A Small-Town Story with a Big-Screen Ending : Hollyann Clevenger

In the small town of Inman, South Carolina, free time usually meant one of two things: running wild outside with friends or tagging along on family trips to the local video rental store. For Hollyann Clevenger, those visits weren’t just killing time—they were the spark that would grow into her dream career, rooted in the same place where she first learned the joy of play.

“I always wanted to make movies,” she says, “I used to watch the special features on DVDs just to see how films were made. That’s really where my love began—on the other side of the screen.”

That inspiration carried her to the University of South Carolina, where a serendipitous encounter would change everything. At an event on Entrepreneurship in the Film Industry at the Darla Moore School of Business at USC, she met Chris White, co-founder of Studio15 and they talked about the Get On Set Internship. His advice was simple: apply for the internship. She did—and it became the first step into the world she had always imagined for herself.

Hollyann on the set of The Grand Strand (2022), her first feature film.

Her first role with LCS was as an Office Production Assistant: “the kind of job where you learn to do everything and anything,” she laughs. But soon, she began to rise through the ranks: Assistant Location Manager, then Locations Manager and Locations Scout on larger productions. Each title was more than a résumé line—it was a lesson.

“These positions taught me adaptability, teamwork, and management,” she explains. “But more than that, Local Cinema Studios gave me a foundation. The basics I learned there, along with the connections I made, are what really help you stand out in this industry.”

When asked what advice she would offer to the next wave of filmmakers, she doesn’t hesitate. “Keep working and don’t be ashamed of where you come from. If you stay passionate and work hard, the results will come. Always treat people with kindness and respect—you never know who may be watching. Let your craft and your work ethic speak for themselves.”

Her vision for the future of film in South Carolina is as bold as it is hopeful. “In my ideal future, South Carolina has an industry-grade film education program that gives students in-state access to real training. Local Cinema Studios is already paving that road. If programs like this keep growing, we’ll have a stronger crew base, more productions, and more resources flowing into the state.”

Hollyann at a table read for a script in development with Studio15 in Greenville, SC.

As for her own future, it’s a blend of ambition and generosity. She’s developing scripts and pitch decks of her own to continue to collaborate with Studio15. Just as importantly, she wants to mentor the next generation of filmmakers—offering the same guidance that once set her on her path.

From the aisles of a video rental store in Inman to the bustling movie sets of South Carolina productions, her story is proof that passion, persistence, and the right opportunities can transform a dream into a career. And behind that transformation stands Local Cinema Studios—a nonprofit dedicated to making sure stories like hers are only the beginning.