Classical Training
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Music
Classical Training reflects on the unseen costs of living a life in the arts. After a disastrous audition, a talented but troubled pianist must choose: reject perfectionism and rebuild a healthy relationship with music, or succumb to jealousy and take his rival down with him.
Classical Training
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Music
88 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$10,840
Goal: $15,000 for production
Classical Training reflects on the unseen costs of living a life in the arts. After a disastrous audition, a talented but troubled pianist must choose: reject perfectionism and rebuild a healthy relationship with music, or succumb to jealousy and take his rival down with him.
Participating In
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Classical Training is a character-driven drama exploring the unique, high-pressure world of elite conservatories. It touches on themes of jealousy, perfectionism, and our self-worth as artists. Whiplash meets Tár with a dash of No Other Choice.
Avery Cai is a talented but neurotic piano student at an elite conservatory. When he fumbles his end-of-year evaluation, his scholarship and mental health are put at risk. He copes the only way he knows how: by throwing himself into hours of practice, pushing away the attempts to reach out from those around him. All the while, he fixates on his rival, Julian, an effortlessly successful star student who seems to have everything Avery does not. After Julian humiliates Avery at a party, the two are drawn into an inevitable confrontation.
Like most creatives, I've often questioned whether I can "make it" and live a life doing what I love. I've fixated on the success of others and ruminated over whether hard work can offset shortcomings in talent, luck, or privilege. I wrote this story as a meditation on the spiral of comparison, and how often we tie our self worth to achievement rather than the joy that comes with the craft.
With this film, I want to challenge stereotypes surrounding both Asian in the arts and classical music as a whole. That's why I'm very excited to be participating in Gold House's AAPI Renaissance Rally, an initiative championing stories lead by multidimensional AAPI characters. If this project reaches 350 followers, we'll qualify as finalists, and be eligible to receive mentorship and additional financial support.
I started playing piano when I was 4. Unlike many of my peers, I begged my parents for lessons rather than the other way around. But my early prowess led to an early burnout, when I found I couldn't handle the pressure of elite competitions. I only re-discovered piano in college playing in an ensemble, where I finally fell in love with the classical music I only scratched the surface of as a child.
We want to create a film that reflects not only the struggles of making art, but also its beauty. While our foremost goal is to tell a compelling story, portraying the world of classical piano with authenticity is just as important to us.
We plan to cast actors who are also accomplished pianists, collaborate with professional music consultants, and record all of the music live on set.
We are planning to shoot over 4 days in July 2026, and we need to raise funds for the above expenses. We have high ambitions for this film and want to tell a quality story while taking care of the team working on set. We aim to raise $15k on Seed & Spark, but have a greater budget of $65k that is being raised through private equity and grants.
With your help getting through production, we aim for Classical Training to be represented at various prestigious festivals in the 2026-2027 season. We also intend to secure public distribution through platforms like Short of the Week and Omeleto.
We've built a team of talented artists, and we plan to develop Classical Training into a feature film following a successful festival run.
Follow
For updates, please follow our campaign on Seed&Spark. We need to hit 350 followers by April 29th to qualify as finalists for the AAPI Renaissance Rally. You don't need to donate to follow the page!
Contribute
Please consider partnering with us financially to help achieve our goal. Check out our wishlist and decide which you can help us achieve, or choose an incentive that excites you. You can also donate any monetary amount even if it's not listed as an incentive.
Share
Spread the word so we can share our story with the largest possible audience. We believe this film will resonate with a lot of people and we want to make sure it reaches them.
We appreciate your time and support!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post Production Sound
Costs $2,000
Covers post production sound editing and mixing. It's very important to us that all the music sounds great!
Catering & Craft Services
Costs $2,000
This portion of the budget goes to feeding everyone on set during filming.
Film Camera & Accessories
Costs $4,000
We'd love to shoot this film on 16mm. We feel this is fitting given how we're striving for authenticity to respect the craft of live music.
Piano Rentals
Costs $2,000
Covers piano rental, transportation, and tuning. We intend to record all the music live on set.
Production Insurance
Costs $2,000
This portion of the budget goes to production insurance, which allows us to rent equipment and secure locations.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
ERIC YANG, Writer, Avery
Eric is an award-winning actor and writer based in Brooklyn. He recently wrapped a recurring role on a major Netflix series, and can also be seen in FBI: Most Wanted (CBS) and birth/rebirth (Sundance 2023). On stage, his starring performance in The Far Country (Pulitzer finalist, NYT Critic's Pick) at the Atlantic Theater was lauded as an "impressive debut" by the New York Times. He is repped by Authentic Talent + Literary Management.
