RESEARCHER

FILMMAKER

DAVID YIYANG LIU

DAVID YIYANG LIU — RESEARCH PROFILE

MPHIL STUDENTUNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES (UNSW)

MEMBER OF THE UNSW NLP RESEARCH GROUP
David Yiyang Liu

I'm an MPhil student at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), researching the intersection of narrative theory, natural language processing, and large language models. I'm part of the UNSW NLP research group.

My work applies narratological frameworks to the design and evaluation of story-generation systems, and explores reinforcement learning methods for producing more coherent, theory-informed narratives. I also collaborate on research applying VR and generative AI to filmmaking education.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Narrative TheoryNatural Language ProcessingLarge Language ModelsReinforcement LearningGenerative AI

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship

UNSW

2025–2027

Domestic Research Training Grant (DRTG)

UNSW

2026

STEMM Champion

UNSW STEMM Champions Program

2026

Taste of Research Scholarship

UNSW

2024

EXPERIENCE

Casual AcademicUNSW
2025–Present

I tutor across Computer Science and Engineering, and Arts and Media.

  • Data Structures and Algorithms
  • Screen Production II
Full Stack Software EngineerArludo
2023–Present

I develop and maintain features for a digital education portal using React and AWS, part-time.

PUBLICATIONS

01Narrative Theory-Driven LLM Methods for Automatic Story Generation and Understanding: A SurveyPreprint
2026VIEW
02Retell, Reward, Repeat: Reinforcement Learning for Narrative Theory-Informed Story RetellingConference
2026VIEW
03Filmmaking Education Using Virtual Reality and Generative AI for Real-Time Feedback in Simulated EnvironmentsConference
2025
04Metaverse and Virtual Reality Integration in Filmmaking Education: Applications in Cinematography and Artificial Intelligence FeedbackBook Chapter
2025