Masterclass – Gay Mean Girls: The Making of a Web Series with Heyishi Zhang
Tuesday August 20, 8:00-10:30am
The Studio at Cornwall, Cornwall Centre
Continental Breakfast Included
When Heyishi Zhang made her short film Gay Mean Girls in film school, she did so to subtweet her peers and professors for their microaggressions. When the film went viral with over 4 million views, Heyishi and her creative team leveraged its success and turned it into a coming-of-age dramedy that follows queer teens of colour learning to navigate frenemies in an unjust world. This masterclass delves deeply into the development, production, and release of Gay Mean Girls. Emerging filmmakers and web series creators are especially encouraged to attend this session as we delve into topics such as: the creative evolution of the story, show running, the writing room, working within a tight budget and implementing lessons learned into a hit second season.
Heyishi Zhang
Heyishi Zhang (she/her) is a Chinese Canadian filmmaker who is interested in telling chaotic and complex stories about subjects beyond the margins. Her most notable project is Gay Mean Girls (2 seasons), an autofictional digital series that she created and directed. Both seasons premiered at TIFF Next Wave and were distributed by Shaftesbury and Revry. The second season was nominated for 3 Canadian Screen Awards for Best Web Program, Best Writing, and Best Directing. Season 2 has received over 33 accolades internationally and screened at Oscar qualifying festivals. Gay Mean Girls originated from Zhang’s 2015 viral short film with the same title and garnered over 4 million online views. Heyishi is a Telefilm Talent to Watch recipient. Her work has been showcased on Global TV, Elle Canada, Rookie Mag, SheDoesTheCity, Leste, and more. Heyishi is obsessed with the truth.