The word “director” might conjure images of a domineering CEO on set, clad in a vest and calling all the shots; but to film school students, it might mean a porter working at 3 a.m., a production assistant begging everyone for favors, or a worker in the editing room constantly questioning the meaning of life.

In this episode, Swing Studio welcomes two of our good friends: Ran, who studies documentary filmmaking, and Xiaotao, who studies film. The four of us sit down to share our perspectives—as students and outsiders—and offer our humble take on this field and the industry.

This Episode’s Swing Pilots

• @Aiden

• @Flora

• @Ran

• @Tao

You’ll hear

Part 1: Getting Hooked on and Debunking the Myth of Film and Television Studies

• 00:00 Self-Introduction

• 01:36 Exploring Our Initial Motivation: Why We Chose This Major

• 04:35 Initial Aspirations vs. Reality: The Discrepancy or Disappointment After Entering the Program

Part 2: What Exactly Do Film and Television Programs Teach?

• 05:25 A Look at the Course Schedule: Differences in Curriculum Design Between Chinese and International Programs

• 09:35 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Interesting/Useful Courses vs. Courses That Left Me Confused

• 12:00 Academic Focus: Does the School Prioritize Artistic Expression or Industry Process Management?

• 13:55 Survival Metrics: In a Professor’s Eyes, What Makes a “Good Film”?

Part 3 When Control Meets Uncertainty

• 17:01 Visual Obsession: Do you have any particular obsessions regarding what appears in the frame?

• 8:06 PM Fleeting Moments: How do you handle those documentary shots that, once gone, are gone for good?

• 21:31 The "Fortress Mentality": Do you ever envy each other’s work styles? (Controlling Everything vs. Going with the Flow)

• 26:58 The Boundaries of Intervention: To what extent do you intervene in a documentary? Do you ever intervene just to make it “more visually appealing”?

• 27:05 Luck vs. Skill: Do you ever feel that some documentaries just got lucky with their footage?

Part 4: The Anthropology of Documentary

• 27:41 Personality and Creativity: Can introverts make good documentaries?

• 28:25 Icebreaking Techniques: How do documentary filmmakers establish a connection with interviewees, and how do they get them to appear genuine and relaxed on camera?

• 29:52 The Awkwardness of Rejection: Talk about your experiences with subjects refusing to be filmed.

• 31:19 Intertwined Lives: After finishing a film, do you maintain contact with your subjects?

• 35:03 “Acting” Moments: Have you ever had the distinct feeling that a subject was “acting” while you were filming them?

Part 5: Students’ Creative Tricks

• 38:12 The Full Process of Shooting an Assignment: What tasks are involved when shooting an assignment?

• 40:12 The Project/Product Manager on Set: What is the role of a producer?

• 42:18 Survival Wisdom: Have you or any of your classmates pulled off any “clever tricks”?

Part 6: Technical Skills and Professional Competitive Advantages

• 43:30 AI Assistance: Do you use AI in your current creative work? In what ways?

• 44:39 Personal Style vs. Stagnation: How do you view innovation and personal style?

• 45:57 Automated Post-Production: Would you want AI to help you with editing?

• 47:34 Entry Barriers: In an era where everyone has a camera, what exactly is the “moat” for professional film students?

Part 7: The Pride and Prejudice of Aesthetics

• 52:58 Aesthetic Clashes: What movie have you two watched together recently? How do your perspectives differ when watching the same film?

• 55:09 Peer Review: As fellow filmmakers, do you agree or disagree with each other’s views on film literature?

• 57:55 Aesthetic Judgment: Do you ever judge others based on differing aesthetic tastes regarding film?

• 59:35 Mutual Scrutiny: Do you watch the films the other person directs? Does it make you feel embarrassed?

Part 8 Thoughts on the Major/Career

• 01:02:14 Choosing a Major Again: If you could choose your major all over again, would you pick the same one?

• 01:03:37 Career Longevity: Setting aside factors like income, would you be willing to keep making films indefinitely?

• 01:06:04 Creative Drive: Are there any themes you’d like to explore in your films?

• 01:09:24 Honest Advice: What honest advice would you give to high school students considering applying to film and television programs?

• 01:12:03 Cross-Recommendations: A documentary filmmaker recommends a movie she loves, and a film student recommends a documentary he loves.

Part 9 Swing

• 01:13:23 Swing Time

• 01:16:07 Swing Encore | Cruza - Lover’s Rock

Contact Us

• RedNote: @Swing

• Instagram: @swing.std

• Email: [email protected]

• Website: www.swingstudio.net

If you have any suggestions or feedback for this show, or if there are any topics you’d like to hear about, please feel free to reach out to us in the comments section or via the contact methods listed above. Thank you!

Advertisement

🪧 We’d like to take this opportunity to promote Swing Studio’s new product, the “Why not?” headscarf. Please visit our Xiaohongshu and Taobao stores, where you’ll also find other products available for purchase.