Yang's first foray into cinema was the script for 40-minute short film Too Young, on which he worked with new director Huang Mingzheng. The film showcased Yang's potential, and went on to win Best Short Film at the 1998 Golden Horse Awards.
土法煉鋼「抄」劇本初試啼聲的第一齣 40 分鐘短片劇本《野麻雀》，與新導演黃銘正合作，就得到 1998 年金馬獎最佳短片，深具潛力。