Meet Anran Geng

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anran Geng. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anran, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

I keep my creativity alive by staying curious. For me, inspiration usually comes from everyday life—tiny details, like how light shifts during the day or how a color pops out in a random corner. I also like to borrow from different art forms. Sometimes a painting, a piece of music, or even a line from a book will trigger something for me, and I’ll bring that energy into my design work. I think as long as I keep my eyes open and let myself be surprised, creativity just keeps flowing.

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 both a production designer and a concept artist, and I see these two roles as deeply connected. As a concept artist, I sketch and imagine worlds in their earliest form—shapes, colors, moods, the first spark of a story’s atmosphere. As a production designer, I take that imagination further and translate it into physical space, building environments that actors can move through and audiences can feel.

What excites me most is how every project allows me to move between invention and craft. Sometimes it’s about researching history in detail, and sometimes it’s about pure visual experimentation, but in both cases the goal is the same: to make the invisible visible. Right now, I’m focused on projects at AFI and a series of short films exploring identity, migration, and magical realism. For me, design is more than sets or drawings—it’s about creating a world that quietly carries the emotional weight of a story.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

For me, the three things were curiosity, adaptability, and always thinking about story. Curiosity kept me exploring different art forms instead of limiting myself. Adaptability helped me switch between fine art, concept art, and production design without getting stuck. And story is what grounds everything—design only works if it serves the narrative.

For anyone just starting out, I’d say: keep feeding your curiosity with new experiences, don’t be afraid to step into projects that stretch you, and always let the story guide your choices. That combination will carry you forward.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’m always drawn to stories that explore cultural intersections, memories, and emotions at their most intense. I don’t see film as something distant, like a painting hanging in a museum—it’s an art form woven into everyday life, yet powerful enough to leave a lasting mark. That’s the kind of storytelling that makes me want to create.

Because of this, I would describe myself as a bit of an idealist. I’m always hoping to make work that feels “different”—not in scale or prestige, but in spirit. Even if a project only shifts someone’s perspective a little, or leaves behind a small emotional trace, that’s enough for me. What I’m looking for are collaborators who share that drive: people who believe in pushing boundaries, telling honest stories, and creating work that carries both imagination and emotional truth.

If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://anniegeng.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annie_geng_/

Image Credits

1. Personal Photo by Yuzie Jin
2.“Evan’s Ranch” – Concept Illustration for “3;10 to Yuma” Redesign
3. “Nuyorican” – Concept Illustration for “Art Direct That Location – NYC Tenement Apartment, 103 Orchard Street ”
4. Still of AFI short film “Earth to Mark” – Dir Adam Foster Jacobs; DP Sydney Lawson
5. “Chinatown Theater” – Concept illustration for “Echoes of the Past”
6.“Nuyorican” – Concept Handsketch for “Art Direct That Location – NYC Tenement Apartment, 103 Orchard Street ”
7. Still of AFI short film “Circulo” – Dir Harry Chiao; DP Aditya Gosar
8. Still of AFI short film “Circulo” – Dir Harry Chiao; DP Aditya Gosar
9. “The Sea” – Concept illustration fot “Tidehaven”