In Search of Serenity
Documentary
This short documentary was created as a group project of three for school, working with a real client and a true story. I focused on developing the central character and narrative while contributing to pre-production, storyboarding, and concept development. On set, I handled filming, lighting, staging, and makeup, and in post-production I worked on editing and color correction, carrying the story from concept through final delivery in a real-world production environment.
Logline
This short documentary follows Phoebe Huang, a former dental assistant who leaves her job and hometown to pursue inner peace through contemporary art, navigating financial uncertainty while searching for true self-fulfillment.
Process
As a team, we interviewed Phoebe to shape the narrative of the film, building the script directly from her responses. We then planned and filmed B-roll that visually supported her story, followed by editing and syncing the cleaned interview audio.
After reviewing our initial interview shoot, we identified visual issues with the background, framing, and eye line, and made the decision to reshoot. With limited availability from our subject, we refined our pre-production workflow, clearly defining the interview setup and exact B-roll needs in advance. My responsibility included storyboarding the B-roll sequences.
By streamlining the interview shoot and executing our production plan efficiently, we completed filming in two days while maintaining a high visual and narrative quality.
Outcome
The finished film was recognized as the best documentary among the class projects and received a high overall grade. It was also selected for presentation at the FCAT Conference 2018 as an impactful and influential student film.
Key Takeaways
This project strengthened my ability to work efficiently under tight timelines, especially when coordinating with a volunteer subject. I learned the importance of detailed pre-production, along with essential interview techniques such as subject positioning, lighting, and eye-line direction to create a natural, professional on-camera presence.
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Tina Alidaei | 2026
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View more
Tina Alidaei | 2026
In Search of Serenity
Documentary
This short documentary was created as a group project of three for school, working with a real client and a true story. I focused on developing the central character and narrative while contributing to pre-production, storyboarding, and concept development. On set, I handled filming, lighting, staging, and makeup, and in post-production I worked on editing and color correction, carrying the story from concept through final delivery in a real-world production environment.
Logline
This short documentary follows Phoebe Huang, a former dental assistant who leaves her job and hometown to pursue inner peace through contemporary art, navigating financial uncertainty while searching for true self-fulfillment.
Process
As a team, we interviewed Phoebe to shape the narrative of the film, building the script directly from her responses. We then planned and filmed B-roll that visually supported her story, followed by editing and syncing the cleaned interview audio.
After reviewing our initial interview shoot, we identified visual issues with the background, framing, and eye line, and made the decision to reshoot. With limited availability from our subject, we refined our pre-production workflow, clearly defining the interview setup and exact B-roll needs in advance. My responsibility included storyboarding the B-roll sequences.
By streamlining the interview shoot and executing our production plan efficiently, we completed filming in two days while maintaining a high visual and narrative quality.
Outcome
The finished film was recognized as the best documentary among the class projects and received a high overall grade. It was also selected for presentation at the FCAT Conference 2018 as an impactful and influential student film.
Key Takeaways
This project strengthened my ability to work efficiently under tight timelines, especially when coordinating with a volunteer subject. I learned the importance of detailed pre-production, along with essential interview techniques such as subject positioning, lighting, and eye-line direction to create a natural, professional on-camera presence.
In Search of Serenity
Documentary
This short documentary was created as a group project of three for school, working with a real client and a true story. I focused on developing the central character and narrative while contributing to pre-production, storyboarding, and concept development. On set, I handled filming, lighting, staging, and makeup, and in post-production I worked on editing and color correction, carrying the story from concept through final delivery in a real-world production environment.
Logline
This short documentary follows Phoebe Huang, a former dental assistant who leaves her job and hometown to pursue inner peace through contemporary art, navigating financial uncertainty while searching for true self-fulfillment.
Process
As a team, we interviewed Phoebe to shape the narrative of the film, building the script directly from her responses. We then planned and filmed B-roll that visually supported her story, followed by editing and syncing the cleaned interview audio.
After reviewing our initial interview shoot, we identified visual issues with the background, framing, and eye line, and made the decision to reshoot. With limited availability from our subject, we refined our pre-production workflow, clearly defining the interview setup and exact B-roll needs in advance. My responsibility included storyboarding the B-roll sequences.
By streamlining the interview shoot and executing our production plan efficiently, we completed filming in two days while maintaining a high visual and narrative quality.
Outcome
The finished film was recognized as the best documentary among the class projects and received a high overall grade. It was also selected for presentation at the FCAT Conference 2018 as an impactful and influential student film.
Key Takeaways
This project strengthened my ability to work efficiently under tight timelines, especially when coordinating with a volunteer subject. I learned the importance of detailed pre-production, along with essential interview techniques such as subject positioning, lighting, and eye-line direction to create a natural, professional on-camera presence.
Tina Alidaei | 2026
