The PRANK Film Project

It has been a fantastic journey from last year to this year, and it will continue throughout my life.

The first film side project in Australia with my classmates, Shekhar and Quang, began in our last class, the Writer's Room.

The short film's story concept comes from my classmate, Quang. We started developing the script five months ago. 

It is a formal collaboration between Shekhar, Quang, and me. Quang took on the role of director, while Shekhar worked as the DOP(director of photographer), and I served as the producer. The film shoot has been completed and is now moving into post-production. It's hard to put into words the journey we've been through.

After the 2024 T2 trimester ended, Shekhar and I encouraged Quang to start discussing the Prank film project. We watched many reference movies at Shekhar's house. Also, I bought a new cinematic camera, the Sony FX3, as our main weapon for the short film Prank.

After Quang watched the Taiwanese film Incantation, which I recommended to him, he was inspired to shape the direction of our Prank script.

I believe that partners who trust and support each other can overcome any difficulties. However, this is just the beginning; we still have much to learn and grow. After the rough script was completed, Patricia joined our team as assistant director to support Quang.

During the pre-production process of the film Prank, Quang and I put in a lot of effort. Not only did we hold two auditions and scout more than five locations, but we also borrowed props from Deakin and crafted character-specific items, such as their personal life photos generated using AI tools. Thanks to my Taiwanese friend, Henry for helping us borrow the room at the University of Melbourne and generously offering his entire house for us to film over three days.

As the director of the short film Prank, Quang felt stressed and anxious due to the tight schedule and potential risks. Having directed my own short film, I can fully understand how it feels to be in such an urgent and high-pressure situation. However, crew collaboration isn’t just about following rules; it’s also about communicating through skillful empathy and creating a positive, enjoyable working environment.

Sometimes, I know it’s not easy to stay committed and deal with the challenges of communicating with different people. But once you shift your mindset and change the way you look at the same situation, it can magically turn into something positive. Otherwise, you’ll constantly keep negative thought to kick someone out, the more you focus on the worst, the more likely it is going to happen.

For instance, on the last day of shooting, we couldn’t find a makeup artist. Fortunately, Patricia had learned how to do makeup during the previous days on set, so she was able to handle it without any worries. In the meantime, we also resolved a scheduling issue, as one actor couldn’t commit to the nearly non-stop shooting days. In that moment, it was tough and challenging, but we learned a lot from the experience.

I always focus on people’s strengths rather than their shortcomings. Only when you truly decide not to work with someone anymore, then you should consider kick them out quickly.

As I told Shekhar, Quang, and Patricia, "Trust me, a film can always be made again, while we should not take advantage of someone who has helped us."

I mean—what do you truly want to achieve through filmmaking? Do you just want to become a famous filmmaker, even if it means ignoring the risks you create? Or do you genuinely enjoy the process of filmmaking with kind people in a safe, healthy, non-toxic environment?

The shoot for the short film Prank is a valuable learning journey. It's currently in post-production. We are looking forward to completing it soon.