About
PDA Vancouver Royal Academy of Film
We are the Vancouver branch of the renowned PDA Film School,
a global leader in innovative film education.
PDA Royal Academy of Film is a leader in AI and Virtual Production, bridging traditional cinematic techniques with innovative, future-focused filmmaking.
Our comprehensive programs blend hands-on, real-time shooting experiences with VP technologies, such as immersive green screen setups and advanced motion capture systems, enabling students to produce professional-quality films and gain invaluable industry insights. We also provide exclusive workshops on integrating AI tools into the creative process, from scriptwriting to post-production.
We offer a transformative and immersive learning experience that seamlessly blends traditional cinematic craftsmanship with the evolving technologies shaping the future of filmmaking.
Guided by esteemed industry professionals, our students refine their artistic vision, master technical expertise, and hone their storytelling abilities. This comprehensive approach ensures they are well-prepared to lead, create, and innovate in the ever-changing and dynamic landscape of global cinema.
Ongoing Projects
Director Sam Yue Shen
(Principle of Royal Academy of Film)
Sam has confirmed his direction for future film and television development through his local shooting practice in Vancouver. In the future, film works will not only be oriented to the Chinese market, but also to a broader international field.
The Royal Academy of Film and Media Technology restarted the filming of the TV series “Acting Class”, and decided to transform this project with international competitiveness, strengthen the multicultural color and entertainment, and promote it to international markets such as Netflix. Therefore, it is more international in the direction of director, actors and screen writing. While learning theoretically, the college gives students the opportunity to participate in professional film, television shooting and production. So that they have real experience and in the real film production while they are in school.
Your Instructors
Director Sam Yue Shen
Director/ Program Head
Sam Shen is a director, producer, and writer from China who is a member of China Film Association and China Film Director’s Guild. In 2015, he became an overseas member of the council of Chinese Culture Promotion Society. Recently, he has been focused on collaborating with local filmmakers and producers in North America. Shen is well-known for directing Man Jiang Hong: The Death of Yue Fei (1992), Jiao Xia Tian Tang (2003), The Crossing (2013), and Decadence Vested In Loyalty (2016), as well as being a senior producer and co-director of I Dreamed a Dream (2021).
Shen began his career by directing the first actual (sound) recording TV show in China, Bing Shui Keng Ren Jia (1986). He then brought Jia Gan,1988 (1989) to the screen with an originality approach, which won the China TV Golden Eagle Award for excellent TV Show in 1989.
Throughout his career, Shen has directed over twenty films and TV shows in China, bringing groundbreaking and state-of-the-art aesthetic audiovisual experiences to audiences. He is an expert in making films and television with major historical elements, and is obsessed with portraying the emotional journey of his characters and their ups and downs. Shen’s ability to precisely handle colors, audio, and visuals has formed a unique and intense artistic style of filmmaking.
With the rapid growth of the Chinese film industry, Shen has become a key figure in bringing local Chinese film and television productions to the global stage. He effectively communicates with outstanding international production teams in order to utilize western filmmaking theories and producing experiences on local Chinese films. These experiences have made him more willing to apply cutting-edge techniques and creative concepts, such as using special visual effects solutions to enhance film and television portrayals.
Jacob Wang
Executive Vice President
Jacob is an expert in the field of higher and vocational education in China. As a specialist in academic advancement planning and a senior consultant for overseas studies, he has provided professional guidance to over 100,000 students, demonstrating rich experience and outstanding achievements in the education sector.
Jacob serves as a specially appointed lecturer at the School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Normal University, where he established the VR/AR laboratory and holds patents for innovative VR filming equipment. Prior to entering educational management, Jacob had a brilliant career in the media and technology industries. He previously served as the Content Director at BaoFeng, responsible for developing original IP content. Under his leadership, the team’s productions, including talk shows, interviews, reality shows, and web series, achieved over 100 million views.
Jacob’s talents extend beyond management and content creation. He won the first prize in the Youth Hui Cup Outstanding Host competition awarded by the Beijing Municipal Committee and Government, demonstrating his exceptional abilities in public expression and media communication.
As a co-founder of Fantasy Technology, Jacob has been involved in the development of multiple innovative projects. Notably, he directed the VR series version of the TV drama “Ice Fantasy,” further proving his professional expertise in new media technology applications.
Edwin Perez
Actor/Acting Coach/Director
Edwin Perez, a professional actor and voice artist for over 20 years. With a B.A. in English Literature from Simon Fraser University, an Acting Certificate from VADA, studies in New York with John Strasberg, former director of the New York Actors Studio, and training at Russia’s renowned Moskovsky Art Theatre. Edwin has a wealth of experience in theatre, film, television, video games, commercials, and animation. Edwin has worked on projects such as iZombie, Lucifer, Arrow, Supergirl, Lego Friends, Marvel’s Battle World, and Far Cry 6. Edwin also has extensive behind-the-scenes experience as a cinematographer and studio technician.
Edwin has six years of experience in casting. Recently, Edwin became the Casting and Technical Coordinator for GO Studios, managing and maintaining video and audio equipment in 6 different studios, 3 voice over studios and a black box theater.
