Today we’d like to introduce you to Zhongbo Ren. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Zhongbo Ren grew up immersed in traditional art, training in sketching, oil, and gouache painting from an early age. He has always loved creating and uses his art to express his life, experience and imagination. He holds a BFA in Production Design from The Beijing Film Academy (China’s premier film school) and spent time working in the film industry in China after his undergraduate training. He finished his MFA in Production Design this summer at UCLA, School of Theater, Film and Television. Since moving to Los Angeles, he has worked on a variety of short films and music videos, acting as either production designer or art director. His projects have been recognized for multiple awards, including Best Micro Film, an Apex Short Film Award, and a DGA Student Film Award, among others. After graduation, he entered the PDI program in Art Director Guild to pursue a professional working position in the film industry. Currently, he is working on a showtime tv pilot show.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
First Challenge:
– The passion for film and storytelling was what compelled me to persist through the arduous application process, which took me three years of trying before I could finally get into that major at BFA. Throughout this time, I had other opportunities to study appropriate majors at other schools – such as Drama and Film and Television Art Design at Shanghai Theatre Academy – but I was intent on fulfilling my dreams. Even then, I knew that this was the field in which I could have the biggest impact in and also find the most fulfilling. Those three years taught me the value of persevering and how to really appreciate the things that I’ve worked hard for.
Second Challenge:
– It is really hard work as a production designer or art director in the film industry, especially for those productions on a small scale or an indie film. Because they don’t really have enough money to hire all the people for various positions, the production designer or the art director will take multiple roles in the art department. For example, set dresser, truck driver, carpenter, prop master, etc. In the meantime, production designer uses their creativity to explore the concept for the entire film by using a limited budget or selling their idea to the director. So we are not only creators or designers but also practitioners.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
For me, because I learned oil painting and realistic painting in my childhood, production design is like drawing a picture on a canvas to express my inspiration, but in this time it is not like drawing a two-dimensional picture, it is to build a real scene, a space, even a world in movies. And I am willing to utilize some methods which are used in drawing pictures. For example, there must be a key point in one picture, like people’s eyes, nose, mouth and so on. So I’d like to use a prop or a piece of furniture to lead a scene or a space, it seems like that all of the rest emanate outward from one point in order to attract others’ attention. Moreover, there are many methods could be used in production design, like contrasting color, obscuring unimportant materials, sense of space and so on. In addition to that, we need to meet the requirements or needs of script and build a platform in order to help with actors’ performance or promoting development of story. Moreover, endowing creators’ affection is important indeed. I believe that it is a very creative and challenging way and also has rich expressions. As a result, it motivates me to engage in production design and pursue a more professional study.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
– Keeping a positive and proactive personality is crucial in the film industry. Most of the film crews will work 12 hours/per day, which means they will be really exhausted at the end of the day or at the last part of the shooting schedule. So building a comfortable working environment helps others to keep going.
– Becoming an outgoing person is very important too. We will meet different crews from various departments every day, like the crew from the production office, set decoration department, props, construction, transportation, etc. We could not know everyone on the crew list. An easy-going would be more popular than those people who are afraid to ask and talk.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.zhongbo-ren.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zhongbo_ren/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100026212854275
