A group of aspiring filmmakers at the University of South Alabama turned a class assignment into a creative showcase with their short film, The Dreamers, a project that captured the spirit of college life and the pressures facing young adults.
Stuart Sox, a Baker High School graduate and film student at USA, teamed up with fellow classmates Steven Spears, Melody Brickhouse, Erin Weninegar, and Dylan Glass to produce the film as part of their CA340 coursework under Dr. Rockwell. What began as a routine academic exercise evolved into a thoughtful exploration of identity, ambition, and the unexpected connections that shape people’s lives.
Filming at the Greater Gulf State Fair
The team chose the Greater Gulf State Fair as a key filming location, drawn to its vibrant atmosphere and visual appeal. The fair’s organizers granted the student crew free admission over four nights of shooting, providing an authentic backdrop that helped bring their story to life.
Production spanned roughly three weeks, with the team juggling filming schedules around five group members and additional actors. They also secured permissions for multiple locations throughout the Mobile area, handling every aspect of the production themselves — from writing and directing to editing and sound design.
A Story About Breaking Down Barriers
At its core, The Dreamers follows five main characters who each begin the story with their own distinct perspectives on life. Through chance encounters, they challenge one another’s assumptions and ultimately find themselves changed for the better.
Sox described the film’s central message as one of authenticity and human connection. The story tackles the intense pressure college students face to have their futures mapped out, and suggests that some of life’s most meaningful moments come from letting go of rigid expectations and being open to new people and experiences.
Homegrown Talent in Mobile’s Film Scene
The project highlighted the growing creative talent emerging from the University of South Alabama’s film program. Sox, who cited directors like Sofia Coppola and Steven Soderbergh among his influences, said the team hoped the film would serve as a calling card for their abilities as both actors and filmmakers.
The student production added to a budding local film community in Mobile, where independent creators and university programs were beginning to establish the Gulf Coast city as a place where cinematic storytelling could thrive.