This is A Pivot to Lever the “Earth”! Everlasting BJIFF - Young Directors Seminar Concluded
This is a question facing many young filmmakers: How many steps does it take for a script from compilation into filmmaking?
Traditionally, it goes like "planning - pre-production – filming - post-production - distribution".
What is pre-production? How to shoot? How to do post-production? All these may be unknown to young filmmakers since they cannot find an answer, a mentor, or a proper solution.
BJIFF tries to find a concrete pivot for young filmmakers, to build a sturdy ladder for filmmaking, and to provide personalized guidance for young filmmakers at different stages.
On July 14, two weeks after the Exchange with New Chinese Screenwriters, BJIFF Academy - Young Directors' Seminar under the Everlasting BJIFF was successfully held. Liu Peng and Gao Qianzi, the directors of WIP Projects from the previous editions, were invited on site to share their own experience for the young filmmakers, illustrating the history of their project from the script compiling to filmmaking, thus imparting their thoughts and ideas to the young filmmakers in script writing.
On the site of BJIFF Academy - Young Directors' Seminar
Fake Bro, a Chinese film directed by Liu Peng shortlisted for the 11th BJIFF — Project Pitches, was used as a valuable teaching material for this year’s Project Pitches. At the seminar, Liu Peng said that it is necessary to take the first step to make bold move in filmmaking, "starting the first project is so important that it makes the second project a little bit easier". He also told us that before he participated in the Project Pitches, he thought that his script was just a story or a data, "it was the Project Pitches that made a data into a script", and these made is possible to turn his story into film. In addition, thanks to his major of performance, he liked to read scripts and share life experience with performers. Facing the common problem that new directors "cannot easily manage performers”, Liu Peng hold that is should not bother directors as long as they have thoroughly understood the roles.
Director Liu Peng
Gao Qianzi told an interesting story she encountered in filming process and gave a good advice to the young filmmakers: Make sure to have sufficient time for the pre-production, and do not start filming in a hurry since there won't be enough time for department collaboration. Gao also emphasized that it is necessary to find a "soulful scene" for a film, "so that the story is 50% successful". "I felt like I embraced my characters for the first time," she shared with us how she felt when she finally found the soulful scene, "and I knew what to express to society and the world through the characters." Additionally, she had a positive attitude towards the modifications to script amid shooting: "The director has to be relaxed, make priorities, and accept such modifications."
Director Gao Qianzi
As Gao Qianzi mentioned when she introduced the story of Where Echoes Never End, there is a key word: accompany. BJIFF hopes to accompany young filmmakers on their growth and create more learning and communication opportunities for them. The Everlasting BJIFF will continue and never end to focus on young filmmakers in a bid to boost the prosperity of China's film industry.
The site and technologies for the event was sponsored by City’s Study, Langyuan Station where literature and films gather for a beautiful dream to realize.