IMDB: Edwin Perez – IMDb
Wang Gang
Virtual Production (VP) Production Supervisor Instructor / 2D & 3D Cinematographer / Virtual Production Art Supervisor
Wang Gang is a seasoned 2D/3D cinematographer and virtual production art supervisor who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy. His career spans across film, television, and advertising, with a diverse portfolio of works. In the film industry, Wang has been involved in the production of numerous domestic and international theatrical releases, including “Fais un cauchemar,” “The Story of Fengqiao.” He has also worked on several 3D film projects such as “Sky de décembre,””The New Three Gorges” and “The Way Home,” showcasing his expertise in stereoscopic imaging.
Beyond cinema, Wang has made significant contributions to television production, participating in the filming of seasonal dramas like “Love in Prague.” His talents have also been well-utilized in the advertising world, where he has produced notable commercials including the 3D version of “Guangzhou Asian Games Experience” and “Beijing 798 ArtDist.” It’s worth mentioning that he was also involved in the production of the opening film for the 14th Beijing International Film Festival in 2024.
Wang’s professional skills are both profound and solid. During his graduate studies at Chung-Ang University in South Korea, he focused on learning 3D film pre- and post-production techniques, studying under top Korean 3D cinematography technical directors. During this period, he delved into the working principles of stereoscopic rigs, parameter settings, 3D shooting environment setup, and post-production workflows, participating in the actual filming of multiple 3D projects.
In recent years, Wang has expanded his expertise to virtual production technology. Since first encountering this emerging field in 2018, he successfully completed a Lincoln car commercial using LED screen virtual shooting technology in 2020. Through continuous learning and practice, he has mastered various virtual production software and hardware, including Disguise and Unreal Engine. Leveraging his solid technical foundation and rich experience, Wang began serving as a virtual production technical director in 2021, leading teams in asset-based production. By 2023, he had advanced to the role of virtual production art supervisor, fully involved in the production process of film projects.
Daniel Clark
Film Production teacher, VFX Compositor and Cinematographer
Dan Clark started his career in the American motion picture industry as an apprentice to Oscar winning editor Claire Simpson. Since then he went on to serve as an assistant director for television shows such as E.R., PARTY OF FIVE and numerous music videos. Later, Dan began working exclusively in post-production again at various optical effect houses in Burbank, California. He shot title sequences, did 16mm blow-ups to 35 and created fades, dissolves and montages for numerous films including SWEET HOME ALABAMA, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING and the Oscar winning documentary KINDERTRANSPORT.
Next, Dan evolved with the industry and moved into computer generated visual effects working on some of the most challenging effects-heavy blockbuster films in the business. His career highlights include being part of the team that did age-regression head replacement for Brad Pitt in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMEN BUTTON and giving Jessica Alba her ability to disappear at the dinner table in FANTASTIC FOUR. He was part of the team that helped the late actor Paul Walker come back to life to finish filming his scenes for FAST AND FURIOUS 7 and was also part of the team to bring the late Chinese pop-star Teresa Teng back to life on the stage as a fully functioning 3D hologram. After that, Dan was part of the early team that developed methods to create 3D stereoscopic effects to allow actors, props and set pieces to be given depth and has done post stereoscopic conversion for TIM BURTON’S ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TRANSFORMERS 1 and 3 and SHREK 1-3 and many other film projects.
Dan then began a career in the Canadian film industry and has contributed visual effects compositing work for films MEN IN BLACK, PIXELS, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and most recently television shows NANCY DREW, THE COLOR PURPLE, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN and a new Batman television show, GOTHAM KNIGHTS.
Dan is also a trusted and effective teacher for the YES EDUCATION CENTER and has taught young Chinese people a variety of subjects including English, Speech and Science.
Michael Qian
Creative Director of Advertising/Senior Film and Television Producer
Michael Qian is a Senior Film and Television Producer and Creative Director of Advertising with a degree in Television Directing from the Communication University of China. Previously, he held positions as a Creative Director, Producer, and Director at Beijing Guoan Advertising.
Within the industry, he is recognized as a “Creative Master” due to his contributions to the production of various large-scale advertisements and his involvement in the planning of film and television works. Some of his notable projects include advertising campaigns for FAW Audi, Huiyuan Juice, Qingdao Haier, and Hua Sheng Computer.
Mike
Photographer/Reporter
Mike is a former photographer for Phoenix TV America, possessing extensive experience and professional skills in the field of photography. He has shot various types of news, TV programs, and documentaries, and provided high-quality footage and video materials. He has also independently completed various complex outdoor shooting tasks. As an instructor, he guides students in practical operations such as outdoor shooting, lighting techniques, and composition of visual elements.
Lin En Jing
Cinematographer / Photographer
Lin En Jing is an experienced cinematographer and photographer who has worked for both CCTV and Beijing TV. He has been involved in a range of high-profile projects, including the production of “Traveling Through China” for CCTV Channel 4 and the “Red Flag Canal” series for Xinhua News Agency. He was also part of the filming team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. As an instructor, he aims to teach students various techniques and skills to effectively convey visual stories through film. He encourages innovation and adaptation to changing formats in the industry.
Robert Chu
Director of Academic Affairs / Photographer / Producer
Robert Chu is a veteran Canadian media professional and photojournalist who has been actively engaged in the media industry since 2000. Throughout his career, he has held roles at several prominent media outlets across radio, newspapers, and magazines. His positions have included reporter, photographer, Assignment Editor, and Senior Reporter.
Robert has extensively covered major news events in Canada, such as the Greater Vancouver gang wars, the Stanley Cup riot, and multiple election coverage. He also served as a journalist photographer during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. In recognition of his exceptional contributions to journalism, Robert Chu received a Certificate of Recognition from the Premier of British Columbia.
