It started with a skateboard. Or maybe it started with a camera. However they came to discover their talent and passion, four University of South Carolina alumni have been creating and shaping the way Columbia, SC, does filmmaking. 

Sherard Duvall, Wade Sellers, Austin Grebenc and Jeremy Lethco are four media arts graduates who transformed their time at USC into thriving careers. 

Duvall, founder of OTR Media Group, has dedicated his career to storytelling that amplifies culture and community, producing content that speaks to real-world experiences. Sellers, owner of Coal Powered Filmworks, has made a name for himself through his documentary and narrative work, recently earning the 2025 SC Governor’s Award for the Arts. Grebenc and Lethco, the creative minds behind Dust of the Ground, built a production company known for its cinematic storytelling and visually stunning narratives for national and local clients.

Each of them walked a different path to where they are now, but they all credit the School of Visual Art and Design’s media arts program for helping them find their voice, hone their craft and build the connections that would shape their careers. Their stories are a testament to the power of education, mentorship and a relentless drive to create. 

Now, they’re paying it forward — mentoring the next generation of filmmakers and proving that creativity, when nurtured, can become something bigger than a career. It can become a legacy.

Wade Sellers – Coal Powered Filmworks 

When Wade Sellers was eight years old, he picked up a roll of Super 8mm film from his local supermarket. In the early 1970s, he could buy the film and get it processed for just five dollars. He would gather friends in his West Columbia neighborhood, and together they’d make short films. With just a few minutes of footage per roll, Sellers and his friends created tiny Super-8 masterpieces.

Fast forward to today, Sellers is still making movies with his friends. Only now, he’s doing it professionally through his production company, Coal Powered Filmworks. Sellers, a 1996 media arts graduate, started his company in 2008, focusing on historical documentary and narrative work. He also produces commercial and branding content for local, regional and national clients, and his work has been featured in film festivals across the globe. 

Most recently, Sellers was named a 2025 SC Governor’s Award for the Arts winner. He says his time at USC was instrumental in getting him where he is today. 

“I was really fortunate to be in the media arts program when I was because my professors really pushed me beyond my comfort zone. They were tough, and I appreciated it because it taught me to be confident in my creative decisions.” 

At USC, Sellers didn’t take the traditional path. He started college and then took a break. He was inspired to finish college after a chance encounter in Atlanta, where he stumbled onto a movie set and spoke with people who had made filmmaking their careers. He went back to USC and enrolled in the media arts program.

Sellers' passion lies in emotional, people-focused storytelling, a philosophy that was inspired by stories told by his grandfather. He wanted to continue doing meaningful work—not just commercials but stories that mattered. 

One of his most rewarding projects to date is "South Carolinians in WWII," a documentary series that took seven years to complete. Sellers and his team interviewed more than 200 WWII veterans, many of whom lived in the same cities but had never met. 

“Their stories were so similar, yet they had no idea how much they had in common. That project was one of the most powerful experiences of my career.” 

Sellers credits much of his success to the tough love he received from USC faculty. Professors like Harry Miller and Mladen Milicevic pushed him to defend his creative choices against critique. That rigorous training helped him develop confidence—not just in his work, but in his ability to lead a production with his peers. 

“We all supported each other back then. If one of us was filming, the others were lighting or gaffing. We’d switch roles for every project. It’s still like that now as professionals.” 

That spirit of collaboration remains central to how Sellers works today. He stays connected to USC by offering internships to media arts students and even loaning out equipment, knowing firsthand how valuable those resources were when he was a student. 

“You really have to dig in and find the people who are going to support your creative vision,” Sellers says. “If you put in the work to be part of this city, it pays you back.” 

Sellers is excited for what’s next, both for Coal Powered Filmworks and for the future of USC’s media arts program. He’s especially impressed by how the program has evolved under Kissel’s leadership, saying the quality of student work speaks to the program heading in the right direction. 

With new projects on the horizon and a deep commitment to mentoring the next generation of filmmakers, Sellers remains dedicated to telling stories that matter—and making sure young filmmakers at USC have the tools to do the same. 

Austin Grebenc and Jeremy Lethco – Dust of the Ground 

Austin Grebenc and Jeremy Lethco each discovered filmmaking early—Grebenc behind the camera at skateparks, Lethco through a high school video project—but it was in the media arts program where their creative paths aligned.  

At USC’s School of Visual Art and Design, they honed their technical skills, challenged each other to grow, and built the foundation for their production company, Dust of the Ground. Today, they create visually striking work for nationally known brands, bringing their shared vision for storytelling to a wide audience.  

