Time after time, I have struggled to express myself through speech or written characters, which resulted in pushing visuals to be my outlet of creative expression. While seizing my friends’ and family’s moments in frames just started as a passive hobby, my determination in filmmaking wasn’t established until nearly two years ago. Sam Kolder, the filmmaker I most looked up to, shared a deeply personal and soul-touching project. "Hey Tim – The Story of my Life" shifted the initial perspectives I had on what a film could be and how it can actually serve a more powerful purpose. Sam’s film broadened my understanding of what a travel-derived video could be. If we look at it through a surface level viewpoint, it was put together with incredible sound design and seamless transitions from elements within the footage. Sam was able to merge together travel camera shots with matching digital animations by collaborating with a digital artist to bring out his life story. If we look at it with a closer lens, it was a wonderful tribute to his lost brother, Tim. Sam built his success upon Tim's advice – to chase his passionate dreams in filmmaking. He summed up the lessons Tim's death has taught him through Howard Thurman's quote: “Don’t ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs most, is more people who come alive.” Tim was more than just a brother to Sam - he was his driving factor. Sam is an inspiration to many not only because he has become a recognized and successful filmmaker, but also because his films are driven by a deeply rooted message of embracing life as it is while living it to the fullest.

Time after time, I have struggled to express myself through speech or written characters, which resulted in pushing visuals to be my outlet of creative expression. To me, film can convey stories just as impactful as literary works. Through the lenses of an iPhone 7, DJI Mavic Mini, and a borrowed Canon Rebel T6i, I am not only able to bring my own visions to life, but of others as well. Each of these powerful tools brings its own individual potential to the table, and every single frame, from the raw footage to post production, has helped me become who I am today. Similar to how passions make their first introduction in people’s lives, mine started as a passive hobby seizing my friends’ and family’s moments in frames. Each click between the bright, calm days to the spirit of the city’s livelihood streets at night, strikes a deep feeling with anyone it comes across. These stories create a presence of each other, where we can relive and reminisce those hours, even when we are hundreds of miles away. Now more than ever, I have become a motivated and passionate filmmaker. I have even bought the DJI Mavic Mini with my first ever paycheck. I am driven by the goals of exhibiting tales that tackle stories and social issues when needed, all in immersive experiences. Doing so has helped shape myself in responsibility and appreciation of my personal growth, constantly seeking to become a better storyteller. While I love to create narratives for cities I have visited, I find myself rarely sharing more about my motherland, Taiwan. It was not until recently where I began to develop a huge desire in connecting my film techniques to my cultural roots, which I was unknowingly slipping away from. As a Taiwanese who spent most of the years in the western hemisphere, I struggled in continuously redefining and searching for my identity. Now with the constant political issues with China, Taiwan is often looked down upon by numerous countries in the world. This unsettling thought discouraged me from priding myself upon where I am from, fully embracing the Taiwanese in me. However, just as I was starting to feel lost once again, I signed up for a camp that became a real eye-opener. Being surrounded by people of the same nationality, but all grew up elsewhere, we shared the same sentiment. Not long after, with the influences of one another, we all merged ourselves with our culture once again. The pride has continued to grow ever since. There, I decided to become an individual Taiwanese can have pride upon, someone who can bring out the inner beauty of Taiwan, making people from all corners of the world include ‘Taiwan’ as an addition to their bucket list. This is my way of giving back to my home country which, I believe, is profound in both film and upholding the roots within my identity. Taiwan holds on to so many noteworthy tales that have never been shared by the mainstream media. With exceptionally spotless and organized metro stations, the nation has so many unique aspects no other countries can compare to: the communities, the place, the food, and even the music. From the fields to the mountains, and from the red brick houses of rural counties to the urban city skyscrapers, every corner wraps in historical beauty that leads to delightful interactions brought by the warm-hearted folks. From the street foods to its globally known bubble tea drinks, each bite creates unforgettable echoes throughout a lifetime, urging one to grab a taste again. Along each frame stored between those adventures, I intend to compile them into deeply engaged series of narrative moving images. Accompanying a touch of Mandopop music, every film created will be able to absorb viewers with a range of emotions, from the sentimental vibes Eric Chou delivers, to the upbeat sensation Jay Chou brings. Being a part of the digital generation, we’ve realized endless possibilities are formed with the art of lenses. With a few clicks, I am granted the ability to bring images alive, where my future self can look to for self-improvement and emotional growth. With connections to a more global environment, it almost seems like a duty for me to tell my culture’s stories to the rest of the world. These imaginative ambitions and methods shape who I am as a creative filmmaker, one aiming to bridge people from all journeys in life through impactful growing visions of mine.

