Dean Burns was hired in 2014 as the vice-president of education at the Shanghai Vancouver Film School at Shanghai University. Burns is an experienced Canadian film professional who has worked in the film and television industry for years. During his experience, he has worked on more than 10,000 short films.
Dean Burns is the vice-president of education at the Shanghai Vancouver Film School at Shanghai University. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]
In 2014, Burns signed a two-month contract, and he never expected that he would stay much longer. After living in Shanghai for eight years, Burns is so used to China and Shanghai that Canada sometimes feels like a foreign country to him.
Burns, who works as a film educator, is both pleased that many of his former students are employed in the film industry and that the institution he works for is the first foreign film school in China.
Burns watched a lot of Chinese television programs when he first arrived in China, which helped him understand the country's traditions and ways of life. Burns asserts that television dramas reflect a country's culture, and as his interest in Chinese culture continues to grow, he has made a hobby out of watching Chinese dramas.
For Burns, cycling is one of the best ways to learn more about Shanghai. He uses his bicycle to navigate Shanghai's streets and lanes every morning in an effort to discover the various forms of the city's beauty.