Doug Wang ’23 is a four-year Senior from Shenzhen, China. He is currently enrolled in Advanced Film.
Which arts are you most interested in?
I started photography really young, probably when I was around ten. Yet the more I took photos, the more I became frustrated with my lack of excitement. Especially after I got to Hotchkiss, I felt limited by photography’s inability to tell a coherent story, which is why I decided to switch over into film.
The first film that I ever made was at a camp held by biodiversity research institute back home. I volunteer there every summer. I have made recap music videos for every camp that I have attended. These projects taught me how to edit and shoot, purely through experience.
The first serious film that I tried to make was a documentary in 6th grade. Since then I’ve done many projects with other students at Hotchkiss, like Luke Gardiner ’21, who helped me develop my skills early on.
Since I shoot a lot alone, I’ve made a lot of documentaries, as they are easier to create by yourself than narrative films. I find documentaries a good preparation for narrative film.
How has your experience with film classes at the school been?
Film class has always been super-fun, as the people in it are very dedicated and interested in their art. We’ve always been able to build our ideas off of each other, and help each other develop our skills.
Ms. [Ann] Villano has also been a great teacher, as she offers great support and insight on my work, and leads our class through technical lessons and film analysis.
What is your favorite film?
La La Land. Just kidding.
What are your future plans with film?
I will not be going to film school for undergrad, but I will probably study some area of the Humanities and liberal arts, such as history and literature. In my mind, film is one of those mediums where technical skill is neither the most difficult to acquire nor the most helpful.
Many of my favorite directors have different backgrounds, such as in acting, history, and academia. For example, Quentin Tarantino (who directed Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Bastards) started by selling DVDs in video stores and Bong Joon-ho (who directed Parasite) studied sociology in college.
Coming into film with a strong background in another area can actually be more helpful to produce something that is individual and unique.
What project are you currently working on?
At that same biodiversity institute, I shot footage for my completed film, Dolphin Diaries. It follows the staff of the center as they seek out dolphins in the Guangxi bay.
As I return to the center a lot, I am working on a sequel that tells the story of an ordinary fisherman who is stuck between the two issues of environmental protection and economic gain.
