DePaul students are helping bring an ambitious new film to life: “The Lagoon” is a large-scale production supported by the School of Cinematics Arts’ Project Bluelight program. The movie follows a woman who, after a traumatic brain injury, becomes trapped inside an experimental AI-driven simulation, forcing her wife to enter the digital world to try to save her.
The film recently wrapped post-production and represents an expansive project, involving approximately 104 students, 16 faculty members, and multiple professional department heads.
Project Bluelight has been a long-running initiative, since 2004, that allows DePaul students to work on real, funded film projects with industry professionals integrated directly into the classroom and on set. Through the program, faculty receive production support and funding while students gain experience working in professional roles, preparing them for careers in film, animation, and visual effects.
“This model allows students to work on an actual production, not a simulation,” said Brian Andrews, associate professor in the School of Cinematic Arts. “They’re collaborating with experienced professionals in a real-world setting while still being supported as students.”
To produce “The Lagoon,” Andrews strategically linked six courses across multiple quarters, each aligned to a specific phase of filmmaking. Student involvement grew in spring 2025, when three courses focused on virtual environments, production design for virtual production and pre-production preparation for the on-set crew.
Undergraduate film and television major Emma Brown says working on visual effects (VFX) and in the cutting-edge virtual production environment gave them new skills and confidence.
“Before working on ‘The Lagoon,’ I felt really insecure about my abilities as a VFX artist,” Brown says. “Since working on the project, those insecurities have mostly dried up, and I feel infinitely better equipped to start my career,” says Brown, who served as an environment designer, virtual production operator and compositor on the film.
Filming took place during the summer of 2025 at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios. About 60 percent of the movie was shot on an LED volume stage using virtual production technology, with additional scenes filmed on traditional soundstages and on location at Humboldt Park. Editing continued throughout the summer, followed by a dedicated Project Bluelight post-production phase focused on visual effects and animation. The team completed its sixth Project Bluelight sound class this past winter, and final post-production was recently wrapped.
Students contributed to the project through different classes, allowing them to focus on areas such as cinematography, virtual production, editing, visual effects or sound. All participating students will receive professional screen credit, IMDb listings and footage for use in reels and portfolios.
“Project Bluelight with Brian Andrews and that crew was one of the best experiences I've had at DePaul,” said Joe Amadon, another film and television major who worked on the project. "The opportunity Bluelight brings to be able to be part of a well-organized, larger crew with lots of faculty collaboration and supervision is irreplaceable by any other film school experience.”
With the film now completed, the team is planning to submit 'The Lagoon' to several film festivals beginning in the fall of 2026. Festival selections will be announced over the summer, with submissions targeting both Chicago-based festivals and international showcases. Public screenings will take place after the film’s festival premiere.