Chan.directs

🎬🎥📸 Director | Writer

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

We’re thrilled to announce that our latest short film, “No, Not Really”, has been selected for the San Antonio Black International Film Festival in Texas!

To celebrate, we’re finally releasing the poster for the movie.

@NamesChrisJames
#shortfilm #SBIFF

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

I saw a kid hugging his dad.

That’s what the Knicks championship was really about.

54 years. One hug. A storybook ending.

Wanted this out by Father’s Day, but better late than
never.

The new essay is live. Link in bio.

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

Big news! We screened Burns Like A Shot this week, and I also won a filmmakers raffle and production grant to make another short film in just 30 days.

Looks like we’re making another movie.

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

I was listening to Miles Davis the other night and instantly got inspired to do this piece of work.

“You Gotta Feel It”

Whatever you do in life…you gotta feel it.

It's crazy how inspiration hit and how it translates to art.

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

The director, writer & artist with so much aura! The vision has always been crystal clear.

Keep stacking days.

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

Screening recap for my short film, Burns Like A Shot!

Shot with vintage cameras & iPhone.

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

Some of my favorite shots from my short film, Blitz! It’s a sports drama about a college football player battling an Adderall addiction while trying to keep up with the demands of school and sports.

You can watch it here!
https://t.co/iyVtx4kPsE

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

New York Knicks Date Night!

I was inspired to do this piece because of all of the energy from Spike & the fans during the NBA Finals.

Congrats to the Knicks! 🧡💙🏀

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

New Art

Unnaturally Breathin - 2026

I kept circling the same contradiction in this piece. A face that looks carved, almost a relic, but the mouth’s open like it's still breathing.

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

https://t.co/g5LyDEzYuN

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

We screened our short film Burns Like A Shot for the first time, and I wrote about what that room full of strangers taught me about trusting my own work.

Full story + a recap video is on my Substack now!
Link in bio fam.

New on Cool Story, Chan.

[Joseph Kahn @JosephKahn]

"Art director making $300 a day is a livable wage."

One thing people don't understand about the film business is it's feast or famine. You may not work for weeks or months so that money has to be saved and amortized.

Then the Obsession crew lives in LA, so they're paying the highest rents, highest gas, highest utilities, highest insurance (to be fair they keep voting for it, but that's another story).

A 14 hour day doesn't account for 1 hour of traffic each way. Indies can routinely go 12-18 hours.

Art department is an especially brutal crew. They are the first to get on set, the last to leave. No set, no shoot.

Then crew heads don't really get paid for their time. Reading the script? Free. Thinking about it? Free. Talking with the director? Free. Creative discussion, creative obsessing, detail planning on weekends. Free free free. The time on the clock is not the time on the job.

$300 a day on an 18 hour day, before gas or any other expenses, is $16 an hour. The off the clock work is double that. So $8 an hour. Now save that to survive the next actor/writer strike.

Is it a livable wage? Sure. In Iowa if you're a mid level stripper. Not a film crew in LA.

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

Here is a digital piece that I've been working on “Blue for You”.

This moment feels incredibly surreal For a long time, I've poured my heart and soul into creating this new collection of art.

join my exclusive email list

https://t.co/uT3kSarPiF

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

Often, it's in the quiet moments behind the scenes, working on both digital and traditional canvases. This is where the true magic begins.

More to come!

📸 @NamesChrisJames

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

Still working. Still refining. Still creating.

More to come!

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

I’m stepping into new forms of expression one stroke at a time. The vision is starting to take shape and honestly it feels good to just create without limits

More on the way

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

@DarrellReeseJr Thanks!

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

Had to drop some of our favorite shots from No, Not Really! We put a lot of love into every frame, and these moments still hit. Let us know which one’s your favorite!

🎥 link in the comments

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

Here are some of our favorite shots from a recent small shoot. We decided to take a few toys out to play with. It was fun!

I filmed, edited, and color-graded the project.

#cinematography #indiefilm #colorgrade

[Chan.directs @chandonae]

We turned our living room into a mini set for a quick video shoot with Chris as our muse.

This was all about creating something visually interesting to put Dehancer’s Film Emulation to the test

[Natalie Jasmine Harris @nataliejharris]

Happy #BlackHistoryMonth🖤My short film, GRACE, is now available to watch on @Vimeo. Set within a fleeting summer in the 1950s, GRACE is a queer period piece that rewrites history – affirming that Black queer women have always been here✨🥹

Watch now: https://t.co/PXCZvHTHbj