In the below-freezing temperatures of Monday and Tuesday night, many UNM students braved the cold to attend a wild techno party.
But it wasn't the music or the dancing that students savored, but rather, it was a taste of show business.
Students attended the rave to appear as extras in a movie being filmed on the Zia Pueblo. It is one of many such projects being filmed in Albuquerque and New Mexico.
Most of the actors at the scene were UNM students.
As a result of new incentive schemes put in place by the state government, New Mexico is quickly becoming a hot spot for the production of films.
According to Gov. Bill Richardson's office, incentives for filmmakers shooting in New Mexico include a gross receipts tax deduction - a deduction taken at the point of sale for many production costs.
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A 15 percent film production tax credit has also been introduced as part of the new incentive scheme. Through it, filmmakers are entitled to a fully refundable credit of 15 percent of eligible production costs.
Pahl Shipley, a spokesman for the governor, said incentives were introduced to boost film production in New Mexico.
"Film incentives were designed to make New Mexico competitive in the film industry and to help stop production that would go out of the country to Canada and to Europe," Shipley said.
"For filmmakers it comes down to dollars and cents," Shipley said. "New Mexico has long been considered a great location to shoot movies, but when other countries were offering better deals, we weren't getting the business."
Martin Ryter, president of Maja Models, said the increase of films produced in New Mexico has equaled increased work for his agency's clients, several of whom are UNM students.
Maja Models represents 11 men and 17 women from UNM, Ryter said.
The effect of the incentive scheme in New Mexico has not gone unnoticed by the agency. Ryter said the amount of films produced in New Mexico has "easily doubled over a 12 month period."
"Right now there are three motion pictures in production in Albuquerque, and two finished right before that," Ryter said.
The films attracted by the incentive scheme are not just ones created by Hollywood's best.
Student filmmakers have also benefited from New Mexico's new system.
"Student films (are) substantially higher," Ryter said. "They shoot two to three student films a month down here. The students are not just from UNM, they come from colleges all over the country."
The opportunities presented by the increased number of films produced in Albuquerque have afforded many University students their first taste of the film industry.
The most recent film shot in New Mexico was "Elvis has Left the Building," starring Denise Richards and Kim Basinger.
Several UNM students and members of the theater department were extras for the film.
Albuquerque actors can expect many more film opportunities in the near future, Ryter said.
"Over the next 12 months, the Albuquerque Film Office has indicated over 100 films projects will be filmed in part or completely in New Mexico."