Time after time, I have struggled to express myself through speech or written characters, which resulted in pushing visuals to be my outlet of creative expression. To me, film can convey stories just as impactful as literary works. Through the lenses of an iPhone 7, DJI Mavic Mini, and a borrowed Canon Rebel T6i, I am not only able to bring my own visions to life, but of others as well. Each of these powerful tools brings its own individual potential to the table, and every single frame, from the raw footage to post production, has helped me become who I am today. Similar to how passions make their first introduction in people’s lives, mine started as a passive hobby seizing my friends’ and family’s moments in frames. Each click between the bright, calm days to the spirit of the city’s livelihood streets at night, strikes a deep feeling with anyone it comes across. These stories create a presence of each other, where we can relive and reminisce those hours, even when we are hundreds of miles away. Now more than ever, I have become a motivated and passionate filmmaker. I have even bought the DJI Mavic Mini with my first ever paycheck. I am driven by the goals of exhibiting tales that tackle stories and social issues when needed, all in immersive experiences. Doing so has helped shape myself in responsibility and appreciation of my personal growth, constantly seeking to become a better storyteller. While I love to create narratives for cities I have visited, I find myself rarely sharing more about my motherland, Taiwan. It was not until recently where I began to develop a huge desire in connecting my film techniques to my cultural roots, which I was unknowingly slipping away from. As a Taiwanese who spent most of the years in the western hemisphere, I struggled in continuously redefining and searching for my identity. Now with the constant political issues with China, Taiwan is often looked down upon by numerous countries in the world. This unsettling thought discouraged me from priding myself upon where I am from, fully embracing the Taiwanese in me. However, just as I was starting to feel lost once again, I signed up for a camp that became a real eye-opener. Being surrounded by people of the same nationality, but all grew up elsewhere, we shared the same sentiment. Not long after, with the influences of one another, we all merged ourselves with our culture once again. The pride has continued to grow ever since. There, I decided to become an individual Taiwanese can have pride upon, someone who can bring out the inner beauty of Taiwan, making people from all corners of the world include ‘Taiwan’ as an addition to their bucket list. This is my way of giving back to my home country which, I believe, is profound in both film and upholding the roots within my identity. Taiwan holds on to so many noteworthy tales that have never been shared by the mainstream media. With exceptionally spotless and organized metro stations, the nation has so many unique aspects no other countries can compare to: the communities, the place, the food, and even the music. From the fields to the mountains, and from the red brick houses of rural counties to the urban city skyscrapers, every corner wraps in historical beauty that leads to delightful interactions brought by the warm-hearted folks. From the street foods to its globally known bubble tea drinks, each bite creates unforgettable echoes throughout a lifetime, urging one to grab a taste again. Along each frame stored between those adventures, I intend to compile them into deeply engaged series of narrative moving images. Accompanying a touch of Mandopop music, every film created will be able to absorb viewers with a range of emotions, from the sentimental vibes Eric Chou delivers, to the upbeat sensation Jay Chou brings. Being a part of the digital generation, we’ve realized endless possibilities are formed with the art of lenses. With a few clicks, I am granted the ability to bring images alive, where my future self can look to for self-improvement and emotional growth. With connections to a more global environment, it almost seems like a duty for me to tell my culture’s stories to the rest of the world. These imaginative ambitions and methods shape who I am as a creative filmmaker, one aiming to bridge people from all journeys in life through impactful growing visions of mine.

Time after time, I have struggled to express myself through speech or written characters, which resulted in pushing visuals to be my outlet of creative expression. To me, film can convey stories just as impactful as literary works. Through the lenses of an iPhone 7, DJI Mavic Mini, and a borrowed Canon Rebel T6i, I am not only able to bring my own visions to life, but of others as well. Each of these powerful tools brings its own individual potential to the table, and every single frame, from the raw footage to post production, has helped me become who I am today. Similar to how passions make their first introduction in people’s lives, mine started as a passive hobby seizing my friends’ and family’s moments in frames. Each click between the bright, calm days to the spirit of the city’s livelihood streets at night, strikes a deep feeling with anyone it comes across. These stories create a presence of each other, where we can relive and reminisce those hours. Now more than ever, I am driven by the goals of exhibiting tales that tackle stories and social issues when needed, all in immersive experiences. While I love to create narratives for cities I have visited, I find myself rarely sharing more about my motherland, Taiwan. Signing up for a camp and being surrounded by people of the same nationality, but all grew up elsewhere, we learned to embrace our inner Taiwanese. There, I decided to become an individual Taiwanese can have pride upon, someone who can bring out the inner beauty of Taiwan, making people from all corners of the world include ‘Taiwan’ as an addition to their bucket list. This is my way of giving back to my home country which, I believe, is profound in both film and upholding the roots within my identity. Taiwan holds on to so many noteworthy tales that have never been shared, including the exceptionally spotless and organized metro stations that run along the city of Taipei. From the fields to the mountains, and from the red brick houses of rural counties to the urban city skyscrapers, every corner wraps in historical beauty that leads to delightful interactions brought by the warm-hearted folks. I intend to compile each frame into a deeply engaged series of narrative moving images. Accompanying a touch of Mandopop music, every film created will be able to absorb viewers with a range of emotions, from sentimental feels to upbeat sensations. Being a part of the digital generation, we’ve realized endless possibilities are formed with the art of lenses. From this grant, I could step further in bringing images alive, and with connections to a more global environment, it almost seems like a duty for me to tell my culture’s stories to the rest of the world. These imaginative ambitions and methods shape who I am as a creative filmmaker, one aiming to bridge people from all journeys in life through impactful growing visions of mine.

