Correction: Alan Davis is credited as CEO of Davis Studios Media. The correct name is Davis de Dios Media
An ambitious new short film by two University of Arizona students is turning heads in the indie film community and setting the stage—literally—for what may be the next big wave in local sci-fi cinema.
Glass Planet, a visually stunning, 30-minute science fiction drama directed by Gaël Baup and produced by Matthew Maxim, will premiere May 10 at the I Dream of Widescreen student film showcase held at the historic Fox Theatre.
Inspired by the cinematic worlds of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and James Gray’s Ad Astra, the film follows Marcus, a young man searching for his long-lost father on a remote desert world, navigating personal loss, interstellar mystery and high-stakes adventure.
The duo—both seniors at the University of Arizona—have spent the last year bringing the story to life using Hollywood-level visual effects made entirely with free software, specifically Blender, used by the Academy Award-winning animated film, Flow.
What began as a childhood dream for Baup, a French student inspired by his love of Spider-Man, turned into an international learning journey.
“When I was a kid, I loved Spider-Man and wanted to become him. I thought, should I do it for real as a scientist or just ‘cheat’ using film?” Baup said with a smile. That choice led him to countless hours of English-language tutorials on YouTube as he first learned the language, then the craft of VFX.
Baup moved to the U.S., staying in Sahuarita with family as he attended the University of Arizona. He says Glass Planet was already on his mind by then.
“Freshman year, when I came here, I already had the script for it and I was trying to get buddies to make it,” Baup said. “It just was kind of too ambitious at the time. At least I didn’t have the skills or the props or the people.”
He eventually found a creative partner in Maxim, a physics major with a knack for digital effects. Together, they created their first short film, Goliath Unleashed, before diving into Glass Planet, a more expansive and emotionally resonant story.
“It’s action and sci-fi, sure, but also deeply human,” said Maxim. “Marcus is dealing with grief, identity, and the weight of a larger destiny. It’s about finding his parents—and himself and maybe even saving the world. A big priority for us was telling this crazy story with crazy visuals but keeping that deep personal connection.”
The film’s ambitious scope required more than just visual effects. The filmmakers fabricated props with 3D printers, constructed sets from scratch and transformed the desert landscapes of Page, Arizona into a believable alien world.
The production journey took the duo across southern Utah, Page, Arizona, Phoenix, Mesa, and Tucson. But perhaps most notably, they filmed part of the movie on a state-of-the-art Volumetric Stage at ASU’s Sidney Poitier New American Film School’s Media and Immersion eXperience (MIX) Center. There, Gaël used Blender to design detailed spaceship exteriors and interiors, which were then brought to life in January during the MIX Center shoot.
Their efforts caught the attention of Odd Media Group and Davis de Dios Media, whose CEO, Alan Davis, mentored the pair after his partner, John de Dios, caught a screening of Goliath Unleashed.
The company also provided Baup with a scholarship during his final semester. Previously, Baup worked at a Starbucks, but de Dios says it was getting in the way of his way. They arranged the scholarship so Baup could leave his position and focus on the film, along with his studies.
“This is by far the most impressive visual product I’ve seen come out of Southern Arizona,” Davis said. “The most impressive thing about them is their aspiration. They are really going for things that are outside of what I even thought was possible. They are great examples of what this next generation of filmmakers is capable of, and they’re ahead of the curve.”
Davis also believes Glass Planet could signal a broader opportunity to attract large film productions from across the country and the world.
“When people think of Tucson and the Old West, they often think of old westerns,” Davis said. “But this film is a perfect example of how we can use our rustic Arizona landscape to film sci-fi features.”
For Baup, though, the biggest win is inspiring others: “This film is pretty much proof that you don’t need Hollywood super-wealthy people to make the film you want to make,” he said. “Just go out there and shoot it, you know? That’s what we did here.”
Baup now records his own YouTube tutorials on using Blender, hoping this will stir ideas from filmmakers like himself.
“I also want to teach it to other people because they may have awesome ideas,” he said. “Being there and allowing them to create their own stories is wonderful. It’s making it that much more accessible.”
Glass Planet premieres May 10 at I Dream In Widescreen, the University of Arizona’s student film showcase at the Fox Theatre in downtown Tucson. More information is available on the program’s website.
The Glass Planet crew is currently raising funds to cover post-production costs, offering a spot in the movie for certain donation levels. You can find information about Glass Planet on the Davis de Dios Media website.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
