Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaoyang Wen.
Hi Shaoyang, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been exposed to Peking Opera since childhood and received professional training in body movement, posture, and vocal performance, studying and performing for about seven to eight years. After high school, I began exploring theater acting and later participated in several independent films made by friends. These diverse performance experiences sparked a strong interest in storytelling and character creation.
Beyond acting, I also have a deep passion for spatial composition and design aesthetics. I studied architecture in college, where I designed buildings of various scales and developed essential design skills such as drafting and model-making. I greatly enjoyed the process of design and creation.
Through my interactions with friends working in design and filmmaking, production design gradually came into my view as a new path. I began experimenting with conceptual design projects for theater and film on my own and took on art department roles in friends’ independent films. I discovered that production design is an intersection of storytelling and spatial aesthetics — something I’m deeply passionate about and where I can fully apply my abilities.
I am currently studying in the Production Design program at the American Film Institute, working as a production designer, art director, and in other art department roles on student films and independent films.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think the biggest challenge for me is the lack of connections and exposure, which means I have relatively fewer opportunities. As a designer without a film production background, I’m a complete newcomer to the industry. On top of that, as an international student who has only been in LA for about a year, there are many projects I’m capable of handling, but I often miss out on them due to the lack of introductions or networking opportunities.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I do production design and all kinds of other roles in art department for student films and indepentant films. I also do concept art for films. One of the student films I designed, called Ghost House, is the one I’m most proud of. It was an experimental piece set in a theatrical space, combined with fiction and documentary of film making.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success means creating work that I truly love and am proud of, while also building a strong reputation and earning recognition within the industry.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uvidaaa/
Image Credits
1-3: Stills from short film ‘Ghost House’. Director: En-Kuang “Harry” Chiao, Producer: Julian Nebreda-Bello, Screenwriter: En-Kuang Chiao & Jimmy Proser, Cinematogragher: Ben Zach, Editor: Man “Niko” Su, Production Designer: Shaoyang Wen
4-5: Concept Art by Shaoyang Wen
6-7: Concept Art by Shaoyang Wen