Siblings, they always didn’t ring a dynamic tone to me. Sure, we live underneath the same roof, yet I never realized how they’re like no other. For one, we see each other as daily competitors in our family’s race for food. However, COVID-19 seemed to have its own plans. The pandemic came out of nowhere. It hit like a lightning strike, so quick and so sudden, my life was turned upside down. The world learnt so many lessons from this one single event. By putting aside the normal lifestyles we’ve held on to, this pandemic became the turning point for us to recognize who really matters at the end of the day. This time, I’m more than proud to say, it is in no question my siblings. As this global challenge unravels, I lost my connection with the external environment. With that, not only was I restricted to the walls of our home, my social circle shrunk down to just my family members. I lost my socialization life within a blink of an eye. It was easy to fall into a world of despair, stirring a mixture of negativity deep within. Being my family members, they were the first to absorb it. Despite this, the treatment I received soon made me realize that even within my greatly limited social world, I was fortunate enough to have something several people did not have during this difficult time. I had company. As the pandemic spread and worsened, our family made the decision to return to our home country, Taiwan. Having exceptional performances in combat to this virus, Taiwan would be the safest resort for us both physically, and mentally. Being in touch with my roots, I began to appreciate the small things. As lucky as I am, the four of us siblings had each other. With the street food and restaurants being undeniably delicious, every hour I spent with someone drove the loneliness away. Through our inside jokes, negotiations, and even arguments, they were the first to help keep up my social skills. I also noticed myself speaking a lot more freely than when I was at school. I felt a great deal of comfort around them. Our increased time together led to many unforgettable moments of card games, shows, bike rides, and chores. We may be seeing the world differently now than we used to, but I know this pandemic has truly made us all realize a thing or two. For me, the holes the virus created wouldn’t have been able to patch up if it were not for my siblings as well as the priceless bonds that came through. Though COVID-19 tackled my life like never before, it made both our relationships and ourselves stronger. Our bond pushed me through it all, having it now stand as a top priority. For all that, my perspective and opinion on my siblings shifted from being just people I share a home with, to lifelong important friends who were there when I needed it most.

The University of Southern California provides windows of opportunities that fully align with my values. Turning my hobby into an academic pursuit, I know USC will be a promising choice in my filmmaking career. From the standard of education, to the people and location, exploring my passion at USC would be nothing short of excitement. Having the most reputable film school in the nation, USC successfully complements my humongous filmmaking spirit. Professors at the School of Cinematic Arts are all current experts within their own respective fields. With their support and mentorship, I will be able to collaborate with competent and artistically creative individuals while exploring the production of film. As both staff and students share a vigorous Trojan spirit and pride, their enthusiasm, combined with mine, can definitely strengthen my growth as a filmmaker. Los Angeles is the filmmaking capital of the world, and with a deep connection to the media, the city can offer me limitless opportunities I would not be able to have elsewhere. Not only can I work with artists and influencers located in the city, I can also experience internships at a distinguished company. The strong diversity and cultural values can then bring in unique perspectives to the stories I convey in film. At USC, I will be able to take my filmmaking career to greater unimaginable heights.

