Wang Zelong, a 12th grader at Shenzhen Longcheng High School, won the Best Picture Award for his self-directed micro film “Search for Things” at the national youth original film competition of the 14th Beijing Film Festival for Youth Welfare.
The film was the only work from Shenzhen to win a prize at the competition this year, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
“Search for Things” was also one of the top 10 micro films at the Fifth Shenzhen Chupeng Award School Micro Film Competition sponsored by Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau.
After entering high school, Wang joined the school’s TV station, where he became a host, giving him more opportunities to work behind the scenes and inspiring him to make a film.
When he watches movies, Wang pays attention to the filmmakers’ creative ideas. For example, when he watched “Whiplash,” he paid special attention to the editing techniques and shot switching in the film.
“He often asks me things about shooting and scripting,” said Pan Deyuan, director of the school’s TV station, adding that Wang is not only diligent and creative, but also keen on observing things.
Themed around putting down mobile phones, “Search for Things” tells the story of a teenager who wakes up from a dream and finds his mobile phone has been stolen, thus embarking on a thrilling journey to find it.
The film calls for everyone to put down their mobile phones and discover the beauty of the world through a journey of searching for things. With an ingenious use of cameras, the film presents mysterious and weird scenes in the style of a detective film in composition, music and editing.
The micro film was shot using a mobile phone and a tripod. Wang invited three classmates to help him shoot, dub and guest star in the film, while he independently completed the later-stage editing.
“After putting down the mobile phone, I found that the school was so beautiful and there were many interesting people and things waiting for me to learn and discover,” said Wang.
Wang, who has just turned 18, has received admission letters from two public American universities.
Wang hopes to be a leader in space-related fields in China, like his idol, Elon Musk, the “Iron Man” who opened the era of private space operations.