"Scary Lucy"

After seeing a grotesque statue dedicated to her comedic idol, Lucille Ball, a risk averse comedienne with breast cancer makes it her mission to destroy "Scary Lucy" in this 2018 award winning short film produced by Project DU F.I.L.M. participants. "Scary Lucy" was screened across the U.S. and won awards for best screenplay in multiple film festivals.

Through this experience, student participants gained exposure to the entire lifecycle of a short film, from development and preproduction to production, post-production and distribution. "Scary Lucy's" nationwide reach created additional opportunities for conference presentations and publications about Project DU F.I.L.M. as an innovative teaching and mentorship model.

Watch "Scary Lucy"

Behind the Scenes

"Scary Lucy" Full Film

Team
Cast
- Christie Buchele
- Janae Burris
- Mitchell Marquez
- Jessica Anguiano
- Kathleen Kaplan
- Chelsea Bell
Crew
- Written by Sheila Schroeder
- Directed by Marteene Diaz
- Produced and Edited by Sheila Schroeder
- Associate Producer Oanh Le
- Associate Producer Marteene Diaz
- Director of Photography Frazer Lockhart
- Production Designer Angela B. Forster
- Assistant Director Maya Ferrario
- Gaffer Aidan McCarthy
- Script Supervisor Taylor Kauffman
- Location Sound Chris Hernandez
- Boom Operator Paige Smith
- 1st AC Stefan Wisnoski
- 2nd AC Hayley Knopph
- On-Set Wardrobe/Sculptor Asst Sammi Lobato
- Prop Mistress Sara Bacon-Maldonado
- Graphic Designer Kat Weaver
- PA Production Designer Lena Abbott
- Hair & Makeup Charmaine Balcerzack
- HMU PA Maral Pourarfaie
- HMU PA Kelsey Briding
- Key Grip John Murphy
- Key Grip Spencer T. Blessman
- Lighting PA Sam Churches
- Lighting PA C.J. Blakely
- Lighting PA Jerrod K. Popham
- DIT Merle Gleiforst
- Asst DIT/Asst Editor Cooper Dalhen-Pagano
- BTS Producer Mario Fierro
- Petty Cash/Extras Wrangler Jim Levy
- Music Clearance/Petty Cash/Extras Wrangler Shannon Umetani
- Extras Casting Charity Dorrance & Amanda Woodson
- Key Production Assistant Kevin Vargas
- Production Assistant Darian Brunetti
- Production Assistant Morgan Carter
- Production Assistant Will Ekern
- Production Assistant Myles Goldstein
- Production Assistant Mariah Ortiz
- Production Assistant Tyler Roth
- Production Assistant Paige Smith
- Production Assistant Kat Weaver
- BTS Documentary Katie Cook
- BTS Documentary Maureen Maloney
- BTS Documentary PA Claire Hassler
- Social Media Kayla Coburn
- Colorist Brian De-Herrera-Schnering
- Composer Brandon Vacarro
- Motion Graphics Keiko Ozaki
- Re-recording Mixer Ed Kauffman
- Sound Design Ed Kauffman
- Asst Sound Effects Editor Taylor Marvin
- Sound Supervisor Aaron Garrison
Awards
Script
- Oregon Film Awards – Finalist
- Nevada International Film Festival – Grand Prize
- South Carolina Underground Film Festival – Finalist
- Georgia Shorts Film Festival – Finalist
- Colorado International Film Festival – Best Colorado Screenplay – Silver Award Winner
- Austin Revolution Film Festival Screenplay – Semi-Finalist
- Les Femmes Underground International Film Festival – Official Selection
- Windy City International Film Festival – Finalist
- Glitter – Oklahoma LGBT Film Festival – Finalist
- American Movie Awards – Grand Prize Winner
- Honolulu Film Awards – Aloha Accolade Award (3rd place)
- Houston Comedy Festival – Official Selection
- Nashville Film Festival – Semi-Finalist
- California Women’s Film Festival – Finalist
- Broad Humor Film festival – Finalist
- University Film and Video Association – Runner Up, Best Screenplay
Film
- Broadcast Education Association – Award of Excellence (runner up, narrative short category)
Press Coverage
- Westword: Meet the DU Film Professor Taking on the Hollywood Machine – Read the full article.
- University of Denver: Linking Students and Alums in Filmmaking – Read the full article.
- Out Front: Films Get Queer at DU – Read the full article.
Press Kit

Download the poster.

“Scary Lucy” was filmed, in part, just across from the DU campus in DeBoer Park.
If instruments could talk this conga drum might say, “Ooohhh Ricky!”
Local comedians, Christie Buchele and Janae Burris, stared in “Scary Lucy” the first film for both.
Director, Marteene Diaz, reacts during a production assistants workshop where students learned about on-set etiquette.
The cast of "Scary Lucy" reacts during the final night of filming. Over 100 cast and crew members brought this comedy/drama to life over eight consecutive days and nights of filming.
Christie Buchele takes the stage as Lyndsay Ortiz, a comedian battling breast cancer.
Jessica Anguiano shows off the ‘50s hairdo created by student Maral Pourarfaie and mentor Charlene Balcerzak.
Project DU F.I.L.M. aims to expose students to the most advanced production techniques and technologies.
Lucille Ball impersonators, Kathleen Kaplan and Chelsea Bell, await directions.
Janae Burris, Christie Buchele and Mitch Marquez share a bottle of champagne in a scene from “Scary Lucy.”
Assistant Director, Maya Ferrario shares a secret with Mitch Marquez and Director Marteene Diaz on the set of “Scary Lucy.”
The Grant Humphreys Mansion in downtown Denver doubled as the Hotel Jamestown.
Gaffer Aidan McCarthy scans the monitor for this scene designed to stand in as an operating room.
Haley Knoph, 2nd Assistant Camera, slates the shot on the first day of filming for the award-winning “Scary Lucy.”
Production Designer mentor, Angela Forster, and mentee Sara Bacon-Maldanado, pause as they set design the Grant Humphreys Mansion.
This gorgeous pink Cadillac lent authenticity to an amazing day and night of filming at the Grant Humphreys Mansion.