the big screen. The program connects student storytellers with real-world brand collaboration, professional mentorship, and theatrical distribution — a rare opportunity for college-level filmmakers.

Industry exhibition partners such as AMC, B&B, and Cinemark Theaters provided locations, script feedback, and distribution support. The program also has technical partners such as RED and Nikon, who provided professional cameras and lenses for both the primary film set and the behind-the-scenes teams. During post-production, the teams will receive music composition and sound design mentorship from CineVantage, while Company 3 will provide color grading to each of the films.

“Full Sail gave me the foundation I need to step into the real world,” says recent Full Sail graduate and 2026 CCRF Finalist Kylie Shouse. “This program has provided a platform for me to put my skills to use. It's been an amazing opportunity to work directly with Coca-Cola and other leaders in the industry.”

Katie Pryor, Program Manager for Coca-Cola Refreshing Films, has worked with the initiative for nearly eight years and has been impressed by what she’s seen at Full Sail.

"I think the facilities that you have here at Full Sail are really, really mind-blowing,” Katie says. “The resources and opportunities that Full Sail provides to their students are phenomenal. This program is a great opportunity for students to get that branded filmmaking experience while they still have the safety net and the resources of the school.”

This year, three films nationwide were selected as finalists – two from Full Sail and one from Howard University – placing the university among a small group of programs recognized at the highest level of the competition.

“This is the first time in a long time we’ve had two finalists from the same school,” Katie shares. “And I think it’s really a credit to the school – putting their students and programs first.”

Meet Full Sail’s Finalist Teams

Graduate Team: Behind the Screens

Written and directed by Film grad Angel Quinapallo and produced by fellow Film grad Kylie Shouse, Behind the Screens celebrates the evolution of cinema through the lens of Americana.

The concept imagines a hidden world behind the movie screen, where the history of cinema lives on to continuously bring the magic of the movies to life.

“This script just crackles with energy and captures the creativity and controlled chaos that happens behind the scenes when creating movie magic,” says Kylie. “It mirrors all the work that we as student filmmakers experience to create these 60-seconds of branded content.”

Before landing on Behind the Screens, Angel submitted nine fully developed scripts to the program, complete with animatics, refining ideas through multiple rounds of feedback. As a previous semi-finalist, he returned to apply with a deeper understanding of the brand and the process.

The project is ambitious in scope — complete with a custom-built T-Rex tail, dozens of costumed characters spanning film history, and a large student crew.

Filming took place in Studio V1, utilizing Full Sail’s virtual production capabilities, along with scenes shot at the Cinemark Orlando and XD, thanks to the program’s theater partnership.

For Angel, returning to apply for the program a second year in a row was about growth and persistence. “If they don’t accept it, then I’ll just walk away knowing that I did my best,” he says. “But I’m going to go for it.”

Writer and director Brandon Bishop and producer Christina Almuina – both current Full Sail film students – created What Makes Them Magic, a heartfelt story about the emotional impact of movies.

Set inside a movie theater, the film follows several audience members as moments on screen inspire real-life change: a father imagining his daughter’s future wedding, a graduate channeling the confidence of a gladiator, and friends reconnecting through shared movie magic.

“One of the only art forms that you go spend two hours in a movie, and then you make a fundamental life change after that because you saw something that moved you,” Brandon says. “That’s really great, beautiful, and magical.”

Brandon submitted three scripts during the initial round, while Christina submitted five of her own. After advancing, the selected script went through more than 35 revisions as the team refined tone, structure, and brand alignment.

Their production also worked in Studio V1, as well as AMC Altamonte Springs, via the program’s theater partnership.

The student team is operating at scale with 40 crew members, 20 extras, and eight principal cast members, along with support from faculty across multiple departments, including 3D arts, virtual production, and audio.

“This spot incorporates pretty much everything,” Brandon says. “We’re using all of the school’s facilities.”

Real-World Experience

Across both productions, approximately 80–90 percent of the crews are made up of Full Sail students and graduates — meaning current students are gaining hands-on experience on a nationally recognized, branded production while collaborating with peers, faculty mentors, and industry professionals in a fast-paced environment.

From budgeting and insurance to casting, revisions, and brand approvals, both teams are navigating a professional workflow that mirrors industry standards.

In addition to production support, both finalist teams will receive access to professional post-production resources, including color grading, as they complete their final edits before submission.

What’s Next?

As post-production continues, both teams are finalizing their edits and preparing their films for theatrical rollout and final review. The films will debut at CocaColaRefreshingFilms.com on April 8.

The Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program has several awards. A panel of industry pros will determine the Red Ribbon Panel Grand Prize and Best Music Composition Award winners; those awards will be announced at the industry trade event CinemaCon on April 16.

Additionally, the program partnered with Cinemark Theaters to create a nationwide platform to showcase the films called Cinemark Fan Favorite. Between April 20 and May 10, movie fans can watch and vote daily on their favorite branded spot, and the film that receives the most votes will receive the Cinemark Fan Favorite Award. The finalists associated with that film will receive a cash prize, distribution at Cinemark theaters, and a trip to Cinemark Headquarters in Dallas, TX, for an immersive, VIP experience.

Full Sail will host on-campus screenings of the finalist films on May 2, offering the student crews and the Full Sail campus an opportunity to celebrate their hard work.

Whatever the final result, the achievement stands: two finalist films, one historic first, and a campus-wide effort that proves Full Sail filmmakers are ready for the industry’s biggest screens.

Full Sail students interested in participating in the program next year can sign up for the program's mailing list and apply for Fall 2026 when next year's Coca-Cola Refreshing Films scripting challenge is released.

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