Time after time, I have struggled to express myself through speech or written characters, which resulted in pushing visuals to be my outlet of creative expression. To me, film can convey stories just as impactful as literary works. Through the lenses of an iPhone 7, DJI Mavic Mini, and a borrowed Canon Rebel T6i, I am not only able to bring my own visions to life, but of others as well. Each of these powerful tools brings its own individual potential to the table, and every single frame, from the raw footage to post production, has helped me become who I am today. Film is my everything. Similar to how passions make their first introduction in people’s lives, mine started as a passive hobby seizing my friends’ and family’s moments in frames. Each click between the bright, calm days to the spirit of the city’s livelihood streets at night, strikes a deep feeling with anyone it comes across. These stories create a presence of each other, where we can relive and reminisce those hours. Now more than ever, I am driven by the goals of exhibiting tales that tackle stories and social issues when needed, all in immersive experiences. While I love to create narratives for cities I have visited, I find myself rarely sharing more about my motherland, Taiwan. Signing up for a camp and being surrounded by people of the same nationality, but all grew up elsewhere, we learned to embrace our inner Taiwanese. There, I decided to become an individual Taiwanese can have pride upon, someone who can bring out the inner beauty of Taiwan, making people from all corners of the world include ‘Taiwan’ as an addition to their bucket list. This is my way of giving back to my home country which, I believe, is profound in both film and upholding the roots within my identity. Taiwan holds on to so many noteworthy tales that have never been shared, including the exceptionally spotless and organized metro stations that run along the city of Taipei. From the fields to the mountains, and from the red brick houses of rural counties to the urban city skyscrapers, every corner wraps in historical beauty that leads to delightful interactions brought by the warm-hearted folks. I intend to compile each frame into a deeply engaged series of narrative moving images. Accompanying a touch of Mandopop music, every film created will be able to absorb viewers with a range of emotions. Being a part of the digital generation, we’ve realized endless possibilities are formed with the art of lenses. With a few clicks, I am granted the ability to bring images alive, and with connections to a more global environment, it almost seems like a duty for me to tell my culture’s stories to the rest of the world. These imaginative ambitions and methods brings motivation and shapes who I am as a creative filmmaker, one aiming to bridge people from all journeys in life through impactful growing visions of mine.

Siblings, they always didn’t ring a dynamic tone to me. Sure, we live underneath the same roof, yet I never realized how they’re like no other. For one, we see each other as daily competitors in our family’s race for food. However, COVID-19 seemed to have its own plans. It hit like a lightning strike, so quick and so sudden, my life was turned upside down. By putting aside the normal lifestyles we’ve held on to, this pandemic became the turning point for us to recognize who really matters at the end of the day. This time, I’m more than proud to say, it’s my siblings. As this global challenge unravels, I lost my connection with the external environment. With that, not only was I restricted to the walls of our home, my social circle shrunk down to just my family members. I lost my socialization life within a blink of an eye. It was easy to fall into a world of despair, stirring a mixture of negativity deep within. Being my family members, they were the first to absorb it. Despite this, the treatment I received soon made me realize that even within my greatly limited social world, I had something several people didn’t have during this difficult time-company. As the pandemic worsened, our family made the decision to return to our home country, Taiwan. Being in touch with my roots, I began to appreciate the small things. Lucky as I am, the four of us siblings had each other. With the food being undeniably delicious, every hour I spent with someone drove the loneliness away. Through inside jokes, negotiations, and even arguments, they were the first to help keep up my social skills. I also noticed myself speaking a lot more freely than when I was at school. I felt a great deal of comfort around them. Our increased time together led to many unforgettable moments of card games, shows, bike rides, and chores. We may be seeing the world differently now than we used to, but I know this pandemic has truly made me realize a thing or two. The holes the virus created wouldn’t have been able to patch up if it were not for my siblings and the priceless bonds that came through. Though COVID-19 tackled my life like never before, it made both our relationships and ourselves stronger. For all that, my perspective and opinion on my siblings shifted from being just people I share a home with, to lifelong important friends who were there when I needed it most.

Often, I struggle to express my thoughts and experiences through written characters, which resulted in pushing visuals to be my creative expression. Everyone was granted a unique perspective to life. Mine can be seen through moving images in the media, revealing my thoughts and experiences in hopes of making an impact on others’ lives. My film conveys stories in a unique way, done through the lenses of an iPhone 7, DJI Mavic Mini, and/or borrowed Canon Rebel T6i. Each of these powerful tools brings its own individual potential to the table. Distinctive shots through angles and characters differentiate each film from one another, exhibiting a new tale. Every single frame from the raw footage to post production has helped me capture who I am today. It marked my position in life where the future self can look to for self improvement and emotional growth. The art of lenses lends a hand in tackling my audience’s emotions. Each project was created with a new perspective. For those from the internet, I tell these stories to highlight different aspects of places, as well as the experiences it brings. Seizing those moments in frames display the full potential of each location, from the bright calm days to the livelihood of streets at night. For friends and families, I tell these stories to create emotions within them, to make them feel happiness or to reminisce about fun moments we’ve shared. These videos help create a sense of presence with one another, even when they are not physically there. They can look back on these moving images during tough times, and pull through their current situations knowing they have me as their backs. With extra funds, I will be able to take my filmmaking skills to another level. Often, moving shots of mine struggle to achieve stability. A gimbal would be the perfect solution to stability in camera shots. I'll be able to better tell stories with a greater scope of flexibility. With a gimbal for a camera, I can document for those in action-involved activities. In the arts and entertainment world, I'll be able to extend my artistic skills to action shots, including the wide range of sports and exercises. Endless possibilities are formed with capturing through lenses. I create my form of art through film, showcasing my own perspectives by telling stories. With a few clicks, I am granted the ability to bring images alive, and to share it with one another. I hope my stories can make an impact on other's lives.