Person holding a camera lens in a seated position, wearing a dark sweater, black and white image

Xu Haoxuan

Portfolio for Media Arts Production

Example Project

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Example Project ·

Right before the making of T-5 Days, I was forced into mandatory quarantine for a week. During that week, I was unable to have any kind contact with anyone, and it almost felt like being locked up in a cage. I realized I really missed human connection and I longed for someone to talk to or even just to spend time with. I even missed the neighbors that I didn't like. So I had the idea to make a film about isolation, quarantine and unlikely connection, and I finished the script on my last day of quarantine.

Inspiration

Person smoking on a rooftop with mountains in the background

T - 5DAYS

Pre-Production

Modern living room with a white sofa, wall-mounted TV, wooden floors, and built-in cabinets. There's a washing machine in the corner and large glass doors leading outside.
Modern open-plan kitchen and dining area with wooden table, industrial lighting, sleek countertops, bar stools, and a red staircase. High, wooden-beam ceilings add a spacious feel.
Modern kitchen interior with wooden countertops, hanging lights, a wall-mounted TV, white tiled backsplash, and a large plant in the foreground. The refrigerator and other kitchen appliances are visible.

Location scout

A week before the production, our city issued a city-wide lockdown. The new pandemic policy temporarily banned all gatherings, including film productions. We had to look for new locations, as well as hotels and hostels for our cast and crew to stay in, in case the city were to issue new lockdown policies.

Luckily, after days of negotiation and communications, we were able to secure a location on the edge of the city. It was far away from downtown, easy to access, and it would work for our story.

Location highlights:

  1. The female protagonist works at a convenience store, while the male protagonist is an influencer/ online promoter. The location, after putting some props in, will be reasonably convincing for their lifestyles.

  2. In the story, the two protagonists need to be in a confined and yet separated space. Initially I thought about having a two-bedroom location, but considering their backgrounds and the tone of the story, I decided to go with a one-bedroom apartment.

  3. There was an adjacent rooftop which works perfectly for our rooftop scene.

Casting

A person wearing an orange button-up shirt with a neutral expression, standing in front of a plain white background.
Profile of a person with black mullet hairstyle wearing an orange shirt.
A person in an orange shirt looking to the side
Person wearing a black cap and white shirt against a red background
Back view of a person with medium-length dark hair wearing an orange shirt.

Initially when I wrote the script, I pictured someone that was not conventionally masculine to play the role of Bai. I imagined Bai to be a very complex, fascinating and relatable individual - an energetic and positive vibe but deep down inside, he was unsure about his life choices or career at all.

When I first approached Huang Kejing (our main actor), I was surprised by how well he understood the character. We had a two-hour conversation about Bai’s mindset and our experience with lockdowns and quarantines. Huang also opened up to me about his struggles as a young actor during the pandemic. He was also professional. We held an audition and no matter what we were talking about several seconds ago, he was able to transform into the character the moment I shouted Action.

I immediately chose him as our main cast.

Script

Call Sheet