Meet Edward Chiu

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Edward Chiu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Edward below.

Edward, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

For a long time, I struggled with defining my style. I’ve been ignoring that for a good few years, ever since I started working in a studio. The job requires me to be able to jump between design styles, and I’ve always been good at mimicking other popular artists’ styles.
As a 3D motion designer, you also encounter the problem where your style can be limited by your skill set. For example, I was purely a C4D designer for the first five years in the industry, so my choice of style was somewhat restricted, given it was 2015-2020 when the C4D toolset wasn’t technically capable of much beyond interior spaces or cool astronaut stuff (you know what I mean if you were there).

When I first moved to the US, it coincided with turning 30. Two milestones hit at once, and I found myself facing a massive creative block. I lacked technical skills and didn’t have a “style.”
I went through a very difficult two years in NYC, during which Covid hit. I kept grinding, trying to absorb as much knowledge (especially Houdini) as possible. I felt like I could see a crack in the black hole where I was stuck. Then, in my first year at Manvsmachine LA, they gave me the time and space to REALLY explore Houdini. I met Nathan Sims, our Head of Houdini, who helped me “click” with the software, lifting a huge technical barrier.

Soon after, I began to recognize my design and simulation choices, and it turned out that it’s always your preferences that shape your “style.” Now, “style” doesn’t matter to me anymore. I know that as long as I do it my way, it will always reflect my style.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I work as a Research and Design Lead at ManvsMachine in Los Angeles, a multi-dimensional creative company specializing in design, film, and visual arts.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, I built a solid foundation at a design and motion design company called Carbon, where I spent almost six years. Right before my 30s, I had the opportunity to work in NYC for Psyop, a much larger media production company. After two years there, I decided to pursue my dream of working at one of the top motion design studios in the world.

At ManvsMachine, I’ve been given many opportunities to explore unique visual languages, approaches, and techniques. Currently, I’m focused on using the technical knowledge I’ve honed over the years to create bespoke visuals that drive each project’s narrative.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, I would say
1) Curiosity
2) Hard work
3) Consistence
are the most important qualities that were most impactful in my journey.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m interested in collaborating with people who have a vision for creating something extraordinary and possess a deep understanding and appreciation of art. Sometimes, we’re so immersed in our own world that we don’t realize our skillsets can be applied across a variety of fields. Real-time platforms like Unreal and TouchDesigner are areas I’m also exploring. If you’re interested, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @ed.makes.geo.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ed.makes.geo
• Linkedin: @edddwardchiu