Silvia Lu, G 10, RDF International School

The role of a director is distinct from other positions such as an anchor, photographer, lighting designer or editor in the creation of film and television works.

The director serves as the central figure, responsible for decision-making regarding planning, selecting the script, guiding the shooting process and managing post-production.

Fascinated by the allure of being a director, I eagerly applied for an internship program at the Changsha TV during my summer break. Knowing that numerous challenges lay ahead, I was determined to overcome them.

The first challenge arose from my personality. As an introverted person who occasionally struggled with social phobia, I had to pluck up my courage to take up center stage and work as a leader of the team of interns assigned the job of shooting a video on a given subject.

During my first team meeting, I conquered my fear to introduce myself enthusiastically, and committed people’s names and traits to memory, making a good start. My effort paid off and I developed good rapport with my teammates.

On the night I arrived, I also attended a meeting for all the interns who had signed up for the directorial positions. I was both inspired and intimidated when listening to their excellent speeches and self introductions. When it was my turn, I kept reminding myself that I have the support from all my teammates and shouldn’t be a coward and fail them. As I voiced my opinion, my nervousness gradually dissipated.

During the job training that came next, I attentively absorbed the lessons, diligently took notes and actively participated in exercises. With the guidance of a dedicated tutor assigned to our team, I swiftly familiarized myself with the technical terms and understood the role and tasks of a director. I served as a confident team leader, as every member worked together amicably, brainstormed for ideas and encouraged one another when faced with challenges.

This invaluable experience not only gave me the opportunity to try out my directorial aspirations but also helped me make friends with like-minded teens. Now, I am looking forward to joining them again on new endeavors.