MOTIF EDUCATION LAB

We do not teach you how to use a camera. 

We teach you how to write with it.

Moving beyond technical execution to master the basic visual literacy and storytelling.

MOTIF EDUCATION CONCEPT

An image is a direct bridge from one heart to another.

Learning by Doing and Practice before Theory.  

Our classroom operates on a feedback loop where students create first and analyze later. By using theory to explain classmates' assignments, students learn to see the mechanics of art in real-time, turning abstract concepts into practical tools.

Through structured guidance, our classroom operates on a feedback loop where students create first and analyze later. By using theory to explain classmates' assignments, students learn to express themselves verbally and visually.

A progressive journey

Our assignments are designed to facilitate our students to articulate their imagination into a tangible visual presentation.

A sample of our exercises:

• Found Narrative: Using magazine clippings and existing media to collage and construct entirely new stories, proving that narrative is about perspective, not equipments.

• The Dream Exchange: Students exchange written descriptions of their dreams and must translate their classmate’s subconscious into a tangible photograph.

• Abstracting the Invisible: How do you photograph the wind, a smell, or the mathematical concept of 1/2?  We challenge students to find visual anchors for abstract themes.

• Poetry in Motion: Transforming classic poems into modern visual sequences, finding the rhythm of the text in contemporary imagery.

Jeffrey Chu

• Alumnus: SFSU Cinema / Global Cinematography Institute LA

• Active Member: American Cinematographers Guild

• Official Selection: Cannes Film Festival

• Official Selection: Shanghai International Film Festival

Tianrun Shi

• ArtCenter College of Design, Master of Fine Art, Filmmaking

• California College of the Arts, Bachelor of Fine Art, Filmmaking