Today we’d like to introduce you to Zing Chen
Hi Zing, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a small city in southern China. When I was 7, my parents sent me to a boarding school in a nearby city, where I only came home once a week, every weekend, a routine that continued until I turned 17. Despite being an only child, my parents had little time to spend with me. My most enduring memories are sitting alone in front of the television, waiting for my parents to come home, (often falling asleep while waiting). For a very long time, the TV was my best companion and my window to the world.
During those solitary moments, I consumed everything the television offered, from movies and TV series to reality shows and animations from all corners of the globe. It was through these stories and characters that I began to understand and imagine the wider world beyond my immediate surroundings. My emotions were deeply entwined with the narratives and personas on the screen. It wasn’t until much later that I recognized the profound impact of visual storytelling. This realization propelled me to pursue a degree in producing at the Beijing Film Academy, followed by a Master’s in Creative Producing at Columbia University. I hold a deep belief that the power of imagery and film can provide the same companionship, healing, and inspiration to others as it did for me.
Over the years, I have participated in over 30 international film and television projects. Shorts I produced have been selected for the Palm Springs International ShortFest, Houston WorldFest, Hong Kong Arts Centre IFVA Festival, Brooklyn Film Festival, and the Shanghai International Shorts Week. At the end of last year, I moved to LA to work with a Hollywood team on a new animated feature.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say that at different stages of my journey, there have been different challenges, which is, of course, to be expected. During my undergraduate years, the challenge was to take all those films and stories stored in my mind and figure out how to assess and filter them, then integrate that with my professional knowledge to transform them into practical production actions. However, during my graduate studies, my focus shifted. As a producer with an Asian background, I often pondered how to leverage my expertise to bring the most value to films in the context of international collaborations.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a Creative Producer, my role, as the title suggests, is to provide creative solutions for films. This involves balancing the creative vision with the practical constraints of production. To achieve this, producer must deeply understand the script and be well-versed in every aspect and process of film production, so we can offer effective recommendations.
What sets me apart from others, I believe, is my strong sense of inclusivity (thanks to the myriad of TV shows I watched). I have worked with filmmakers from Asia, North America, Europe, and South America, and I relish the role of being a cultural bridge in these collaborations. I find it easy to quickly adapt and understand different perspectives, which I consider a strength of mine.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
My latest short film was produced in Argentina, which often leads people to assume that I speak Spanish. But the truth is, I speak zero Spanish. Yet, we managed to make the film regardless.
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