NEWHER Female Film Section

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"Directors must firmly believe in what they want to film. Once they have determined their direction, they should not easily deviate from it."

—— Yao Tingting

"Creating a film should focus on characters and emotions, rather than being constrained by labels or topics. Truly exceptional works emerge naturally."

—— Yin Ruoxin

The NEWHER2.0 Director Masterclass focuses on the creative journey of female filmmakers from script to screen. The event was hosted by Wu Yanyu, the chief editor and curator of the prominent media outlet Poisonous Eye. Renowned directors Yao Tingting and Yin Ruoxin were invited to share their insights, engaging in a profound dialogue about film creation, offering invaluable experience and inspiration to young directors who harbor dreams of making films.

The unique perspective brought by gender is an advantage for female directors. By leveraging their sensitive emotions and unwavering determination, they breathe fresh life and energy into the realm of film. Through her work in movies like Yesterday Once More and Love You Forever, along with TV series such as Fleet of Time and Master Of My Own, Yao Tingting has masterfully depicted the uncertainties of youth and the pain of growing up. Her ability to resonate with these themes has won her widespread admiration, cementing her significant influence in youth-oriented storytelling. Yin Ruoxin has explored the complex interplay of family, growth, and human nature in her notable works like Farewell, My Lad, Sister, and Stand By Me, which have sparked widespread social interest and discussion.

　Yao Tingting and Yin Ruoxin, NEWHER Industry Mentors

▍ Directorial Vision: Learning to Dialogue with Oneself and the Environment

"Creation starts from personal life experiences. By combining one's own experiences to find the entry point for creation, one can develop great enthusiasm for characters that align with their personal pursuits."

—— Yao Tingting

"Directors should learn to dialogue with themselves and the environment, intuitively integrating their feelings and attitudes into their creations."

—— Yin Ruoxin

Yao Tingting shared that the creation of female characters in her works is closely tied to her life. Using her own works as examples, she explains, "In Yesterday Once More, the protagonist's perseverance in the face of dreams and others' doubts largely reflects my own experiences. In contrast, the character of a female lawyer from Northeast China in my current work focuses on portraying a mature woman's unwavering belief in overcoming external challenges while pursuing her career. This reflects my evolving understanding of female characters as I grow older and gain more life experiences."

When creating female characters, Yin Ruoxin focuses more on intuition and emotional expression. "Take the mother character in Farewell, My Lad and officer Zhou Jiao in Stand By Me, for instance. In the process of creation, I depend more on my intuition to give them distinct personalities and emotions. I dive deeply into the characters' worlds, letting their feelings emerge organically instead of being overly restricted by logic." This approach to creation imbues the female characters shaped by her with vitality and distinctive charm.

Host Wu Yanyu, Director Yin Ruoxin, Director Yao Tingting (from left to right)

▍ Directorial Essential Skill: Unlocking the Creative Process from Script to Screen

"Adaptations should capture the essence and spirit of the literary work, whereas for original screenplays, I prioritize visual elements."

—— Yao Tingting

"Safeguarding the screenwriter's creative flow and sometimes welcoming spontaneous on-set improvisation could lend the film a greater sense of vitality."

—— Yin Ruoxin

Creating outstanding film and television works is challenging. When discussing the process from script to screen, Yao Tingting, who wears both the director's and screenwriter's hats, has her own unique approach. When adapting literary works, she first delves deeply into analyzing the work's essence and tone. "Just like when adapting a piece, I carefully savor the original's atmosphere and emotional tone, using it as the core guide for the entire adaptation process. Then, I identify the most compelling characters and themes, building the script framework on this foundation. While preserving the original's essence, I engage in cinematic re-creation to make it more suitable for the screen." In terms of original script creation, Yao Tingting adopts a visuals-first strategy. "When conceptualizing a scene, I first vividly visualize the scene in my mind, including the set design, characters' actions, and expressions. Only then do I write the dialogue and plot development based on these visuals, ensuring that the text closely aligns with the imagery."

Live Sharing by Yao Tingting

Yin Ruoxin, who also serves as both director and screenwriter, notes that in her creative process, whether working solo or in collaboration with other writers, she highly values the script's reworking and refinement. "When working on my own original scripts, I integrate my directorial ideas to ensure a seamless connection between the script and the filming process. With original or collaborative scripts presented to me as a director, I strive to preserve the screenwriter's creative flow while also leaving space for my own directorial reinterpretation. Sometimes, I advise the writer not to meticulously describe every detail, as new ideas and adjustments frequently arise during my directorial preparations, elaborations, and on-location shoots." Yin Ruoxin emphasizes that, while keeping the overall style and narrative core intact, occasionally welcoming spontaneous creativity on set can be a blessing, possibly adding more vitality and fluidity to the film.

