Me

Logline: Richie, a house-husband, is threatened to keep an unsolicited briefcase by a mysterious visitor. Driven by fear and uncertainty, Richie goes on a dangerous journey of find out the truth.

Synopsis:
One day, Richie decides to get rid of his wife’s oil portrait, to regain power over his relationship, but things get out of control when a mysterious figure by the name of “ME” forces him to keep a locked briefcase. Compelled to find the identity of “ME”, Richie goes on a search to survey the footage in his Neighbor’s security camera, which is the only lead, but surprisingly, learns a darker secret that threatens the safety of his family.

  • Weihao Wang
    Director
  • Weihao Wang
    Writer
  • Yuhan He
    Producer
  • Lingao Li
    Cinematographer
  • Yiming Fang
    Production Designer
  • Xuechen Zhu
    Editor
  • You Zhou
    Sound Designer
  • Jayson Speter
    Key Cast
    "Richie"
  • Moriah Boone
    Key Cast
    "Sophie"
  • B.G. Grey
    Key Cast
    "Larry"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Black comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 7 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 18, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Chapman University
Director Biography - Weihao Wang

Weihao Wang is a director and writer that currently lives in Anaheim, California. Weihao spent four years studying film theories at University of Oregon. During his college years, he was particularly interested in making art videos, and in the meantime, he also wrote short scripts. After graduating from college, he started making narrative shorts and became interested in comedies. He finished his first year of MFA as a cinematographer at Chapman University Dodge College Film, then he transferred to directing program in the second year and now just graduated as a directing student in 2023.

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Director Statement

I frequently find myself caught in situations where things deviate from my plans, sometimes even contradicting my intentions entirely. And then, weird events follow and everything suddenly falls apart in a chaotic and nightmarish manner.

In fact, we all had been through situations like this and lost control of our lives. The more I experienced the weird events in my life, the more I realized that these things do happen to all of us, all the time, moreover, every situation or crisis can present a new opportunity to regain control of your life.

Therefore, I want to make a film that explores the theme of self-discovery and growth, and create a cinematic experience that invites my viewers to embark on a surreal and introspective journey alongside the main character.

Me is about Richie, a submissive man and husband. He’s a little rebellious but is afraid to disobey the higher power in his marriage, who is his wife. In the end, a mystery and a crime, and a rollercoaster of violent events, make him realize that he can regain control of his life in the right way. I believe it is crucial for us to reflect on our own lives, and for Richie to undergo a transformative journey and confront the underlying issue he faces, he must experience violent tragedy. In this story, I tried to give him the worst and the weirdest experience.

Personally, I wanted to make the situation of 'me' feel more like a crisis and, at the same time, an opportunity. I wanted to give Richie an adventure, but at the same time, I wanted to examine how the human mind can succumb to its own demons when things are completely out of control.

In this film, particularly in the second half, we made the choice to alternate between the perspectives of Richie, Sophie, and Larry. Our intention was to evoke empathy in the viewers and provide a deeper understanding of each character's experiences, beliefs, and emotions. By presenting different viewpoints, we aimed to foster a sense of empathy and compassion towards every character.

To me, the comedic approach in this film was the biggest challenge simply because humor is highly subjective. Even though achieving comedic effect can be challenging, the opportunity to entertain audiences while also allowing them to empathize holds infinite appeal for me as a filmmaker, and this is my adventure.