Don’t expect to make “Infernal Affairs” or “Kung Fu Hustle” as soon as you leave school, but with the help of local instructor Richard Wong, that dream of making a movie may become reality.
Wong has recently launched the Hong Kong Film Academy at his 1,500- square-foot studio in Chai Wan. It’s his aim to teach wannabe's everything they need to know about the craft of making movies. “I emphasize a good story, good screenwriting and to getting students to shoot with a simple camcorder,” he says. “This is so they can get going and do a feature film. Once you have good story techniques, it’s not hard to shoot at all. There are certain fundamental storytelling principles that have survived thousands of years.”
With more than 30 years experience in the industry, Wong knows what he’s talking about. He was one of the first to work at Rediffusion TV, which was a precursor to what is now ATV. Later, he freelanced in Los Angeles, and was a director of photography for many commercials, both here and in LA. Most recently he taught at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts. In January, he came up with the concept of his film school, which currently has four instructors, with more to come if the demand is there. “Right now they are teaching camerawork, screenwriting, super 8mm filmmaking and still photography. Eventually, I’ll get someone to teach acting,” he says.
As for the cost, courses currently range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. Among courses on offer this month are “Super 8 Workshop” and “Lighting for Cinematographers and Photographers” which will be held on August 20. One caveat though: Courses are currently only taught in English with Cantonese sessions due to start soon. “I offer short courses, but they are of high quality,” he says. “I stress hands-on experience because making a movie is hard, but not impossible. I want students to go out and learn from their mistakes. The students I get are very interesting and enthusiastic and that keeps me going.”
Wong hopes his school can help re-ignite the local film industry: “Scripts are quite bad and none of them know how to tell a story properly,” he says. “Nowadays, Hollywood films dominate the world simply because they can write a good screenplay. I want people to tell good stories again.”
For more information about the courses on offer at the Hong Kong Film Academy, visit www.storyhongkong.com.