Meet Fan Zhang | Film Producer

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

Hi Fan, why did you pursue a creative career?
Hello! Firstly, thank you so much for having me on this fantastic channel. I’m thrilled to share my story with the readers!

I believe my journey into a creative career traces back to my childhood. Each night, my father would read bedtime stories to me, and I particularly cherished the moments when he brought Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales to life. He often infused the characters and animals with distinct voices, allowing me to immerse myself in vivid scenes. Even in my dreams, these characters continued to play a significant role, marking what I consider my earliest encounter with creativity.

Then, during my undergraduate years, I chose film producing as my major, but mostly focused on working on set. My four years of experience as a line producer exposed me to various aspects of working on set. I learned how to collaborate with people and complete an entire project. However, I felt unsatisfied— the role of a line producer didn’t give me a sense of progress. So, I began to shift towards more creative work. For instance, I worked in the fashion industry as a photographer, conveying stories through portrait photography. Simultaneously, I also worked in the new media industry, writing numerous short scripts and articles. These jobs somewhat separated my visual and storytelling skills and didn’t allow me to engage in storytelling as a true filmmaker. Hence, I chose to leave my hometown and come to the United States to study creative producing at AFI.

My understanding of the industry further broadened through my experiences and internships with film festivals, development and distribution companies. Eager to comprehend every facet of filmmaking, I believe each experience contributes significantly to my skills, particularly when I return to writing stories or developing projects. Being a student in the United States offers me a tremendous opportunity to gain insights into the industry’s workings and discern the distinctions between China and the United States. I am open to exploring new avenues, and currently, I am intrigued by the realm of virtual production, aiming to grasp the workflow of VFX producing.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I feel like I’m just taking the initial steps in my lifelong journey to become a true creative producer. My aim as a bilingual producer is to discover common ground between different cultures, values, and narrate authentic stories. To achieve this, I continuously push myself out of the comfort zone of conventional narratives and strive to connect with diverse audiences. All the shorts and features I’ve been involved in revolve around this core theme. I’m particularly proud of my beginning with a successful short film, ‘NO WORRIES,’ a coming-of-age drama directed by my best friend, Terrence Chan.

This film was unique as it featured the Hokkien language, a dialect from my hometown, Xiamen, a small island in southern China. Given that only 2% of Chinese people can understand this dialect, promoting an independent film like this became an even more challenging task. After completing the production, I proactively sought out film festivals that aligned with our themes and requirements, also ensured all festival materials were ready before delivering the film.

For a local film festival, I submitted our work to a special cultural film panel. The film was screened in one of the most significant historic theaters in my hometown, where I first experienced movies as a child. It felt like coming full circle. The screening drew my dad and some friends, and our film emerged as the most popular one during the entire festival. We received positive critiques and reviews during the zoom Q&A session after the screening from both the audience and the jury.

I also believed our dialect-based film could have an international impact, so I submitted it to culture-related film festivals outside China. Initially, I didn’t have high expectations, but fortunately, a US-based festival nominated and screened our film. This was a significant encouragement for me, confirming my belief that there are no boundaries between stories and audiences.

Following the film festival circuit, the idea of distributing our film emerged. It might sound ludicrous, considering how challenging it is for filmmakers to sell their short films, but against the odds, we managed it! After being nominated by a renowned Chinese film festival, an online distributor approached me, interested in buying our film for their short film platform and releasing it on an international platform. To me, this marked a tremendous success and validated that language is not a barrier between an audience and a compelling story.

This whole experience pumped me up big time. It’s driving me to keep diving into different stories and link up with people from all walks of life. I’m all about finding those common threads between cultures and values. This journey’s only getting started, and I’m dead set on cooking up authentic stories that connect with everyone, no matter where they’re from or what language they speak.

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?
Without a doubt, Griffith Observatory is my ultimate go-to, my legit ’emo’ spot – the place that truly resonates with me. The transition of moving and settling into a new city has posed its challenges, but what I absolutely adore about LA is its vibrant and diverse culture. Griffith holds a special place in my heart for three distinct reasons.

For starters, if you’re a fan of hiking – just like me – you can’t miss the trail leading to the back of the iconic Hollywood sign. The mesmerizing view from up there is nothing short of breathtaking. What’s fantastic is that it’s a beginner-friendly trail, taking around three hours to complete. It’s an ideal way to spend time with friends and soak in the beauty of LA during the captivating Fall season.

As someone who is perpetually in pursuit of the perfect sunset, Griffith Observatory claims the top spot for me. The spectacle of the setting sun against the backdrop of the cityscape is an artist’s dream. It’s the perfect setting for capturing awe-inspiring images and creating lasting memories. So, dress up, arm yourself with a camera, and prepare to be enchanted.

But beyond all, the public stargazing sessions at Griffith are the cherry on top. Stargazing is my personal remedy, my escape from the chaos of life. Whenever I’m feeling weary or disheartened, I make a beeline for the observatory to lose myself in the vast expanse of the universe. Gazing at the stars instills in me a profound sense of perspective; it’s humbling to feel that my worries are just tiny specks in the grand cosmic scheme of things.

Griffith Observatory isn’t just a place; it’s a sanctuary that allows me to reconnect with nature, find solace in the skies, and revel in the magic of this incredible city. So definitely check it out if you haven’t!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Actually, many people along this journey deserve gratitude. First and foremost, I’d like to thank my family for their unwavering support and trust in my decision to venture into a new industry that none of our family members had ever explored. My dad instilled in me a sharp mind, while my mom gifted me with a courageous spirit. And of course, every filmmaker I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with has contributed significantly to my growth. Each person has taught me invaluable lessons, much like a movie worth savoring. Particularly, the filmmakers from my hometown hold a special place. We’ve made a pact to create films that reflect our hometown’s essence. This endeavor provides a gateway for me to understanding both myself and the cultural heritage of my homeland. I genuinely hope we can fulfill this together.

During my time at AFI, I’ve been fortunate to cross paths with an amazing bunch of mentors and supporters. I’ve got to give a big shoutout to the Producing Class of 2024 – every single individual in this family has taught me something valuable. It’s fantastic how we all come from different backgrounds and cultures but share that producer’s drive. The camaraderie among us is just awesome, they’ve been incredibly nice and supportive to me. I really hope we can keep this connection even after we graduate.

I’ve got a bunch of good friends who’ve been rockstars in my journey. My little tribe—Runze, Shufan, Jingruo, and Yifeng—are my go-to people. With them, I can spill out my heart and feel totally understood, especially since we’re all international students chasing the same filmmaker dream. And then, there’s Zerry Zhou, Xirui Lin, Yuxi Chen, and Yufei Lin, who’ve been backing me up all the way from China. Even with the time zone hurdles, every chat or call with them injects fresh energy into me, keeping me going through thick and thin. They’re the real deal!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/anninefanzhang?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fan-zhang-418405261/

Image Credits
Owen.C Jinying Mu Historia Wang Obido Lin