Today we’d like to introduce you to Mengyao Mia Zhang.
Hi Mia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I’m a film editor based in LA. I majored in editing as an undergrad in my home country, and during the second year of college, I started to form the idea of studying abroad for grad school. During the summer vacation after the second year, I came to LA for summer school and visited film schools in LA and New York, and finally locked my eye on AFI.
The experience at AFI was crucial to me, not only have I grown up significantly as an editor, but also met so many talented filmmakers, who have become long-term collaborators in my career. Around my graduation, the pandemic hit, and I took this time off to participate in Film Dependent Project Involve, which is another excellent opportunity for me to build connections. I got to know and work with many talented people in this program, and we have worked on many other projects ever since.
I’m grateful for my journey so far and am looking forward to the next step.
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?
I would say I’ve been fairly lucky along the way.
I grew up in a family in which non of my family members enjoyed their job. To them, work is simply a way to make a living, which I always felt very strange at a young age. After all, except for the time of sleeping, working takes up the majority of our life, much more than the time with family and friends. Therefore, when I was very young, I promised myself that when I grew up, I would do something I truly love and feel passionate about, even though at that time I didn’t know what that would be.
At the age of 17, I suddenly wanted to be an editor, whereas I’d always planned to become a lawyer before that. Until this day, I still couldn’t pinpoint what triggered that drastic change in me, maybe it’s just meant to be. Despite the conventional environment around me which most parents are against their children entering the art/film field, my parents were extremely supportive of my decision, even if they didn’t fully understand. No one in my family works related to film, so when I told my parents I wanted to be a film editor, they had no idea what that was. My mom searched on the internet “What does a film editor do”, and said to me “You know I just searched editor’s job, it’s such an important role! Without an editor, no film can ever be made! I’m so glad you choose this major!”. It sounds kinda silly, but it’s the best support one can ask for.
I was lucky enough to get into my first choice for undergrad, and then grad school, where I was once again so lucky to work with many talented filmmakers, on the projects I truly liked. Graduating in the middle of the pandemic was a little uncertain, yet magically I always have projects reach out to me, one thing leads to another, and I now work on projects I once dreamed of. I can’t express enough gratitude for all the luck on my journey, and I hope I’ll always have the corresponding ability to embrace it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As an editor, I take pride in helping directors achieve their vision. I always say that I don’t have an editing style, because it varies between different projects. I tell my directors that I’m not here to change their vision but to help achieve their vision in the best possible way. I think an editor is a bridge between directors and the audience, and it’s a great pleasure for me to help them take the audience on a journey.
When choosing work, I try not to limit myself to one genre, as I believe good editors should have the latitude to juggle among different genres and styles. Movies were invented as entertainment, but I always think of movies as a powerful medium to speak for society instead of pure entertainment. Therefore I have a slight preference for movies depicting a series topic or theme, but with comedy elements. I think it takes a greater ability to handle those well, and this kind of movie is a good balance between entertainment and social conscience.
I’ve been receiving delightful compliments from my collaborators, and I would always work hard to live up to that.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I used to listen to Chinese opera in my spare time. This summer I started studying film composing, therefore I started to listen to more film scores.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mengyaomiazhang
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mengyaomiazhang
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mengyaomiazhang
Image Credits
Terry Hou, Ino Yang Popper, Philips Shum, Nausheen Dadabhoy, Diego Gilly, Moritz Rautenberg, Arlene Muller, and Robert L. Hunter
