Boyi Tan

The Chinese title of the project I submitted is “空心人” (Hollow Man), and its English title is “Reality.” This is a feature film that, under the guise of a suspense thriller, actually explores the future potential relationship between humans and AI. Because this film employs a narrative structure of a linear storyline interspersed with a flashback storyline, it’s evident that it was largely influenced by Sir Christopher Nolan’s “Memento.” The story unfolding from the series of variables generated by the protagonist, who cannot form new memories yet still tries to live by his own principles, deeply fascinated me. Thus, the protagonist in my film also loses the ability to form new memories, but this is due to AI being unable to generate new memories because of user privacy settings protecting confidential conversations. From his perspective, an entirely fresh and innovative suspense film unfolds.

As a debut feature film for a new director and a very low-budget production, the creative intention was to keep the audience immersed while, by the end, revealing two completely different stories hidden beneath one film’s narrative. The most crucial element to achieve this vision is nonlinear storytelling. You cannot make it too easy for the audience to guess what will happen next; they must, like the protagonist, gain information as the story progresses. That is why I used a linear narrative interspersed with flashbacks, and the entire film unfolds from the protagonist’s sole perspective. This narrative also has a clever point: the audience, like the protagonist, will struggle to recall what happened, experiencing a similar sense of amnesia.

In this film, the most important collaboration was with the actors. I served as director, screenwriter, cinematographer, producer, editor, lighting, and actor for this film. Therefore, the state of interaction with the actors became particularly important. As someone making a film for the first time with an extremely small crew, you must clearly understand how to consistently ensure actors trust you, allowing the film to be completed successfully. This requires making the most correct decisions in various situations, such as when on-set sound recording is not ideal or actors’ performances are inconsistent, to make the calmest and most accurate judgments to solve problems.

The biggest challenge was post-production editing. Due to wearing multiple hats, the footage was very fragmented after shooting. Because there were issues with on-set audio recording, all sound was dubbed in a recording studio without accompanying visuals. During editing, every audio track had to be re-synced. Most importantly, the editing approach was initially conceived according to the script, but the actual effect was not ideal. I constantly overturned and re-evaluated the editing strategy until, eventually, I realized I needed to stick to my initial judgment and make localized delicate adjustments to the editing, which led to the final cut.

The scene I am most proud of, to be precise, is near the end of the film, where there’s a segment about the male and female leads’ diary-cum-keepsake revelation. During the scriptwriting phase, I didn’t want this scene to feel too mundane; I hoped it would be more ethereal. So, during filming, in front of a floor-to-ceiling window high up, I turned off the lights and had the leads stand by the window, relying solely on their silhouettes against the night sky as the main subject. The shooting was completed, and the actual effect largely matched my expectations.

Regarding personnel collaboration choices, due to the limited casting pool, the initially selected actors staged a walkout, so I had to step in and take on a lead role myself. Furthermore, the on-set audio recording was done by friends who were still experimenting, resulting in no usable synchronized sound, which significantly increased post-production workload. So, if given the opportunity, collaborating with more excellent individuals would allow for a better presentation of the fully realized initial concept.

This film is a project I am very proud of, not because of its scale, but because it is a completely original feature film by me. For many, the idea stays at the talking stage; making a blockbuster certainly requires money, but what’s important for filmmaking is a heart full of passion. From preparing and writing the script to shooting and editing, I persevered. The most distinctive point is that it’s clearly a suspense film, yet at the end, it reveals itself to be a cautionary tale about a terrifying, perhaps inevitable, possibility between humans and AI.

As a director aspiring to enter the film industry, my advice is not to wait too long. If you have talent, look closely at what you possess and what you can do. Express your ideas boldly; what you film is the real thing. And making films is always the best way to learn about filmmaking.

For the lead actor playing the film’s protagonist, mystery and following commands are the soul of the character. So, more often, I would let him fall into a state of bewildered performance, and then, at his most helpless moments, I would tell him what commands to complete, and the effect was quite good. The key is for me to clearly understand what state the character needs to be in when he appears on screen, from a viewer’s perspective, and then provide precise guidance based on the actor’s specific situation.

The composer and I were in the same symphony orchestra in high school; I played clarinet, he played viola. He wasn’t a professional film composer, so initially, we were both exploring. It took us half a year to find the core main theme for the film. Our mode then became: he would send me an inspiring piece, I would edit a segment and send it back for adjustment, and finally, I would give him detailed requests, such as needing a bass-heavy sound, whether it should be a main melody or a primary sound effect. There was a period in the middle that was quite torturous for both of us, but for the sake of a possibility, I wrote to him repeatedly, making numerous requests to stimulate his inspiration. It was a very different collaboration experience.

During filming, actors will have their own emotions and differing views on performance, but on set, I always need to remain calm. I am clear about what the character requires, so opinions and feedback are abundant in this world, whether from the crew or the audience. But as a director, the soul of a work, the most important thing is your choices and persistence. You must always stay calm, neither completely dismiss ideas nor be deaf to suggestions, but rather adjust to current situations or stick to your principles. This is very important.