Meet Jikun Neil Hao

We recently connected with Jikun Neil Hao and have shared our conversation below.

Jikun Neil, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Film is an art form that requires collaboration within a team, sometimes it could be a huge team. Though the most common terms usually mentioned are communication and flexibility, I would love to highlight the importance of thinking critically, not only following others’ ideas, and making bold decisions. As a filmmaker. especially as a production designer, sometimes it requires me to think way ahead of others. While the production is still in a script, imagine it happens in a bar, the whole bar space has to be constructed and designed multiple times in my mind. There was one time that the production happened in a soundstage build, and my main job was to build this large main room of the bar. The director insists on having a large standard four-wall structure which I know by myself that cinematography-wise it will not look good for master shots. This is when being bold is helping efficiency. I designed the digital model which contains a pillow in the middle of the room and the whole bar design in a relatively new look. The director loves it and the shots that we got looking great.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My name is Jikun Neil Hao and I’m a filmmaker/production designer originally from China. Had my undergraduate back in Chicago, I moved to Los Angeles for jobs and then attended the American Film Institute, I used to work in film acquisition and sales but now my main focus is production design, Having lived, worked, and studied in several countries/areas, I feel that my varied experience taught me how to understand things that are beyond my regular knowledge. Also, I’ve learned film in both the artistic and commercial way. I’ve worked in several short films/vertical series and some TV series back in China and this strengthened my skills in the film industry. In the coming few months, I’ll be working on my thesis film which will be aiming for major festivals.

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?

I feel like the most important skill in the film industry is communication. Though it has been a very common topic, communication is way more important than how talented or how creative you are. After all, the film is about collaboration, and how the final picture is presented depends on the effects of a group of people.

The second skill that I would like to mention is flexibility, which is also essential for a business that requires efficiency, Not all films can afford a long production period over a few years, most of them happen within a few months or at most a year and half. This requires the filmmakers to change and adjust their plans accordingly.

The last thing I would like to mention is about trying to learn across your professional areas. Making a film is not only about operating the camera. Architecture, literature, painting, and many other things could fuel the creation of a film. Try not to only stay in your comfort zone but to learn something challenging for yourself.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

After attending the American Film Institute, my learning journey felt like speeded up. Things are happening quickly and I have to learn to multitask, With 2 Cycle films(student short film project) on going, 2 more are happening in the coming 4 weeks. This creates a huge challenge for my time management.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jikun-hao-58b231160/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/no_more_xixihaha/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jikun-hao-58b231160/

Image Credits

Cathy Shiyu Zhao