This post was updated Nov. 8 at 8:29 p.m.

Malena Williams’ eyes sparkled into a smile when she was asked about “The Exhibit,” a short film she wrote and directed in spring 2025.

“The Exhibit” is a horror story that follows Bridget, an artist who finds inspiration for her creative project after killing her rival. Williams, a fourth-year sociology transfer student, said she wrote the script to entertain and left parts of the film more ambiguous to give audiences space for personal interpretations. Williams created the film as a part of the Film and Photography Society at UCLA, a student-run organization designed to give students the opportunity to participate in filmmaking without prior experience.

“Honestly, I really just wanted to write a script that was spooky and dark,” Williams said.

As a transfer student, Williams said she felt lucky to find the club because it has allowed her to experience different roles in the film industry. The accessibility, she said, makes it easy for students to try out filmmaking without having to commit to a film major.

The film brought together more than 30 students in the quarter-long production process. FPS as a whole produced nine short films in the last academic year, alongside five media shorts and three photoshoots, according to its Instagram page. Gabby Klijian, a co-producer for “The Exhibit,” said the timeline for filmmaking spanned the entirety of spring quarter and added that the post-production process was especially tight because they needed to get the film ready for FPS’s spring showcase gala.

“Producing is kind of a part-time job within FPS,” Klijian said. “You do have a co-producer, which helps a lot, but you’re having multiple meetings every week and making sure things get done and just managing people, so it does feel like a part time job in that sense.”

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Another difficulty in the filmmaking process, Klijian said, was finding locations on campus. The short film was supposed to include shots in Royce Hall, but a last-minute change of plans moved the crew to the Public Affairs Building. She said that because of limited filming locations on campus, they used production design, lighting and various camera angles to transform everyday spaces into fresh environments. Klijian said she graduated in spring 2025 and added that she brings what she learned during her time at FPS to her current job in physical production.

Frederic Robb, a fourth-year history student, phoned in from his study abroad program in Prague to talk about his experience working as a cinematographer on “The Exhibit.” He said he found the script interesting because he appreciated its gore and practical effects. Despite some initial hesitancy from the FPS board about the film’s producibility, Robb said he was certain it would be doable. The director, he added, wanted to make sure everything in the film appeared intentional. Robb said they wanted to make the film itself an exhibit by creating portrait-like camera shots that resembled paintings.

“The joy of FPS and making short films in general, at this age is you’ve learned a lot from your mistakes, and you learn a lot from your successes,” Robb said.

Robb also sits on the FPS executive board. He said that while the production received a few hundred dollars of funding from Student Organizations, Leadership & Engagement, it tried to save money by using different club members’ personal cameras. He said being in FPS allowed people to interact with various kinds of equipment and gain hands-on experience without significant prior knowledge.

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“The most important thing is that everyone feels like they have an opportunity and space to grow, learn and collaborate with other people,” Robb said.

Emilia Vial, who played Bridget in the short film, said that as a recently-graduated theater student with an acting emphasis, the theater program offered a class for students to learn how to act on camera. Through that class, Vial said she learned to use the “notion of not acting,” which she applied to the filming of “The Exhibit.” One of her favorite scenes included a point-of-view shot, where Vial said she had to stick her hands through a tripod and casually wash her hands. In another scene, Vial said she experienced a “happy accident,” where she was surprised by a loud noise and jumped back. Vial said the production kept that jump in the final cut of the short film.

Vial said her favorite memory on set was the camaraderie. She added that it is not common on set for cast and crew to be friends, but the supportive environment at FPS, alongside passion and a desire for learning, was “good energy.” Vial’s sentiments were echoed across each interview – Robb said he felt lucky to find people with similar interests, and Klijian described her positive interactions with Williams.

“A lot of it was the people,” Williams said. “The people are just so awesome to work with.”