SIFF EXPLORE | The Short Video Unit SIFF EXPLORE Special Training Camp Comes to An End Successfully

On August 13, the 5-day SIFF EXPLORE special training camp for the short video unit of the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) came to an end successfully. Excellent creators of the short video unit and a total of 26 video creators recruited from all walks of life participated in this event. Since the start of the training on August 9, six mentors, focusing on short film creation, have carefully guided young video creators to get their career started through short video creation in terms of directing creation, sound design, and visual effect. In the "unofficial" venture capital roadshow on the day of completion, 15 trainees in total took part in project proposals and roadshows. After comprehensive review, on-site mentors and corporate guests selected the documentary work "To Love", which reflects the theme of domestic violence, as the "Excellent Work" of this special training camp.

"It is not necessary for you to make full preparations before start, just do it!" In the first class of this special training camp, Shawn Patrick Tilling, head of the 3D Animation & Visual Effect Department of Shanghai Vancouver Film School, encouraged young filmmakers to act as soon as possible to make a film. He told the trainees that the inner impulse for expression is the motivation for creation, and creation should start from where you are good at, and show your own style. In this process, "finish" is appreciated more than "perfect", and the key lies in persisting to the end.

Head of the 3D Animation & Visual Effect Department of Shanghai Vancouver Film School

Shawn Patrick Tilling

Cui Bo, head of the front-end live broadcast team of the Migu Video Live Broadcast and Production Center, shared his insights in recording and live broadcast in special environments through two major projects of "5G on Mount Everest" and "The Great Journey" centering around the theme of "the deep integration of film creation and 5G live broadcast". In his opinion, technology and art can join each other perfectly. "The cutting-edge technologies are worthy of our people active learning and embracement, and the power of technology and digital can help us to make breakthroughs in filming."

Head of the front-end live broadcast team of the Migu Video Live Broadcast and Production Center

Cui Bo

Another mentor of the special training camp, Jim Shum, artistic director of Shanghai Vancouver Film School and winner of the Golden Horse Award for Best Sound Effect, said that sound plays a key role in a film creation, and sound design can arouse the curiosity of the audience and add a dimension to the story emotionally.

Artistic director of Shanghai Vancouver Film School

Jim Shum

"This industry is always changing. We have to adapt to constant changes and keep trying new things." Gao Guanyu, guest lecturer of Hong Kong Baptist University, producer, director, and film educator, encouraged young filmmakers with film dreams to keep trying. He believed that good ideas and good stories came from daily life, so we should be diligent in observing, recording, and accumulating. He also reminded young filmmakers that they must practice their basic skills, "Whether it is a short film or a feature film, if you want to get the audience, you must convince yourself first."

Guest lecturer of Hong Kong Baptist University

Gao Guanyu

For young film creators, it is also very important to correctly judge and analyze personal future development and career prospects. Wang Jiaren, former deputy general manager of Beijing Production Branch of China Film Group Corporation and the producer of many successful works such as "Detective Chinatown 2" and "The Wandering Earth", offered many pertinent suggestions. She said that film and television creation requires teamwork and trust, and one should understand the industry and the market, be aware of one's own advantages and goals, and work hard to create a beautiful vision.

Wang Jiaren

Wang Jing is one of the outstanding young directors who have attracted much attention in recent years. He is also one of the first batch of young directors selected for SIFF YOUNG of the 24th SIFF this year. He was invited to the SIFF EXPLORE special training camp to share his growth and creation experience. In his view, a director cannot magnify the "me" infinitely. He has to learn to communicate by both listening to others and telling to others. In the era of new media with advanced Internet, it is relatively easy to obtain information. Creators will always find a suitable story to tell. However, when a story is told, no matter how ordinary it is, one should try to find the legend in it.

SIFF YOUNG Outstanding Young Director of the 24th SIFF

Wang Jing

To help the trainees gain a deep understanding of the entire operation of film and television projects, and effectively improve their own proposal ability and creative practice ability, this special training camp held a project venture capital proposal meeting on the ending day. The special training camp mentors Wang Jiaren, Wang Jing and Jiang Weimin, Executive Dean of Shanghai Vancouver Film School served as the judges, and representatives of Shanghai local film and television companies such as Fanku Culture, CYFilms, and Weiyan Culture were also invited to observe and give comments.

Executive Dean of Shanghai Vancouver Film School

Jiang Weimin

This proposal meeting has received a total of 15 projects including "To Love", "Blue Rain", "Roots", "Animals Know the Answer", "Falling", and "Where does the Artist Come from" for the roadshow, covering documentary, reality, fantasy and other genres. The judges commented one by one from various dimensions such as story creativity, project quality, and feasibility. In the end, the documentary work "To Love" by Zhang Tingting, which is about the theme of domestic violence, stood out.

The official strategic partner of the short video unit, Migu Video, its exclusive education support unit Shanghai Vancouver Film School, and SIFF are committed to the discovery of new film and television makers and works, with continuous support and attention to outstanding forces of original creation. Through the study at this special training camp, the trainees have learned new skills in film and television creation, and gained new ideas for storytelling and renewed their goals and directions for career development, which laid a solid foundation for them to embark on the journey of film and television creation.