Hi there, I’m Archer Phillips, a film student at the University of Texas at Arlington, directing my final thesis project this fall: Specimens. This is more than just another student film. It’s the culmination of years of learning, experimenting, and collaborating. It’s my last chance before graduation to create something unforgettable.

What is Specimens?

Specimens is a darkly comedic, sci-fi horror adventure about Jack, a master escape artist who thinks he can outwit anything, until aliens abduct him and force him through a series of bizarre, humiliating experiments. Blending slapstick, satire, and surrealism, it’s The Twilight Zone meets Charlie Chaplin, with an irreverent, fast-paced slap-stick tone.

One-line pitch:

A stubborn escape artist faces an alien test so ridiculous he might finally discover what it means to ask for help.

Underneath the absurdity, Specimens explores how pride and ego can become a prison all their own.

Why This Story? Why Now?

I’ve always been fascinated by flawed characters who refuse help until it’s too late. Jack’s belief that he doesn’t need anyone traps him far worse than the aliens ever could. In a world where self-reliance is often celebrated, this story reminds us of the value of teamwork, and that sometimes asking for help is the bravest thing you can do.

Stylistically, I’m inspired by filmmakers who use physical comedy, surreal visuals, and handcrafted worlds to tell deeply human stories. I want to merge that approach with green screen technology to push the boundaries of a student budget: building practical elements (walls, consoles, props) to ground the action, but extending and enhancing that world with green screen. It’s a best-of-both-worlds approach that lets us keep costs reasonable while still creating something big.

Spencer's Project

My brother Spencer is also working on his thesis film, a fictional, Office-style mockumentary that follows a documentary crew filming behind the scenes of my set. The entire mockumentary takes place on our Specimens set.

By funding Specimens, you’re also supporting Spencer’s film, helping two different stories come to life on the same set. That means every prop, console, and painted wall will serve double duty, maximizing every dollar you give.

What Your Support Funds

Creating a believable alien spaceship takes a lot of resources, even when you blend practical pieces with green screen. Here’s where your donation goes:

✅ Set Construction: plywood, paint, foam, hardware, plus labor to assemble core spaceship walls and consoles

✅ Props & Practical FX: control panels, alien gadgets, comedic sci-fi gags

✅ Green Screen Integration: chroma backdrops, tracking markers, digital post-production tools

✅ Equipment Rentals: camera, lighting, grip

✅ Feeding the Cast & Crew: keeping our volunteers safe, fed, and motivated

✅ Transportation & Storage: moving and storing the set pieces

✅ Spencer’s Mockumentary: the set will live on, supporting a second student film and giving donors twice the impact

Our goal is $2,500, but anything beyond that will go straight to expanding our visual effects and supporting our crew.

Our Visual Style

We’re drawing from:

Hundreds of Beavers: imaginative, low-budget creativity

The Twilight Zone: dark, eerie but playful

Chaplin: physical slapstick

The Office: awkward, observational humor (for Spencer’s film)

We’ll combine handmade sets with digital extensions on green screen to create a ship that feels expansive, yet tactile.

Who’s Making This?

This is a team of dedicated UTA film students, many of whom are volunteering their time and skills. These are my classmates, my friends, people who have supported each other through years of student filmmaking. We’re ready to give this project everything we’ve got, but we can’t cover the material costs alone.

Producers:

Spencer Phillips

Gabriel Sarquis

Francine Parcero

What You Get

When you join our mission, you become part of the team. You’ll get:

Regular updates with concept art, build photos, VFX tests

Behind-the-scenes videos of the cast and crew at work

Your name in the credits

Social media shout-outs

Special thank-you packages for higher-tier donors, including a digital poster, blooper reel, and more surprises

Join the Mission

If you love stories that combine sci-fi, practical effects, physical comedy, and heartfelt themes, Specimens is a film worth backing. You’ll help a group of emerging filmmakers bring their skills to a professional level, while also supporting a second comedy mockumentary that reimagines the same set.

Even $5 makes a difference. And if you can’t donate, sharing this campaign is just as powerful.

Your support brings this project to life, from the first screw in the plywood all the way to festival screenings.

Thank you so much for reading, sharing, and supporting us. We can’t wait to show you what we build together.

Donate today, and help us make Specimens, and Spencer’s mockumentary, out-of-this-world.