Private Project

The Form

The story follows an office worker, Yu Chen, who faces workplace isolation and unfair treatment. Mistakenly blamed for an error, she contemplates quitting. Amid a complex resignation process and disdainful colleagues, she reaches her breaking point, leaving with dignity and self-assurance.

  • SHAO-CHIU YEN
    Director
  • SHAO-CHIU YEN
    Writer
  • CHU-YUN (RUBY) HUANG
    Producer
  • LE-YI LI
    Key Cast
    "Yu Chen"
  • YI-LIN CHEN
    Key Cast
    "Chih-Yu Chen"
  • I-CHING WENG
    Key Cast
    "Hui-Chi Lin"
  • TSUNG-YU LU
    Key Cast
    "Chi-Chih Liu"
  • CHU-YUN (RUBY) HUANG
    Co-Writer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 42 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 20, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Taiwan
  • Language:
    Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - San Diego State University
Director Biography - SHAO-CHIU YEN

Shao Chiu Yen is a Taiwanese filmmaker, who has worked on feature film, short films, music videos, and stop-motion animation. She holds a Master's degree in Film and Television Production from San Diego State University(2023) with an emphasis on production design. Her thesis film “The Fanatics“ recently won the Best Production Design award of the Emerging Film Festival in SDSU. With her training for both design and directing, she is capable of utilizing the space, color, and props to symbolize the essence of the story, and further create authentic and vivid female images on screen.

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Director Statement

The story is loosely based on my personal experience when I worked as an administrative assistant in Taiwan. The resignation procedure was incredibly complicated, mentally draining me of energy while running through the entire process. Inspired by the cumbersome bureaucracy, I decided to turn this experience into a short film project.

For me, I’ve always interested in the story focusing on women’s dilemma and powerlessness under social expectation and the effort they make to regain control of their own lives. “The Form” depicts Yu Chen’s unusual journey of developing her inner strength to confront the ostracism from colleagues and supervisors. In terms of cinematography, I utilized the 4:3 aspect ratio to make the film feel claustrophobic, indicating the character being trapped and confined in the depressing workplace.