Yushan Directing Reel 2024

This reel marks my journey as a beginning director working with zero or micro budgets. It's the learning and training that matter most.

All the short films in this reel were written, directed, produced, edited, and sound-designed by me. Working with no or micro budgets, I had to take on multiple roles at the same time. Often, it’s a one-person crew. I wasn’t just directing on set; I was also doing makeup, special effects, production design, cinematography, and gaffing. Sometimes, with such minimal crews, we would place the mic on a C-stand to record.

This journey has taught me every aspect of filmmaking. I now feel confident turning my words into visual ideas in my mind and making those ideas a reality, without having to rely on others.

A special thanks to my two partners and great collaborators, Yonathan (cinematographer) and Yolanda (actress), for your unconditional support and friendship. Love you both!

There is one story I want to tell the world through film. To be good enough to tell that story, I began my filmmaking journey. Initially, I was only interested in one aspect: screenwriting. I hated dealing with equipment, but I knew that if I wanted to be good enough, I had to learn. So, I took on cinematography and lighting work. As filmmaking is a highly organized process, I struggled with that at first. So, I took on the one job that interested me the least—1st Assistant Director. This position taught me so much about the logistics of filmmaking and mental maturity. I was continuously booked for this role and eventually became professional.

Then, I found editing to be really boring—I hated the technical side of it. Some of my projects sat for months because I was trying to save money to hire an editor, but during COVID, that wasn’t possible. Eventually, I realized I couldn’t rely on others to edit my films, so I taught myself to be patient and get the job done.

Through this journey, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that we can do anything—we can step out of our comfort zones. All we need is a strong desire and will. My motivation to become a great writer and director comes from the stories of people and cultures I love. I want the world to know these people and their stories because they deserve to be known.