Do or Die
Do or Die is a 6-minute horror-comedy short film about a group of friends whose party game spirals into something far more dangerous. The story was inspired by the board games I often play with friends, like Do or Drink and Truth or Dare, and my curiosity about what would happen if one of those games went horribly wrong. I wanted to take something familiar and fun from my college life and twist it into a horror scenario.
The film was made possible by a team of over 15 cast and crew members across all phases of production. The film is an Official Selection at the Bleedingham Horror Film Festival (Bellingham, WA) and has received recognition from other festivals.
I am the Director (also Writer and Editor) of the project. I oversaw the creative vision from script development, led the cast and crew during production, and shaped the final cut in editing. I used Adobe Premiere Pro for editing, applied filmmaking techniques throughout production, and relied on Google Workspace for pre-production planning (scheduling, shot lists, organization). The project took approximately six months to complete: three months of pre-production, one intensive production day, and three months of post-production.
Process
This project began as a personal challenge. I had previously made experimental and documentary films, often working solo or with close friends, but I had never led a full-scale narrative production with a structured process and larger team. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and experience the responsibilities of directing a more challenging project. Creatively, I aimed to create a high-concept horror story with a playful atmosphere. The film is easy to watch and explores themes of friendship and trust, asking what happens to relationships when your life is at stake and how far you’re willing to go to survive.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |
During pre-production, I organized a crew and casting call to have a group of talented people. Working with the Director of Photography, I created a detailed shot list through creative brainstorming sessions. Because we had limited resources and budget, I developed an equipment list carefully and built a schedule around our single available production day. I also spent time learning from professors, online tutorials, and my crew to strengthen my filmmaking skills.
We only have one intensive day to capture everything, so real-time problem-solving was essential. Despite time pressure, we maintained a focused but collaborative and inspiring environment.
In post-production, I edited in Premiere Pro. Then, I collaborated with a composer friend to design the soundscape and music to heighten the horror atmosphere. After completion, I submitted the film to festivals to challenge the work and gain a wider audience.
Behind-the-scenes moments showing the cast and crew collaborating across directing, acting, camera, sound, lighting, and art to bring the film to life on set
Stills - Key snapshots from the film that reveal its visual style and atmosphere, capturing the shift from a playful party game to a tense horror scenario through lighting, framing, and character blocking
Final work is a short film that transforms a playful party into a survival chaos. It is an Official Selection of the Bleedingham Horror Film Festival and recognized by the Gollin Film Festival and the LA International Horror Film Festival.
There are many rooms for growth. Still, this project is a pivotal step in my development as a filmmaker. It expanded my storytelling skills and my production experience, and reminded me why I love making movies in the first place.