Meet Amanda Huang | director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Huang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking creative risks is a vital factor in the film production process. It excites me as a director to make bold decisions and try different ways to tell the story. While being on set, many unexpected situations often arise, which can sometimes cause inconvenience for the crew. However, embracing those risks can also lead to pleasant surprises. At times, due to constraints of time and location, we may need to shoot in places that differ from the original script or make cuts and merge scenes. Yet, these creative pressures and risks often lead to excellent performances and footage. Therefore, as a director, I make every effort to thoroughly prepare during pre-production so that I can adapt flexibly when plans change, allowing creative risks to yield positive results.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am currently a third-year director at Chapman University’s Dodge College. As I transitioned from focusing on film theory and studies to actually telling stories and finding my own voice, I gradually realized that my previous research in philosophy and traditional Chinese poetry and painting is deeply influencing my film style. In my stories, I often present a relatively open ending. The protagonist may achieve what they desire, but they also lose something important in the process. I choose not to reveal the character’s attitude toward this outcome, leaving everything for the viewers to judge. For example, in a previous story about a ballerina, the girl fights hard to secure the lead role, but in doing so, she distances herself from her boyfriend and friends, ultimately standing alone in the spotlight. I believe this is akin to philosophy, which always poses questions instead of giving answers, because the process of exploring answers is more important than obtaining a specific one.

On one hand, the subtle emotions and slow pace in Asian culture influence my scriptwriting and visual style. The synesthesia in poetry and the blank spaces in ink paintings can similarly be applied to film, conveying the protagonist’s subtle emotional changes to the audience. On the other hand, as a Chinese director making films in the United States, telling stories in different cultural contexts challenges me to find a balance between integrating Eastern and Western cultures, embracing a broader audience while maintaining my unique style and exploring my storytelling voice.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I was born and raised in Shanghai, and I have a deep affection for everything about this city. The charm of Shanghai lies in the fact that even if you wander aimlessly, you can still stumble upon many delightful little shops. That’s why I want to take them for a walk through the French Concession area on a summer night. This area is quiet and romantic, filled with numerous bistros and local restaurants that exude a strong sense of everyday life. I often spend entire afternoons in one of the cafés here, revising my scripts and observing the passersby.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am incredibly grateful for my four years at Mount Holyoke College. As a women’s college, it was the first place where I truly encountered the strength and necessity of female power. In my gender studies classes, I learned about the difficult situations women face as a social gender, as well as the similar struggles that other minority groups experience. On the other hand, I also met many independent, strong, and intelligent female classmates and professors, which made me truly realize the limitless potential that women possess. Throughout all of my academic courses, the college encouraged us to boldly explore every possibility: ‘Go where no one else will go, do what no one else will do.’ This mantra has been a tremendous source of motivation in my film-making career. I have always had a deep interest in and research in fields such as literature, philosophy, art history, psychology, and theater. After entering Mount Holyoke, I began to explore courses in these subjects, and in the fall of my nineteenth year, I decided to study film studies—a multidisciplinary field that encompasses almost all of my interests. I am incredibly thankful that this experience at a women’s college made me realize that film-making is the field I want to dedicate my life to. The topics of women and minorities have also become the central themes of most of my work, and I hope to continue creating narratives from a female perspective in the future.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_amanda0725?igsh=anJ6bXI2NHR0Ym05&utm_source=qr

Other: imdb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14962712/