Moody’s Radio-television-Film alumni are taking on film in more ways than one. After graduation, many go on to star in a variety of roles, direct captivating films, or even apply their creativity to scriptwriting. The web-series, “capital g great,” is a prime example of the post-grad application of Moody’s RTF education.

The series follows Meadow, “a reclusive screenwriter and a tyrannical director,” as she grapples with wanting to make a web series about herself after receiving the funding of a lifetime. While making the series, she strives to make it the best it can be and slowly pushes away the people who love her.

Echo Nguyen, a RTF alumna ‘22, is the project's lead director and writer. The alumna, along with the team that helped put the concept trailer together, celebrated on a FaceTime call after realizing they hit the percentage needed to keep the funds.

“I was so, so happy,” Nguyen said. "It feels like your dream is coming true.”

Nguyen started making short films in her undergraduate years, which received awards at different festivals in Texas and Los Angeles, one of which was the Heated festival in Austin. But at a certain point, Nguyen felt it was time to move further toward her feature film director aspirations.

“It sounds so bad, but I was tired of doing shorts,” Nguyen said. “Because I know how to do them. I feel confident. Let's challenge myself. Let's make it bigger.”

The idea of “capital g great” started in January 2024, but the concept trailer was filmed a year later. The process started when Nguyen realized this idea was a comedy, a style she hadn’t written before. She chose this genre because the other films she’d done were darker and sad at times. She wanted to try something new.

But she knew she couldn’t write it alone. She recalled the writers who inspired her from her RTF classes at UT Austin, specifically those with comedic scripts. So, she reached out to them with a request to help produce “capital g great.” They all responded and were on board with this new idea.

After finding a solid writing team, she shared her idea with her friend and advertising alumna ‘23, Mayela Ramirez. Ramirez instantly loved the idea and offered to run the social media so she could reconnect to the entertainment world while still working her 9-5 public relations job.

Ramirez's social media strategy focuses on highlighting the inclusivity of the production team. She hopes not only to pull audiences into the story but also to inspire like-minded students at UT Austin.

“I mean, a lot of us are UT students, and we think that's pretty cool for a production that's being worked on here in LA and is going to be filmed in LA,” Ramirez said. “So the fact that we made that jump and are all out here working together, I thought that was something really special.”  

Ramirez said another part of her advertising is working with Nguyen to bring investors to “capital g great.” She said Nguyen brought life and color to pitching the web series which led to a stronger response from donors. 
“Echo knows it like she can draw the wrinkles, type of thing,” Ramirez said. “She has an answer to every single question, any detail she's thought it through fully.”

As the team worked toward their crowdfunding goal, Nguyen said it felt like the team was “putting [their] lives on the line” because of the sacrifices made to make the most of the crowdfunding.

Most of the crew work a full-time job, but they try to work on “capital g great” during any break they can get. Nguyen said this dedication is apparent and is why people were drawn to the series.

“We believe in it so much,” Nguyen said. “Basically, I've devoted my life to it. When people can feel that you're putting in the work and that it's not just a story, it's your life, people want to believe in you, and they want to be a part of bringing this story together.”

Four days before the crowdfunding ended, the group raised less than half of their goal, leading to a small panic. But the team ramped up the messaging, and the web-series ultimately hit its 82% mark in their crowdfunding, leaving them with $41,470 to pursue the next steps in their project.

Though this crowdfunding was only one of many, Ramirez and Nguyen feel a weight off their shoulders and are looking toward the next crowdfunding.

“I could breathe a little easier, and I was like, wait, we did this,” Ramirez said.