We recently had the chance to connect with Haowei Zhang and have shared our conversation below.
Haowei, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Right now, I’d say energy matters the most to me. Once you step into the working world, especially in a fast-paced environment, there are always multiple things happening at once. And when you finish one project, the next one is already waiting. In that kind of rhythm, having the energy to keep going is everything. It’s what allows me to actually use my skills, knowledge, and ideas to their fullest. For me, energy is about staying positive and motivated so I can face each challenge head-on.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a filmmaker who come from China, focusing on directing, writing and production design. I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Arts in Film. Shuttling through different positions in the film industry, I have been inspired in the intersection of learning, attempting to capture the poetry and silence of life as a storyteller. My film SLEEPLESS won Best Art Director at the New York International Film Awards and was nominated for Best Production Designer at the Red Movie Award. As the director and production designer, I have been honored with Best Fashion Film at the Style, Experimental Fashion Film Festival and the Vesuvius International Film Fest. His screenwriting RATTLESNAKE IN THE DREAM was recognized as a Finalist of Short Screenplay at the Grande Stories Screenplay Competition. Currently, I am involved in the production of several Vertical Drama Series as a production designer. Almost every one of these Vertical Drama Series has been played and viewed over a million times.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
My Chinese language teacher in junior high school. She was a very strict person, both with herself and her students. I am very thankful that her strictness allowed me to be raised in adolescence with some habits of thought and behavioral development that have served me well to this day. She never viewed children as an appendage and treated us in a very childish way, but rather viewed us as individuals and wrapped her expectations into something respectable and intimidating. From time to time, she shared some insights about life or literature in class, and although they were short, I still savor what she once said to me. She didn’t teach deliberately, but rather expressed her reflections to us as they came to her. This habit of lifelong thinking fascinates me. Life was confusing, but I was as if I had found a light in a fog because of her words. She taught the way to face literature, the posture to face life. These things have nothing to do with marks, but shape me as a person.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I think the closest I ever came to giving up was right after I graduated. Around that time, my family went through an unexpected financial crisis, and my parents were no longer able to support me in any way. Suddenly, I had to face the world completely on my own.
As a fresh graduate, I didn’t yet have a clear understanding of the workplace or how society really works. On top of that, the pressure from my family’s situation left me questioning almost everything about my life. Back in school, I believed that artistic creation and pure self-expression were the most important things in the world—that’s why I chose to enter the film industry in the first place. But now, I was forced to confront the gap between my ideals and reality.
There was a moment when I seriously wondered if I had made the wrong choice, if it was even possible to keep my passion alive while trying to survive. But over time, I realized that I didn’t have to abandon my ideals—I just had to approach them differently. I began finding ways to merge creativity with practical work, and that shift in mindset helped me keep going. Looking back, that period taught me resilience more than anything else.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
I would say staying genuine is the cultural value I protect at all costs. Even when something is negative or uncomfortable, I believe it’s always better to face it with honesty than to hide behind a false sense of beauty.
Being genuine is not just about how I treat others—it’s also about how I face myself. It’s both a conscious choice and, in some ways, a gift. We live in a complex, social world, and it takes both wisdom and courage to preserve your authenticity in the middle of it all.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing?
I’ll regret it if I don’t consistently show up as my best self for the people closest to me—especially my family. Under pressure, it’s easy to unload on the safest people, and I’ve learned that being close isn’t a license to be careless. If I let stress turn into impatience or negativity at home, that’s a cost success can’t justify.
So I’m intentional about it. I try to pause before reacting, ask for a minute to reset when I’m overwhelmed, and apologize quickly when I miss the mark. I make “gratitude a habit”—saying thank you for small things, checking in regularly, celebrating little wins, and being present even when life is busy. Work will always be there; projects end and new ones begin. But the way we treat the people who stand with us every day—that compounds over time.
If I ever look back with regret, it won’t be about a missed project or a slower milestone. It would be about not giving enough kindness, patience, and warmth to the people who matter most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://seriousalborada.wixsite.com/mysite
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aalborada_/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haowei-zhang-4283351ba/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GOWEILETSGO
Image Credits
Picture 1&2: BTS from The Mafia’s Forbidden Virgin (Vertical Drama Series – Platform: Dramabox, Production Designer: Haowei Zhang)
Picture 3: Still from Rattlesnake In The Dream (Short film, Director & Writer & Production Designer: Haowei Zhang)
Picture 4&5: Still from Virtual Religion (Fashion film, Director & Writer & Production Designer: Haowei Zhang, Fashion Designer: Lei Zhang)
Picture 6: Still from Desertopia (Fashion film, Director & Writer & Production Designer: Haowei Zhang, Fashion Designer: Zixuan Xu)
