I decided to break away from the strictly digital world of my major and tackle a more hands-on approach for my senior capstone project—old school 16mm film. That’s right. I’m talking about real rolls of analog film, shot with a wind-up Bolex film camera. As a digital creator accustomed to correcting and perfecting my work with the click of a button, learning how to shoot real film without knowing what the final result was going to be was absolutely terrifying. When I am shooting digitally, I can see the results immediately and fix mistakes as soon as they happen. When shooting analog film, I no longer had this luxury. I had to learn to let go of control and trust the process. As soon as I did that, everything flowed naturally.

Not only did I step out of my comfort zone by shooting analog film for the first time, but I also took a stab at experimental filmmaking instead of my usual style of narrative filmmaking. Making a narrative film requires precise planning, setting a preconceived vision, and searching for a cast and crew to carry out that vision, which can often feel like swimming against a fast-moving current that never changes direction. I decided it was time to flow with the current instead of fighting against it. As a meticulous creator who strives for perfection, stepping out of my comfort zone of planned digital film and into the experimental realm of analog film has helped me grow exponentially as an artist and filmmaker.

H2ODE (2024) is an experimental short film about the beauty, spiritual essence, and appreciation of water. I chose water as my subject because, much like water, the processes of analog filmmaking and experimental filmmaking forced me to go with the flow and trust wherever the current was taking me. Water flows and adapts to change. In Chinese philosophy, Taoism encourages human beings to be like water—fluid, adaptable, and resilient—as we move through the ever-changing current of life. This film piece was made to loop as a display in an art gallery.