McMurry Student Debuts Original Web Series “W.I.P.”

On Friday, April 17th from 10 – 11 a.m., McMurry senior Writer-Director Jordan Braud will premiere the first episode of his original six-episode web series “W.I.P. (Work in Progress)” at the McMurry Academic Symposium. The series explores the lives of six college students focusing on their own personal issues and how their struggles after class affect the rest of their lives.

Braud stated that the episodic format was both a creative and practical decision. Rather than producing a single feature-length film, breaking the story into shorter episodes allowed for greater flexibility in scheduling and storytelling. “I can pull from different episodes to shoot at each day,” Braud said. Not only is this more convenient for filming but it also helps when coordinating between colleges students busy and varied schedules.”

Ian Chatman plays Cisco, an athlete whose path would change unexpectedly upon injury. Ian reflected on Cisco’s journey being much alike to his own having found the arts after a meniscus tear. “Cisco quite literally is the screen adaptation of myself.” He iterates a feeling many of the actors found to be true.

Clayton Juarez, who plays Jaden, described his character as structured and deeply rooted in routine, and a passion for comics and anime. “We were both typecasted very closely,” he said in reference to himself and Chatman. Through Jaden, the series explores how internal struggles like mental health shape perceptions, identity, and relationships.

The episodes themselves each run between eight to twelve minutes and focus on different character pairings. While the story begins with a shared group project on identity, each episode narrows in on two characters and the personal challenges they face outside of academics. These range from identity loss and peer pressure to anxiety, unexpected pregnancy, and mental health. Though the characters begin mostly disconnected, their stories gradually intersect as they navigate the cataclysms of their lives.

Braud’s inspiration for W.I.P. draws from filmmakers like Ryan Coogler, and Quentin Tarantino, he aimed to create a story that feels both interconnected and personal. The series uses overlapping storylines, shifting perspectives, and anthology storytelling to mirror the college experience. W.I.P. centers on the idea that no student has everything figured out. The title itself, “Work in Progress,” came about during development as Braud and Director of Photography and Actor Gabriel Pyenta sat around spitballing ideas, and it ultimately became the final name of the project.

Each character represents a different struggle, from Cisco’s loss of identity as an athlete to Harper’s battle with anxiety and Zeke’s uncertainty about his future. For Harper’s actor, Alexandria Welch, the role is relatable to herself and many others too. A socially anxious journalism major, Harper struggles with self-perception and belonging. Her portrayal draws directly from lived experience, such as in the way anxiety physically manifests through subtle mannerisms. “If you feel it in your face, it’s going to show,” she said, on the importance of microexpressions in film acting compared to the broader and larger physicality of stage performance.

That distinction between stage and screen became a recurring theme among the cast. Many of the actors come from theatre backgrounds, making W.I.P. their first experience working on camera. Unlike stage acting, which often requires exaggerated movement and projection, film acting demands more restraint and precision.

Looking ahead, the first episode of W.I.P. will premiere at the McMurry Academic Symposium on April 17th, with the remaining episodes set to release throughout May on Braud’s YouTube channel. Turning the page ahead for Braud, he plans to use a year post graduation to expand his portfolio, and apply to top film schools like USC and NYU.