We were lucky to catch up with Ging Chen Sow recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ging Chen, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
Growing up in Malaysia, I attended one of the best high schools in my state academically speaking. During that time, I have had to compete with some of the smartest minds in my age range. While I might not be as academically gifted as the rest of my cohort, I found my passion in the creative space doing newsreels and photography for various events on campus.
During that time, I gave myself a challenge: Each project I did would have to be even more challenging than the last. Sometimes, I focused on storytelling, and other times, I focused on the technical side of things. I got disappointed in myself if I couldn’t deliver something that I believed was better than my last piece, which I believe is where the work ethic came from.
During my time in USC, I had the opportunity to take a couple of Mimi Gramatky’s classes. During that time, I was exposed to the world of production designing and art directing, and I will never forget what she said to me, “the art department makes things happen.”
The opportunities I’ve had would not have fallen into my lap if I were to sit around and do nothing. Going to some of the top institutions have taught me that talent isn’t the only thing that defines you, but rather how hard you work and how big of an impossible task you seem to be able to take on and resolve.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My job as a production designer and an art director sounds simple, I take lines in a script, and turn them into reality. But the truth is, it is much harder than it seems. There is a lot of research and planning toat goes into each and every shoot. I had to dig through archives to figure out how houses were decorated in the 1920s, and flip through library books to find references on how Greece was like in the 1970s.
Once that is concluded, I would have to either construct or set dress the location. From acquiring materials to sourcing furniture and even hiring graphic designers to handle the tiny details, I have done all of it. While it is indeed a lot of work that most people ignore, the most rewarding part of my job is when I put together the before and after photos of the space. The quality of the work seems to speak for itself, and I cherish these photos with my crew.
When the production is over, I am also the one tearing it all down. I’ve had people ask me if I feel sad that all this hard work is gonna disappear, but my answer is no. This space I have created, it lives on forever in a film, inspiring and even touching people’s hearts. As a matter of fact, I enjoy “striking a set”, as we call it in the business, since it means I am now free to work on the next project.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
If someone wants to be a production designer, I would suggest starting by observing everything in your daily life. I used to love observing people in their elements when I was a kid, watching the chef preparing my order, or just a vendor working on their crafts. This gave me a great understanding of how humans interact with their surroundings and thus informed my decision on how I would set dress a set.
In addition to that, network! Make friends with everyone, you have no idea how many gigs I have gotten just because I know someone who knows someone. In this line of business, there seems to be a need to be shameless about yourself, and you will need to keep pushing yourself to go out and meet other people.
The biggest lesson that I’ve learnt that I think everyone should also know is that you should be able to strike a balance between having an accurate depiction of something with having it be good for plot or drama. A lot of people would seek out recreating something as period-accurately as possible or just focus on depicting something authentically, but the truth is we are creating pieces for entertainment. If we cannot entertain the audience, why would they even want to watch our works?
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I feel overwhelmed when I chew on a bone too big for me to swallow. It doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen from time to time. I think it is important to have a support system of chosen family here, people who share the same values as you to be there to support and help you through this time. It could be something as simple as a phone call to vent, or have someone around to give you a hand in a time of need. Either way, I am grateful for my circle of chosen family here and I appreciate their help dearly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gingchensow.com
- Instagram: @gings_fs
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