Meet Shengluo Zhang | Animation and Live-Action hybrid Filmmaker & Producer

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

Hi Shengluo, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
For me, making art always means trying something new. New attempts often come with risks. Sometimes it’s the risk of failure. Sometimes it’s the physical risk during the process of making the artwork itself. Whenever I develop a new piece, I focus on the idea itself. After the concept is formed, my focus will shift to how to realize my idea in a physical sense. To achieve my artistic ambitions as much as possible, I tend to take some risks.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Born and raised in Shanghai, China, a multimedia filmmaker I have held various roles, including director, producer, animator, and storyboard artist in many award-winning short films and TV series internationally. My journey was not a smooth path. I studied Italian literature in college, and I never thought about becoming a filmmaker. When I was in New York several years ago, I occasionally came into contact with making animation, which I found engaging. Later, I moved to Florence, Italy. I studied art history and Italian literature in Italy. I traveled around and had the honor to participate in some film festivals held in Europe. I once again ignited my enthusiasm for animation and film. After I came to Los Angeles, I participated in the production of some live-action films by chance. I found the hybrid film and television production that combines animation, visual effects, and live-action fascinating.
The short films I contributed as storyboard artist and animator have won The 27th Annual DGA Student Film Awards, The International KidsNFilm Festival, and been shortlisted for San Diego International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Night Film Festival, and multiple other international film festivals. I used to work on Wong Kar-Wai’s latest TV series production. I have also worked in well-known studios in the entertainment industry, such as Ubisoft and ByteDance. My works focus on women, immigrants, and minorities.

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 would recommend them to visit the museums and galleries in Los Angeles. Los Angeles has many vibrant neighborhoods that are great for young artists.

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?
Filmmaking is all about teamwork. The directors I work with are all outstanding team players. When I was in the director’s hat, I admired the artists I worked with, including cinematographers, animators, concept artists, and various technicians.

Website: https://shengluozhang.wixsite.com/shengluo/about

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zshengluooo/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shengluo-z-190807b7/

Image Credits
Rouwen Chen, Zijie Zhou, Tianyun Lyu, Zoe Sansanowicz, Krosby Roza