As a pianist, Eric has performed throughout the tristate area with the Princeton Pianists Ensemble, and holds a Level 10 Certification in Piano from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He worked as a data scientist in finance/tech in a previous life.
FRANK SUN, Director
Frank is a director and cinematographer based in New York City. He began his career shaping story on Emmy-winning CBS’s Survivor. From there, he transitioned into directing and shooting commercial and branded work, with clients including Peloton, Ralph Lauren, Lexus, NYFW, etc. His visual style balances raw intimacy with cinematic polish, rooted in a deep curiosity for people and place. He has shot feature films acquired by Amazon and Netflix. His music video work has been exhibited at SFMOMA, Zaha Hadid Gallery, and the Cooper Hewitt.
Frank is focuses on developing original narrative work as a director and lensing commercial work as a cinematographer. His current slate of shorts and a debut feature explore ambition, abandonment, and cultural tension through drama and comedy. We Are Kings, a short film which Frank wrote and directed, premiered in the 2025 Tribeca Festival.
YUUKI SHIMIZU, Director of Photography
Yuuki Shimizu is a Brooklyn-based Director of Photography from Tokyo, Japan. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Film & Television program, he was born and raised in Japan and began his creative journey in still photography before moving into filmmaking, drawn to its ability to shape mood, rhythm, and emotion.
Over the past five years, Yuuki has built a dynamic body of work across commercial, narrative, music video, and documentary filmmaking. He has collaborated with clients and publications including Vogue, Nowness Asia, Nike, Meta, Panasonic, Land’s End, David Yurman, and Warner Music Japan.
His work on the short documentary Just Jacob was nominated by the Television Academy Foundation and won Best Documentary at the Savannah Film Festival, with additional recognition from NFFTY, the Beverly Hills Film Festival, Los Angeles Cinematography Awards, and The One Club for Creativity.
CHARLIE GILLETTE, Producer
Charlie Gillette is an award-winning filmmaker based in New York City. Her work has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, Teen Vogue, Elle, and Bustle, and has screened at the Museum of the Moving Image, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and film festivals around the world.
As a writer-director, Charlie is drawn to stories of displacement, identity, and the experience of feeling like an outsider—both within our families and in the world. With Chilean and German roots and a nomadic childhood as an “army brat,” she was raised across cultures, often navigating in-between spaces. These experiences deeply inform her work, which explores identity through emotional nuance, subtle humor, and character-driven storytelling. Charlie is especially interested in how people give and receive love, and how those expressions shape our sense of self and belonging.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Classical Training is a character-driven drama exploring the unique, high-pressure world of elite conservatories. It touches on themes of jealousy, perfectionism, and our self-worth as artists. Whiplash meets Tár with a dash of No Other Choice.
Avery Cai is a talented but neurotic piano student at an elite conservatory. When he fumbles his end-of-year evaluation, his scholarship and mental health are put at risk. He copes the only way he knows how: by throwing himself into hours of practice, pushing away the attempts to reach out from those around him. All the while, he fixates on his rival, Julian, an effortlessly successful star student who seems to have everything Avery does not. After Julian humiliates Avery at a party, the two are drawn into an inevitable confrontation.
Like most creatives, I've often questioned whether I can "make it" and live a life doing what I love. I've fixated on the success of others and ruminated over whether hard work can offset shortcomings in talent, luck, or privilege. I wrote this story as a meditation on the spiral of comparison, and how often we tie our self worth to achievement rather than the joy that comes with the craft.
With this film, I want to challenge stereotypes surrounding both Asian in the arts and classical music as a whole. That's why I'm very excited to be participating in Gold House's AAPI Renaissance Rally, an initiative championing stories lead by multidimensional AAPI characters. If this project reaches 350 followers, we'll qualify as finalists, and be eligible to receive mentorship and additional financial support.
I started playing piano when I was 4. Unlike many of my peers, I begged my parents for lessons rather than the other way around. But my early prowess led to an early burnout, when I found I couldn't handle the pressure of elite competitions. I only re-discovered piano in college playing in an ensemble, where I finally fell in love with the classical music I only scratched the surface of as a child.
We want to create a film that reflects not only the struggles of making art, but also its beauty. While our foremost goal is to tell a compelling story, portraying the world of classical piano with authenticity is just as important to us.
We plan to cast actors who are also accomplished pianists, collaborate with professional music consultants, and record all of the music live on set.
