Missouri State University alumni Carter Breaux and Taylor Hoos will premiere their new feature-length film, “Kings,” at the Alamo Drafthouse in Springfield, Missouri, Feb. 6-8.

Breaux and Hoos co-produced “Kings.” They both graduated from Missouri State’s Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film in 2019, earning degrees in media and film production. Breaux also earned a certificate in screenwriting.

In addition to his co-producer role, Breaux is the film’s director, editor and screenwriter. Hoos is the film’s director of photography and colorist as well as co-producer. The film stars Jachin Like as Mark and Ethan O’Neal as Dylan.

“Alamo Drafthouse has been a phenomenal partner in getting this film shown,” Breaux said. “They’ve gone out of their way to add new theaters, promote the film and connect us with other theaters that may also want to show ‘Kings.’”

Get tickets

Chess, poker and a box of money

According to Breaux, the story follows a meticulous chess champion and a scheming poker hustler who find themselves in a battle of wits after discovering a box of money in a dumpster.

“I first explored the idea for this story in 2018, putting pen to paper in early 2023,” Breaux said. “After sharing the script at a local table read event, we decided we wanted to move forward.”

“Carter approached me in early 2024,” Hoos remembered. “He mentioned he had a script he wanted to make. I read [it] and, like I always do with Carter’s writing, was like ‘this is awesome, yes I want to be a part of it.’”

With Hoos on board as director of photography, he and Breaux began outlining scenes, color palettes and grades. They also discussed how they wanted to tell the story.

“Carter is a very involved director,” Hoos said. “He sees everything in his mind already and has specific shots he wants. It’s just up to me to make that into reality.”

Challenges highlight commitment to project

“Kings” took about a year and a half to make, Hoos estimated. Pre-production began in January 2024. Filming started in June that year, continuing through February 2025. Post-production lasted from February to October 2025.

One of the biggest challenges Breaux and Hoos faced during filming was scheduling. They ended up filming during weekends when the cast and crew were available.

Hoos’ experience illustrates just how committed people were to making the film a reality. Living in Kansas City and working a full-time job, Hoos would use vacation days around weekends so he could make the trip to Springfield.

“I would use my vacation days to take off Fridays,” Hoos recalled. “So, Thursday night I would get off work, pack up my equipment, and drive down to Springfield, sleep on Carter’s couch, and then we’d shoot Friday through Sunday. I’d pack up Sunday night, drive back to KC, and be in for work on Monday morning.”

Location challenges reveal community’s generosity

Another major challenge was finding the types of locations the film’s story required. The film was shot on location in the Ozarks, primarily in Springfield and Branson.

“I can’t share what those were at risk of spoiling things, but it required a lot of digging and cold-calling to find certain environments that we weren’t sure even existed anymore,” Breaux said.

Both Breaux and Hoos noted how much their project depended on the kindness and generosity of others. This proved especially helpful when managing their $7,000 budget, which Breaux personally funded. Doing so, he added, allowed him to maintain creative control of the project.

“[It] is still painful to the pocketbook, but in the film world that’s absurdly low,” Breaux said. “We pooled every resource we could to make the most of those dollars, calling in favors, borrowing gear and looking for every opportunity to be frugal.”

“The thing about limited funding productions is that you’re relying on people’s generosity,” Hoos said. “That means you can’t shoot everything all in one go. People have other responsibilities, and it means a lot that they’re dedicating their free time to help out.”

Breaux is eager to shine a light on Springfield’s film community.

“Making a feature of this caliber, on this budget, is unfathomable in other parts of the country,” he said. “We have something very special here. In Hollywood, you almost never have real control over your project. There’s always someone above you pulling the strings.”

Missouri State training pays off

For Breaux and Hoos, this is where their training at Missouri State came in handy.

“Making films at Missouri State, with no budget, was a crucial experience in that regard,” Breaux explained. “That style of filmmaking forces you to get used to being told ‘no’ and taking it on the chin. You don’t get to give up. You don’t get to buy your way out of it. The film’s due at the end of the week and everyone’s gonna see it. You’re gonna call up 30 diners and they’re all going to say no, so you call 30 more and the 24th says ‘Sure, you can film here’.”

“If you can get comfortable with that process, you can make $5k look like $100k on-screen quicker than you think.”

Lessons stick

Both Breaux and Hoos emphasized how much their training at Missouri State has paid off. The lessons they learned, whether from the classroom or from hands-on experience, continue to inform their decisions as professionals.

Hoos credited his experience at Missouri State with helping him be prepared for real world productions.

“As a student, I tried to get on as many sets as possible, working as a PA, part of the lighting team, or the camera team,” he explained. “Opportunities like that allowed me to see how those teams worked together, and I picked up a lot just by watching others work.”

For Breaux, the classroom proved vital in shaping his talent and vision as a writer.

“One thing that’s always stuck with me from my screenwriting classes is Richard Amberg’s lecture on tactics,” Breaux said. “He went in depth on the importance of having clear methods that your characters use in order to get what they want. Those tactics should fail, raising the stakes, and causing them to look deeper for a solution. That may seem simple, but it’s the foundation [from] where I start every scene now.”

Breaux offered some advice for Missouri State’s current and future film students.

“Make something every single weekend,” he said. “Work with as many new people as you can. Look for ways to help them succeed, and it will pay dividends in your life that you can’t imagine. Learn, try new roles, save your money, offer your help and never be afraid to ask. Amazing things will come.”

Proud to be filmmakers

Breaux hopes audiences enjoy “Kings” so much that they want to see it again.

“I try to structure my films so that the second watch is extra gratifying,” he explained. “Hopefully, it will leave people with a lot to think about and analyze, and they may even return for a second watch.”

Hoos said the project, while small, gave him the space to learn and grow.

“While projects like this have their limits in budget and equipment, they also have their freedoms in that you can experiment, be wrong, and take the time to figure out the best way to approach the situation,” he explained. “You really learn everything on set, and I don’t think anything can supplement that.”

“I’m super proud of how far we’ve come as filmmakers,” Breaux said. “We still have a long way to go, but it’s cool to be making things now that we’re proud of, that we’d actually want to watch.”

“I think one of the things I’m most proud of is just the fact that we did it,” Hoos observed. “Filmmaking, especially at this level, is really, really hard. So many great projects just die without ever seeing the light of day, whether that be from lack of budget, vision, support, burn out or just life getting in the way.”

“We had an incredible, dedicated team of so many people who would show up anytime they could and they really made this film happen,” Hoos said. “[They] see this as more than a hobby, it’s something they have to do. That’s the kind of work ethic you need to get a project like this over the finish line.”

“It feels great to be a part of that, and I think that’s the real reward of this career.”

Explore Film Production @ Mo State