Live Sharing by Yin Ruoxin

▍ Directorial Techniques: Welcoming Inspiration and Proactive Collaboration

"Proactively welcome last-minute changes on set and turn potential drawbacks into distinctive visual features."

—— Yao Tingting

"Collaboration between directors and actors requires mutual trust and empathy, with directors tailoring their communication and direction styles to suit the unique traits of each actor."

—— Yin Ruoxin

Yao Tingting highlights the significance of thorough pre-production discussions and a strong base structure when dealing with discrepancies between on-set realities and the written script. "Before shooting, I write detailed directorial notes and storyboards, and communicate extensively with all departments to ensure everyone understands the film's overall style, pacing, and narrative direction. This way, even if we encounter some minor changes during filming, everyone can adjust based on a shared foundation." For example, during the filming of A Big Deal, an unexpected heavy snowfall occurred, conflicting with the originally planned shooting scene. But the moment she saw the snow, Yao Tingting immediately recognized it as a rare creative opportunity, "So I decisively rewrote the script to incorporate the snow into the story, ultimately achieving a unique visual effect that became a highlight of the film."

Yin Ruoxin places special emphasis on communication and trust with actors in the crew. She understands that each actor has their own performance style and characteristics. "When working with younger actors, I tend to use more guidance and inspiration to help them explore the inner world of their characters. When collaborating with seasoned actors, I respect their experience and make appropriate adjustments through measured communication." She cites Sister as an example, where during the filming of a scene between Zhang Zifeng and Zhu Yuanyuan, Zhu Yuanyuan expressed that looking directly into Zhang Zifeng's eyes while delivering lines would trigger too strong an emotional response, causing her to tear up uncontrollably. Yin Ruoxin encourages her to confront emotional impacts head-on and release suppressed tears. When Zhu Yuanyuan followed Yin Ruoxin's advice and completed her performance, Zhang Zifeng was also inspired to deliver a genuine emotional response, ultimately creating a highly moving moment on screen.

▍ Director's Masterstroke: Balancing Creativity and Capital

"Directors must firmly believe in what they want to film. Once they have determined their direction, they should not easily deviate from it."

—— Yao Tingting

"Choose actors that fit the characters, maintaining consistency in both the quality of the work and the performance style."

—— Yin Ruoxin

In the process of film creation, one of the greatest hurdles for directors is gaining the trust of investors to secure film financing. Yin Ruoxin notes that when it comes to different production departments (like cinematography, art direction), she prefers to work with partners who share her vision. Another essential role of the director is to guarantee that the performances of all actors are harmonized in terms of tone. While shooting Farewell, My Lad, she chose appropriate young actors like Zhang Zifeng and additionally brought in veteran performers like Xu Fan. We always strive to maintain the quality of the work and the consistency of performance tone within a limited budget, attracting audiences with compelling stories and outstanding performances.

Early in her career, Yao Tingting faced challenges in actor selection and film financing. When making youth films, she managed to persuade investors to cast newcomers, explaining in detail her creative vision and character interpretations to convince them that new talents could bring unique charm to the film. Throughout the financing process, Yao Tingting remained clear about her creative goals: directors must firmly believe in what they want to film and not deviate from their chosen direction once it is set. She sought a balance between budget constraints and maintaining creative quality, while actively seeking support from partners, focusing on the core of her creations, and ensuring the smooth progression of projects.

▍ Essential Traits of a Director: Growing Together with the Crew

"The importance of balancing work efficiency and personal life is the cornerstone for ensuring smooth creative progress."

—— Yao Tingting

"A director should grow together with the crew, persisting in learning and creating in an ever-changing environment."

—— Yin Ruoxin

Becoming a director is not easy, it requires strong comprehensive abilities. As their creative experiences accumulate, Yao Tingting and Yin Ruoxin have gained a deeper understanding of this. From the initial nervousness and confusion when shooting her first feature film to being able to skillfully manage the crew, Yao Tingting realized the importance of balancing work efficiency and personal life. During the filming of Fleet of Time, with its large crew and long production period, she worked hard to coordinate the relationship between various departments and actors, striving to enhance efficiency and balance work-life dynamics, which she considers the cornerstone of maintaining a good creative state.