We are planning to shoot over 4 days in July 2026, and we need to raise funds for the above expenses. We have high ambitions for this film and want to tell a quality story while taking care of the team working on set. We aim to raise $15k on Seed & Spark, but have a greater budget of $65k that is being raised through private equity and grants.
With your help getting through production, we aim for Classical Training to be represented at various prestigious festivals in the 2026-2027 season. We also intend to secure public distribution through platforms like Short of the Week and Omeleto.
We've built a team of talented artists, and we plan to develop Classical Training into a feature film following a successful festival run.
Follow
For updates, please follow our campaign on Seed&Spark. We need to hit 350 followers by April 29th to qualify as finalists for the AAPI Renaissance Rally. You don't need to donate to follow the page!
Contribute
Please consider partnering with us financially to help achieve our goal. Check out our wishlist and decide which you can help us achieve, or choose an incentive that excites you. You can also donate any monetary amount even if it's not listed as an incentive.
Share
Spread the word so we can share our story with the largest possible audience. We believe this film will resonate with a lot of people and we want to make sure it reaches them.
We appreciate your time and support!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post Production Sound
Costs $2,000
Covers post production sound editing and mixing. It's very important to us that all the music sounds great!
Catering & Craft Services
Costs $2,000
This portion of the budget goes to feeding everyone on set during filming.
Film Camera & Accessories
Costs $4,000
We'd love to shoot this film on 16mm. We feel this is fitting given how we're striving for authenticity to respect the craft of live music.
Piano Rentals
Costs $2,000
Covers piano rental, transportation, and tuning. We intend to record all the music live on set.
Production Insurance
Costs $2,000
This portion of the budget goes to production insurance, which allows us to rent equipment and secure locations.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
ERIC YANG, Writer, Avery
Eric is an award-winning actor and writer based in Brooklyn. He recently wrapped a recurring role on a major Netflix series, and can also be seen in FBI: Most Wanted (CBS) and birth/rebirth (Sundance 2023). On stage, his starring performance in The Far Country (Pulitzer finalist, NYT Critic's Pick) at the Atlantic Theater was lauded as an "impressive debut" by the New York Times. He is repped by Authentic Talent + Literary Management.
As a pianist, Eric has performed throughout the tristate area with the Princeton Pianists Ensemble, and holds a Level 10 Certification in Piano from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He worked as a data scientist in finance/tech in a previous life.
FRANK SUN, Director
Frank is a director and cinematographer based in New York City. He began his career shaping story on Emmy-winning CBS’s Survivor. From there, he transitioned into directing and shooting commercial and branded work, with clients including Peloton, Ralph Lauren, Lexus, NYFW, etc. His visual style balances raw intimacy with cinematic polish, rooted in a deep curiosity for people and place. He has shot feature films acquired by Amazon and Netflix. His music video work has been exhibited at SFMOMA, Zaha Hadid Gallery, and the Cooper Hewitt.
Frank is focuses on developing original narrative work as a director and lensing commercial work as a cinematographer. His current slate of shorts and a debut feature explore ambition, abandonment, and cultural tension through drama and comedy. We Are Kings, a short film which Frank wrote and directed, premiered in the 2025 Tribeca Festival.
YUUKI SHIMIZU, Director of Photography
Yuuki Shimizu is a Brooklyn-based Director of Photography from Tokyo, Japan. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Film & Television program, he was born and raised in Japan and began his creative journey in still photography before moving into filmmaking, drawn to its ability to shape mood, rhythm, and emotion.
Over the past five years, Yuuki has built a dynamic body of work across commercial, narrative, music video, and documentary filmmaking. He has collaborated with clients and publications including Vogue, Nowness Asia, Nike, Meta, Panasonic, Land’s End, David Yurman, and Warner Music Japan.
His work on the short documentary Just Jacob was nominated by the Television Academy Foundation and won Best Documentary at the Savannah Film Festival, with additional recognition from NFFTY, the Beverly Hills Film Festival, Los Angeles Cinematography Awards, and The One Club for Creativity.
CHARLIE GILLETTE, Producer
Charlie Gillette is an award-winning filmmaker based in New York City. Her work has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, Teen Vogue, Elle, and Bustle, and has screened at the Museum of the Moving Image, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and film festivals around the world.
As a writer-director, Charlie is drawn to stories of displacement, identity, and the experience of feeling like an outsider—both within our families and in the world. With Chilean and German roots and a nomadic childhood as an “army brat,” she was raised across cultures, often navigating in-between spaces. These experiences deeply inform her work, which explores identity through emotional nuance, subtle humor, and character-driven storytelling. Charlie is especially interested in how people give and receive love, and how those expressions shape our sense of self and belonging.