“The program was competitive, but in the best way,” Lethco recalls. “We were always striving to make better art, to push ourselves beyond what we thought we could do.”

That drive led them to real-world experience early on. From working on student projects to learning hands-on production techniques, their time at SVAD gave them the foundation they needed to navigate the industry. 

The idea for Dust of the Ground was born out of a collaborative film project the pair took on abroad. When Grebenc and Lethco returned to the states, USC offered them an opportunity to produce video content for the university, which meant they needed a business name. 

Grebenc had the perfect one.

The name Dust of the Ground was something he and his brother had once used, inspired by the Bible’s Genesis creation story—"the created doing the creating," Grebenc explains. The philosophy behind it resonated deeply with how they approached filmmaking: telling human stories, creating meaning from raw material and crafting narratives that leave a lasting impact. 

One big break came when USC commissioned them to create a commercial campaign, showcasing the university’s story on a national scale. 

“It was incredible to be able to give back to the university that gave so much to us,” Lethco says. 

Dust of the Ground was founded at the cusp of a technological revolution in filmmaking. New tools and digital workflows made production faster and more accessible—but they also introduced new competition. 

“As the gatekeepers and barriers to the craft fall away, more people can throw their hats in the ring,” Lethco says. “That competition drives us. It keeps us innovating, pushing our creativity, staying ahead.” 

Despite their national success, Grebenc and Lethco remain deeply connected to USC and the media arts program. They continue to work on commissioned video projects for the university and maintain close ties with faculty mentors like Laura Kissel. 

Reflecting on their time at USC, they emphasize the importance of relationships. 

“You can approach college just to make the grade and move on, or you can really make connections that become your professional network,” Grebenc says. “We still use those connections today. We wouldn’t be here without USC.” 

Sherard Duvall - On the Real Media Company 

Sherard “Shekeese” Duvall wasted no time making his mark as a media arts student at USC. Within his first two weeks, he secured an internship. While balancing a full course load and multiple jobs, he also worked lighting at Longstreet Theatre, production at Mad Monkey Inc., and built a reputation as a DJ on the local scene. 

As a first-generation college student navigating an industry with few roadmaps, Duvall carved out his own path. By the time he graduated, he had secured a job with Mad Monkey, setting the stage for a successful and self-made career in creative media. 

“I didn’t know the rules in this creative field. I just knew I was excited to learn and ready to go after every opportunity,” Duvall says. 

He says ignoring the “rules” got him where he is now.

“After my internship at Mad Monkey ended, I just stuck around. I’d clean out the fridge or just do anything to keep myself around the people who were doing what I wanted to do. Eventually the owner noticed and offered me a job.” 

In the classroom, professors like Susan Courtney opened his eyes to the deeper meaning behind framing and composition. Every frame had a purpose, a role in the story. 

While later working at The Nickelodeon theater as director of media education, he was scouted by Laura Kissel to teach in the very program that gave him his start. He worked with SVAD to redesign the course MART 598: Media Management and Distribution, which he now teaches. 

The course gives students hands-on experience with projects for real-world clients. “It’s all about teamwork—learning the soft skills creative students desperately need in the professional world,” Duvall says. 

Beyond the classroom, Duvall has offered internships to SVAD students at his media company, OTR. The name itself, a nod to a hip-hop phrase “on the real,” emphasizing honesty or sincerity, reflects the company’s mission: to share real stories in a tangible, impactful way.

“I know how much internships did for me, so I want to be that for these young kids.” 

For Duvall, storytelling has always been part of who he is. His love for filmmaking started at just eight years old, and in many ways, he still creates the same way he did as a kid—through play. 

“As creatives, we have a super advantage: we get to play for a living.” 

Duvall has seen the media industry evolve rapidly, especially with the rise of digital content creation. He views this as both an opportunity and a challenge. 

“Anyone can create media now. It’s like buying paint and a canvas. But the difference is that YouTuber has the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of people. That’s where media education becomes crucial, to ensure we’re telling stories responsibly; and the media arts program at USC is where young creatives can get that training for their careers.” 

With OTR growing and media becoming the fastest-growing industry on the planet, Duvall sees an urgent need for well-trained creative professionals. 

“Right now, everybody has a screen they’re trying to fill with content. I’m proud to be teaching right in the same building where I sat and took classes. It’s fulfilling to give back to the next generation of storytellers.”