Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
I see myself as a production designer, art director and scenic artist. I worked as a scenic artist in China for seven years. In 2018, I jumped in to Calarts to study Applied arts (a MFA program), During my time at school, I developed a strong interest in film, participating in USC’s thesis film and working on Universal Studios’ Halloween project during the summer. These different work experiences have made my view of life continue to expand. During the epidemic, I returned to China and participated in projects such as the New Year count down event and the ignition ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which allowed me to learn a lot of management knowledge beyond design.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
I believe you must have an open mind. I think I often put myself in others’ position because this could increase mutual trust. Because the work we do requires a lot of people to work together to complete. We need to express our ideas clearly, and when there is a disagreement, we need to think from the perspective of others. For instance you are in a different environment with different responsibilities, so you see things differently, which is why people often say we don’t understand each other.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
I think it was when I was in college that I slowly started to realize that I was going to do this business in the future. I am very lucky, my parents are super supportive since I was born. My father is an artist, because of his relationship, I met the teacher who changed my life, Li Ming, he is also a professional artist. He taught me not only professional knowledge, but also got inspiration through daily communication. I see him as a role model for me to follow, without his guidance, I won’t be who I am today. The other two people I want to mention are Zhang Qingshan and Zhang Hongchen. They are my mentors, who taught me professional skills and one of the sources of motivation for me to choose to study abroad, thanks to them for giving me the opportunities to shape myself. Last but not least, Mary Heilman, my mentor from Calarts, she took me in on this big shape, offered me the opportunity to come to USA, this opportunity has built a bridge for the international exchanges and cooperation which I will do in the future.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
The biggest challenge now is this: every project being designed now has its own uniqueness. How to combine my experience with new projects reasonably and effectively to ensure that there are no problems is a big challenge. Like the torch relay and ignition ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Because it is held outdoors, the installation and debugging of the scene are all carried out outdoors. It will be very troublesome on windy and rainy days. It is necessary to increase the counterweight to ensure that the scene will not be blown over by the wind. And the materials used must be waterproof. These are the weather forecasts that need to be read in advance and prepared early.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
1. Cole Bennett, his music video concept are awesome, I would like to introduce him to academy and universities in China. Expand his footprint to the Chinese market.
2. Want to get connected with THG creative, because we have lots of theme park project in China, I believe they are one of the best fits.
3.I really want to meet Shane Baxley, love his art, hope can invite him to China to share his work to the people in the film industry.
Drop your social media links.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/qianwan18helen