An Inspired Chat with Silvia Chen of New York

We recently had the chance to connect with Silvia Chen and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Silvia, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity, without a doubt.

I’ve worked with people who are brilliant and full of energy, but if they lack integrity, everything eventually falls apart. Intelligence can solve problems, and energy can make things happen, but integrity is what keeps it real. In film and in life, I prefer to collaborate with those who honor their commitments rather than those who simply present well.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a professional film and commercial producer with 15 years of experience. I now run a boutique production company called Frameless Pictures, a collective of multi-hyphenate filmmakers from around the world, united by one shared mission: to communicate profound messages through the art of creative storytelling. We believe that powerful stories transcend borders, languages, and formats, and our work is dedicated to crafting them with integrity, imagination, and meaning.

Currently, we have two independent feature films in post-production, getting ready for their festival runs:

“The Flesh People,” written and directed by Keshav Srinivasan, is a horror film about two desperate roommates trying to hustle their way through New York City before entering the booming cannibalism industry. It channels modern anxieties — the constant pressure to do more, be more — and explores the spiral of existential dread that often follows. Stylistically, it draws from 70s and 80s horror classics like Evil Dead II, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Delicatessen. We leaned heavily into practical effects and prosthetics.

“Illusions” is an indie feature composed of short pieces by eight directors, all connected by a central theme: illusions. The stories blur the lines between the real and the imagined, exploring how our perceptions shape our understanding of the world. I produced the project alongside two talented filmmakers at Bobadibob Films — Asya Segalovich and Marina Charriton. This collaboration came out of a desire to support one another creatively and to make work outside the usual industry constraints. It’s a return to the kind of filmmaking that inspires us, and an invitation for audiences to explore new narrative forms.

At the heart of everything I do is a belief in collaboration, experimentation, and purpose-driven storytelling. Whether I’m producing a high-concept horror film or a deeply personal narrative, I’m always looking for projects that challenge form and speak something real. Frameless Pictures is a creative home for filmmakers who want to make bold, resonant work on their own terms. I’m excited to keep building meaningful partnerships, championing original voices, and bringing stories to life that leave a lasting impact.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I’m not a very religious person, but here’s a story:
When I was a child growing up on the island of Taiwan, the rest of the world needed to be created and built in my imagination as there was no internet to see the world through. Movies were another portal to an imaginary world and allowed me to establish connections and understandings to the greater world outside of Taiwan. I grew up in a traditional Taiwanese family so when I let my parents know I was interested in studying film following high school, they decided against that path and chose which major I would apply to in university. However they weren’t too surprised about me working in the film industry after college and then deciding to spend all my savings to study film in graduate school on the other side of the earth. They told me it’s because a Buddhist/Taoist god (Guan Gong) once told them, through a medium when I was eight years old, that their rebellious daughter was like a wild horse that could not be tamed. Time has softened my sharp, rebellious edges, but once I set my heart on something, I don’t give up easily.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
The first time I executed a car commercial (an annual campaign). I was very nervous because I was about to make a car commercial with one of the most famous commercial directors in Taiwan. My team and I spent two months in preparation. At first, the commercial agency wanted to go to Japan to shoot the commercial. It took a month to negotiate between our agency and the production companies in Japan; I had to resolve the differences that resulted from the different laws, complex location requirements, and budgetary constraints. To resolve the budgetary issues, I was able to convince the agency to shoot in Taiwan instead. There were twelve shooting locations and only three days for shooting with the city, bridges, residential area, and coastal scenes. Shooting also needed to take place during both day and night. To create the right “Made in Japan” image and impression, we worked to make all the scenes look like Japan with various props and post-production editing. The most difficult part was creating a set to look like “Itsukushima Shrine” in Japan – a shrine that looks like it is floating on water when it was built over a bay. For this part of the commercial we needed to create a shoal with shallow water so two of the product cars could drive on it alongside a truck with a Scorpio Arm. I barely slept for two weeks before the production. The shallow water area was built inside a big parking lot and unfortunately the worker I hired failed to measure the horizontal level correctly. When we filled the parking lot with water, one side of the water was deep and the other side was dry. Thus before and during the shooting days different problems occurred. Our aerial shooting had permit problems because of the location the director picked, and the traffic control was a bit of a disaster. We were unable to block the whole street for commercial shooting so we could only do interval traffic control that followed the traffic light. Also, the director changed his mind and decided to shoot on another block, which forced the art director to move all of his crew to re-set the street. Furthermore, the product car had problems with its headlights. Eventually we were able to finish the shooting and production and our agency earned the profits that they were initially expecting. Thankfully, none of the crew blamed me for anything after the shooting, but this project obliterated my self-confidence. I put a lot of effort into this project and I examined all of the details to see if I was wrong in anyway in executing the project. I called my mother one day to tell her about my experience and subsequent self-doubt, and she said, “You can always come home.” I felt like Kiki in Kiki’s Delivery Service—a witch who had lost her ability to fly, a producer who had lost her sense of purpose.

Even after ten years, there were still moments when I wanted to give up. Whenever the criticizing and negative voices returned, I would watch a movie—any movie—and feel the life and energy other filmmakers had poured into their work. Just like Kiki, I know the power is always within her.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’ve always wanted to make films that bring people together, stories that create conversation, spark empathy, and plant a small seed of kindness that ripples outward. Something like a mitzvah, where one good act inspires another. I see storytelling as a form of connection and healing; it reminds us of our shared humanity.

For me, filmmaking isn’t just about entertainment, it’s about impact. I want my work to touch people, to make them pause and feel something real, maybe even see the world a little differently. That’s what I’m committed to, no matter how long it takes. It’s a lifelong pursuit: to keep creating stories that carry light, even in dark times, and to believe that one story can still make a difference.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
When I’m in nature.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://silviachenfilms.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvia-chen-producer