Today we’d like to introduce you to I-Chen “Jane” Chung.
Hi I-Chen “Jane”, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in Taiwan in a city called Kaohsiung. Ever since I was little, I had always been fascinated by every aspect of the film: from its unique storytelling to learning about the impact it has on cultures, societies, and individual lives; filmmaking has always been my ambition and goal. The director who had inspired me and opened my eyes through many accounts as a young adult is director Ang Lee. His film had given me memories of my theater experience and watching his movies made me realize my real goal in life. In college, I had a chance to co-write and co-directed a theater play for an event. This experience gave me the courage to pursue my dream as a filmmaker and move abroad to the United States.
Throughout the years of living in the United States, I have been blessed to be given opportunities to gain practical and valuable experiences from filmmaking. My experiences shaped me to be the artist I am today. My involvement in projects with friends and fellow filmmakers also gave me the necessary experience working in my field of study.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In 2012, when I was 20 years old, I graduated from college in Taiwan with a major in Applied English. A month after I graduated, I moved to the United States immediately. By that time, I was in a foreign country with zero knowledge about filmmaking, and I know I would have to start everything from scratch. But for me, I took the challenge and the opportunity because I know this is what I’m passionate about, and this is what I would like to do as my career.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve always been known to be good at learning and adapting to tasks quickly by using innovative and creative methods for problem-solving as Assistant Director.
I enjoy taking in all sorts of challenges as Assistant Director. Knowing how to problem-solve, adequately manage the schedule, make quick and right decisions, good communication skill, and translate from Mandarin to English to many other creative directors whose primary language isn’t English.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
From the experiences I had, making a good movie takes a lot of hard work and cooperation. Being an Assistant Director is like the train driver, leading the train, making sure everyone is on board, and heading to the same destination. It’s crucial to have good communications with each individual and send out the right signal to different departments to ensure everything is on track. Even though sometimes can be challenged but as long as everyone’s need is heard, there won’t be too many difficulties.
