Overview

A personal portrait can be considered a biographical documentary. This short film takes on an experimental, narrative approach in which I explore the story of my life growing up in a chaotic home, and the struggles of re-emerging and worsening mental illness as a young adult.

Chasing Dragons

PROJECT SUMMARY

Navigating challenges growing up, and mental health issues, I learn about the validity of my experiences, the illusion of perfection, the importance of mental health, and the harmful effects of the model minority myth both in the Asian Pacific Islander and general POC community.

I filmed, edited, and recorded all the footage — remixing clips from different parts of my life to give the audience a glimpse of how I feel, think, and view myself and the world.

Project Details

TIMELINE

N/A

MY ROLE

Director, Editor, Videographer

Project type

Personal

TOOLS

Adobe Premiere Pro, Sony Camera, Tripod, Google Docs

SKILLS

Narrative Storytelling, Video Editing

Process

I focused on what I wanted the audience to take away from the narrative. My process involved drafting out ideas on a Google Doc and outlining themes, possible visual assets, and the arch of the story.

I narrowed down the biggest learnings I had for that year, and conveyed how my character developed to the audience as well. Many of these things were hard for me to believe, but I learned over time that they are true, even if it is hard to accept.

Chasing Dragons

Overview

Chasing Dragons

PROJECT SUMMARY

Project Details

Final Cut

Process