What interests me about film is the amount of deliberate intent behind each creative choice during the filmmaking process, and how this varies from person to person. This is something I have been exploring across my own projects while attempting to figure out my distinct voice.

 

Recently I was the director, DoP, and editor for a short film adaptation of Scene 1 of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams. This provided insight into directing a linear, dialogue-centric screenplay- the antithesis of what I am accustomed to. I found that adapting my style to a traditional narrative was a refreshing experience as it lay outside my creative comfort zone of unconventionality. Collaborating with the actors led to multiple discussions of the character's psyche, enabling a deeper understanding than I would working independently. My study of A-Level Psychology is noticeably beneficial when analysing character motivation and has enhanced my comprehension of how the audience will perceive them. The restaurant scene from Wong Kar Wai's 'In the Mood for Love' was especially influential on this project in how the camera isolates the characters in locked-off side profiles while also conveying their underlying conflict through deliberate pans across the table.

 

In the summer of 2022, four friends and I achieved the Mark Evison Physical Foundation Award for completing a 120km hike in Scotland which we planned and organized ourselves. Throughout this weeklong endeavour of walking and wild camping, I filmed a documentary from the perspective of the Loch Ness Monster, which utilised the poetic and participatory modes of documentary-making. After the hike, I conducted interviews using a make-shift lighting setup to create the effect of talking-heads with no tangible location. Compared to 'A Streetcar Named Desire' where I felt consciously purposeful in my decision making, this film feels far more instinctual in how I'm letting it unfold. After I have finished editing it, I am looking forward to screening it at school and then uploading it to the school YouTube channel 'KFSTV'.

 

Throughout sixth form I was the leading content creator of the 'KFSTV' YouTube channel, where I made videos ranging from satirical school parodies to experimental shorts. Whilst learning to create within briefs, logistical boundaries as well as maintaining the school's image, I consistently pushed creative boundaries with my non-linear ideas and interests of simultaneity. This introduced me to new forms of storytelling beyond just fiction and quickly developed my editing skills on Adobe Premiere Pro.

 

My preferred taste recently has landed itself in an East Asian cinema obsession, exploring varying directors and expanding my palette of what's possible on screen. Notably, surrealist director Hong Sang-Soo stuck out to me as an example of the innate honesty that underlies the dramas and romances of this portion of world cinema. Not just in the dialogue, but also how scenes are framed such that actors are free to move naturally while bringing attention to the emptiness of the space around them. I feel that this minimal approach is more authentic than the typical Western filmmaker who is often more ostentatious in their style.

 

Essentially, I love to make films that remain a mystery to me even after completion and that pose questions without reaching any definitive answers or conclusions. I am only beginning to learn how much certainty I wish to convey through my filmmaking, and I am excited to continue exploring this as my filmmaking journey continues.