How Desert Cactus Films’ Music Video Lab Is Building Las Vegas’ Next Generation of Filmmakers

A one-month, collaboration-first program — built with the Desert Waves Film & Music Festival — pairs local directors with musicians to make an original music video from concept to premiere.

Las Vegas has no shortage of creative talent, but finding opportunities to collaborate, experiment and gain real production experience can be difficult for emerging filmmakers. That’s exactly the gap Rachel Johnson and Danny Chandia, co-founders of Desert Cactus Films, set out to help fill.

Founded in 2018 by Johnson and Chandia, Desert Cactus Films has become one of Southern Nevada’s most distinctive independent production companies, earning recognition for imaginative projects that blend practical effects, stop-motion animation, miniatures, handmade sets and visual effects into cinematic storytelling. Their work has screened at festivals across the country while remaining deeply connected to the Las Vegas filmmaking community.

That same passion for community is on full display through the Music Video Lab, presented in partnership with the Desert Waves Film & Music Festival. Rather than functioning as a traditional competition, the program challenges local filmmakers and musicians to collaborate under professional production conditions, giving participants the opportunity to create an original music video from concept to completion in just one month.

How the 2026 Lab Works

The 2026 Music Video Lab officially opens with an application deadline of August 21 at 7:00 p.m. PDT. Directors and musicians selected for the program will be announced on August 28, before teams gather for the official kickoff on September 1. Each team will receive a production budget and have until September 30 to write, shoot and complete their music video. The finished projects will then premiere during the Desert Waves Film & Music Festival on October 17–18, 2026. To apply, filmmakers submit a blank FilmFreeway project, musicians provide three song choices, and directors submit a reel showcasing their work.

The program’s philosophy is simple: great filmmaking is built through collaboration. Directors must communicate with musicians, crews learn to solve creative challenges under deadline, and every participant walks away with hands-on experience that mirrors the realities of professional production.

Imagination will always outperform budget.

Imagination Over Budget

That philosophy is reflected throughout Desert Cactus Films’ own body of work. Their music video Noose, created for singer-songwriter Paige Overton as part of an earlier Music Video Lab, was produced by a two-person crew over just two nights, transforming a garage into a cinematic western using handmade props, practical effects and visual effects. It remains a perfect example of the company’s belief that imagination will always outperform budget.

Johnson and Chandia have built Desert Cactus Films around the idea that independent filmmaking should be both ambitious and accessible. Whether producing award-winning narrative shorts such as Margaret the Brave, visually inventive music videos like Violent Water and Ideal Distance, or creating opportunities through programs like the Music Video Lab, the pair continue to invest in the future of Las Vegas filmmakers as much as their own productions.

Building a Lasting Film Industry

As Las Vegas continues growing as a destination for film and television production, initiatives like the Music Video Lab are helping ensure that the next generation of directors, cinematographers, editors and visual artists are developing their skills right here at home. Studio productions may bring attention to Southern Nevada, but it’s community-driven programs like this that build the foundation for a lasting film industry.

For aspiring filmmakers and musicians looking for an opportunity to challenge themselves, collaborate with fellow creatives and produce work that will premiere before a live festival audience, the Desert Cactus Films Music Video Lab is quickly becoming one of the most valuable opportunities on the Las Vegas creative calendar.