Yin Ruoxin emphasizes that in the ever-changing film industry, directors must take responsibility for their projects from the outset and focus on the bigger picture. Long-term learning ability and perseverance are crucial. Only by continuously learning and keeping up with the world, and by persistently enhancing their skills, can directors establish themselves and create high-quality works.

Photo Taken at the Event Venue

▍ Directorial Integrity: Stay Clearheaded, Unbound by Labels

"When creating, directors need to consider the audience but should not lose their own voice, they must find a balance."

—— Yao Tingting

"Film making should center on characters and emotions, free from the constraints of labels and topics."

—— Yin Ruoxin

Both Yao Tingting and Yin Ruoxin are delighted by the surge of female-themed works and creators gaining prominence, sensing the market's enthusiasm for female-themed subjects as they create. However, amidst this trend, Yin Ruoxin constantly reminds herself to stay clear-headed and stick to her original creative intentions. She said, "Though there are many opportunities, I won't follow trends blindly. I choose stories and characters that resonate with me. Film creation should return to characters and emotions, free from the constraints of labels and topics. Good works will naturally flourish."

Yao Tingting also believes that while market enthusiasm can be a helpful external force, maintaining artistic integrity is the key. "We need to meet audience demands while preserving our artistic independence. By exploring the multifaceted nature of female characters and delving into the depth of social issues, we can create valuable works for the audience, rather than simply catering to superficial needs."

　　Group Photo of All Participants at the Event

　　Q&A

▍ Market Potential

Audience Question: "I would like to ask the two directors, in today's market, when making original projects, will you think about what selling points you have? Or will you forcibly implant social issues?"

Yin Ruoxin: "A film cannot be separated from its audience. At the beginning of a project, it is indeed necessary to think about the audience's motivations for watching the film. However, we should not forcibly insert selling points or topics just to cater to the market. Instead, we need to start from the story itself, exploring its inherent appeal and social value. Filmmaking is not being self-indulgent."

Yao Tingting: "When I start a project, I also consider why the audience would want to watch it. This is a crucial question in the creative process. But we must not sacrifice our creative vision. We need to strike a balance between creativity and market considerations. We shouldn't compromise our own creative principles and should take into account both the audience's preferences and our own artistic expression."

Participant Q&A

▍ Balancing Personal Expression with Market Demands

Audience Question: "I am about to shoot my first work and face the same confusion as many new directors: how can I balance personal expression and the market when shooting my first film?"

Yin Ruoxin: "Don't worry too much if everything isn't clear for your first project. The important thing is to figure out how to let people get to know you. Rich personal expression is fine and you should feel free to create boldly. The focus should be on using your work to introduce yourself, whether through personal experiences or showcasing your abilities and style, as long as it helps others understand who you are."

Yao Tingting: When I did my first project, I didn't think about what would happen after it was done, I just wanted to tell the story well. Focus on your original creative intent for your first work. If you overthink other factors, you might lose sight of why you started. Like when I made Fleet of Time, I just wanted to tell the story of the post-80s generation. Keeping that pure creative vision is really important, it helps you make the right choices even when there are many different opinions.

Group Photo of Directors Yin Ruoxin and Yao Tingting at the Masterclass

The NEWHER Female Film Section is organized by the Beijing International Film Festival Organizing Committee, co-hosted by the Beijing Film Academy and the UNESCO Chair on Cinematic Arts and Cultural Diversity. We would like to extend our gratitude to the UNESCO Chair on Cinematic Arts and Cultural Diversity for supporting NEWHER. The Chair aims to promote research and creation in the protection and inheritance of multicultural expressions through film, by fostering cooperation among global universities. It also cultivates young talents' ability to understand and draw from diverse cultures to showcase unique audiovisual artistic expressions. From its inception, the Chair has prioritized gender equality in line with UNESCO's overall priorities and ensures that female scholars, artists, alumni, and young students are actively involved in its various programs. By leveraging digital tools, the Chair empowers diverse groups, especially ethnic minorities and women, to engage in culturally rich creations, bridging the digital gender divide, fostering inclusivity in cultural and creative fields, and promoting cross-cultural communication and mutual learning. Additionally, the Chair supports the dissemination of culturally diverse artistic works and collaborates closely with partner academic institutions, local communities, and other stakeholders to strengthen cooperative networks and raise public awareness. This way, it provides a platform for more youth, women, and small island nation groups to showcase diverse arts and cultures, broadening their development space in film and television arts and the cultural and creative industries.