We recently connected with Yiyang Shen and have shared our conversation below.
Yiyang, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
My name is Yiyang Shen, people also call me Robert. I am a professional editor now working in Shanghai. Before my career, I studied film editing at the School of Visual Arts, where most of my classmates and friends were full of creativity in making films. I had this feeling of creativity throughout my school time and my freelance time until I went to a post house, and being a professional editor, my creativity seemed to fade away gradually. Things changed after the first year of my career, my friends and I decided to keep making films of our own during our limited weekends and holidays. We have kept making films and pursuing our dreams at different film festivals worldwide since then. Salary gives me my foundation; yet, making films keeps my creation alive, and keeps me alive.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name is Yiyang Shen, and I have been an editor for nine years. I started as a video editor during my high school years, and then I turned into a filmmaker and pursued my studies at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Later, I developed my career as a film editor and became a freelancer in New York. I edited tons of short films and ran a YouTube channel then. This concludes my school years. The special part of my pursuit of study in New York was that so many talented people were gathered around there, and we made films that satisfied our needs, which feels awesome to me.
Now, I’m working professionally in my hometown, Shanghai, and spending my holidays making films that make my life meaningful. Some of our films have been showcased in different film festivals this year, and I want to share them with you all.
“A Shared Table” has just been screened at the New York Shorts International Film Festival, and will be screened at many more film festivals later this year and next year.
“Fall to Blossom” is also winning the best film at the inaugural University of Maryland Film Festival, and will be screened at different film festivals later on.
Meanwhile, we are making two new films these months, and they will be screened next year!
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 would say the best quality I learned to have is to stay humble. There are always more talented people and people who deserve you to learn from. Always put my ego away and learn from the better, that’s the right way to improve ourselves.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I’m seeking filmmakers who share similar dreams so that we can work together on making films, My skills and my knowledge of editing can help produce films. Folks with unique perspectives on film are the people I’m looking for.
If there is someone who currently has an idea for making films and needs my advice, or needs my help editing stuff, just contact me!
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