Director | Editor | Videographer
About Me
I’m a director, editor, and videographer, based in Shanghai.
My passion is to explore empathy and connections, especially in the margins of human conditions.
Background
I was constantly on the move from childhood: Wuhan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and back to Shanghai. The experience of being rootless has its perks: open-mindedness, perspectives, and a habit of observing without pre-conceived notions.
Graduated from the film production MFA program at University of Southern California, I mentored under Jeremy Kagan for directing and Jason Rosenfield for editing.
From the talented faculties and fellow artists, not only did I improve as a storyteller, but also as a human being. I found myself in a community of creatives where one can temper one's ego without losing one's edge.
I directed and edited multiple award-winning short films, including 'Winter, 1983', 'A Cake for Lizzie', 'The Expiration', 'The Five Minutes', etc. My current long-term project is a documentarian character-study on the artists in town.
My Inspirations
I seek three qualities in any stories I love: emotional connection, new perspectives, and the 'Lean Forward Moments' as per Norm Hollyn.
I'm a believer in Walter Murch's 'Rule of Six'.
I'm one of those people who simply cannot pick a 'favorite director'. I love the poetic realism of Asghar Farhadi, the inquisitiveness of Oliver Stone, the cathartic playfulness of Queintin Tarantino, and the grotesque beauty of Guillermo Del Toro.
As a director...
I believe that a truly great director should inspire and guide his/her fellow collaborators,
to encourage crews and actors alike to offer their brightest creative gems,
and to mold them all into an engaging and thought-provoking story under his/her creative vision.
A great director is not a dictator, but a facilitator and unifier.
As an editor...
I like to provide novel approaches and fresh perspectives.
When directors scratch their head with 'what should it be', editors help with 'what can it be?'
To sift through footages before or after 'Action!' for hidden gems: a brief eye-contact, a slight tilt of head, a vulnerable second of contemplation...
To turn a dead-end of a subplot into meaningful arcs with careful rearranging of shots...
Those are the moments I live for as an editor!
I'd like to collaborate in...
any project that tickles the imagination, be it narratives, documentaries, or commercials...