Directing Experimental Short Films

In conceptual film work, the real star is the director. The creative flexibility inherent in arthouse cinema gives the director the freedom to imprint their own personality and experiences onto the piece itself. These characteristics perfectly describe the work of Jiajie Yu Yan, a film and advertising director whose short films and music videos have been nominated and awarded at numerous international festivals.

In this course, Jiajie teaches you the process that a conceptual film director follows to carry out their projects—from the initial idea to shooting and post-production.

Start by getting to know Jiajie Yu Yan and how he went from acting in a Pepsi commercial to directing his own short films. Discover the directors, composers, and photographers who influence him, and see how he puts together an inspirational mood board.

Now start crafting your personal style by choosing the aspect ratio of your work, the framing, composition, color, and camera movements.

Learn to make a visual film treatment based on a photo that inspires you, exploring the stories an image can evoke through mere observation.

Next, create the shooting script for your audiovisual piece by documenting each shot on a template provided by Jiajie.

Lights, camera, action! After choosing a shoot location, learn how to direct actors and effectively communicate the character you want them to interpret.

It’s a wrap! Move on to the post-production phase and discover what decisions a director makes in terms of editing, color, and music to add those finishing touches to your project.

Create a short film based on an inspirational image.

Filmmakers, screenwriters, editors, and anyone who loves cinema, photography, and the audiovisual world.

Some knowledge of cinematographic language, photography, and an editing program is recommended. Any lighting and art direction skills are also a plus in terms of achieving visually appealing results.

You need access to a video camera and a computer with an editing program installed (Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, Avid, etc.).