By: Maria Williams
Tianyang Shi is the co-founder and the XR Producer of WLAB Studio. Located in Brooklyn, New York, WLAB Studio is a creative studio that focuses on integrating extended reality technologies into films, commercials, and other forms of digital content. Tianyang has achieved excellent work through WLAB Studio, earning numerous accolades and having the opportunity to work with big corporate clients, such as Sony, Netflix, and Mercedes, just to mention a few.
Tianyang Shi is also an active member of The One Club for Creativity. This non-profit organization promotes excellence in design, advertising, and other similar creative aspects. The fact that the XR producer is an active member of this organization proves that she is committed to innovating and excelling in the film industry. Her dedication, zeal, and experience in this field have made her an asset in the industry. So far, Tianyang has worked as a director, producer, and creative executive for various films, music videos, and commercials.
Tianyang Ziva Shi is a passionate filmmaker who has developed her profession in the creative and entertainment industry. She studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a reputable institution that teaches traditional artistic skills in the filmmaking industry and practical modern technological applications. Interestingly, the same year when Tianyang joined SCAD, the Mandalorian was also released. It is through this adventure-science fiction film that Tianyang first heard about virtual production, and she developed a great interest in this field.
Fortunately, not long after that, SCAD opened a virtual production studio within the school vicinity and equipped it with modern technology and crucial equipment in the virtual production industry. Through the several assignments that they were given at college, Tianyang got the opportunity to use the technology and experience the world of virtual production.
For instance, she once worked as an assistant director for her friend’s directing assignment. While working on this assignment, she learned about the rules of virtual production, the pros and cons, and the problems and potentials of the technologies used. The knowledge and experience that she acquired helped her develop great skills in filmmaking and virtual production, skills that became the strong foundation of her future roles and endeavors.
By the time she graduated from SCAD, Tianyang had already decided to pursue a virtual production career. She put in great effort to find a job in this field. She would send emails, make calls daily, and look for opportunities in the field. Her efforts eventually paid off when one of her old high school friends reached out, requesting her help opening a new virtual production studio in New York. Considering that this was her dream, Tianyang accepted the offer immediately, so her solid career as an X.R. producer began.
Tianyang has achieved major milestones in the filmmaking industry, earning major awards and recognition in various programs. One significant highlight in her career is her role in the Mercedes Benz Miami commercial. For this project, Tianyang was contracted to enhance the quality and visual appeal of the commercial, which she successfully did by using extended reality (X.R.) technology.
Her success in the Mercedes Benz Miami project earned her a good reputation in the filmmaking industry and opened many other job opportunities with high-profile clients. Some of the major clients that Tianyang has worked with include E.L.F. Makeup, Sony, Netflix, Opentext, Visible, Raising Cane’s, Manuel Albarran, Iniko, Iqiyi x Satine, U.S. Open x Ralph Lauren, Posh, The Canvas N.Y.C., Loreine and Hubane. Besides, her outstanding work and expertise in the industry have earned her medium coverage from major news outlets, such as the World Journal, N.Y.U. News, and Medium.
WLAB studio provided the perfect place where she could experiment and push the boundaries of virtual production. The producer was able to achieve her mission, as the studio delivered high-quality, engaging creations that captivated clients and audiences alike. Indeed, her inspiration and zeal had paid off in the end.
The life of an XR producer and manager is not an easy one. This role comes with so many responsibilities, which could eat up on someone’s personal life. Yet, despite being a busy soul herself, Tianyang has found a way to balance her personal and professional life. She has done so by setting a clear distinction between working hours and her personal time. As she mentions, the XR producer has set rules for herself on the amount of time to spend at work and how much time to spend on personal activities. And to ensure that work does not creep into her personal time, Tianyang delegates roles to other team members.
The filmmaker learnt how to manage her personal and professional time back when she was in college. While studying, Tianyang would still participate in the SCAD’s equestrian team. Since then, she mastered the art of time management. Now, Tianyang has a life outside work. When she is not working, she participates in different hobbies. For example, she goes to the gym at least two times a week. And whenever she has some extra free time, she goes horse riding on Long Island. This approach on time management has helped the young producer stay productive in the virtual production industry, while also maintaining a healthy social life.
Each person has a role model or mentor whom they look up to, and Tianyang’s mentor is Maggie Evans. Maggie was Tianyang’s professor during her first year at SCAD. Besides being a professor, Maggie also goes by many titles; she is a professional cyclist, a painter, a popular jazz singer and a bass player.
What Tianyang loves about Maggie is the great passion she has for whatever she does. Commenting about her role model, Tianyang says, “She does so many things that she loves, and she does them so well.” Maggie’s life story has also greatly inspired the XR producer to continue with her career endeavors. Just like her, Maggie also experienced failures and made mistakes, yet she never gave up. Her resilient attitude and positive outlook towards life has had such a great impact on Tianyang, encouraging her to keep pursuing her dreams despite the challenges that she goes through.
The biggest challenge that Tianyang has faced in the filmmaking industry is finding clients. The XR industry is still relatively new in the world of filmmaking. Being an untapped industry, clients have doubts on how it will turn out. Hence, they opt to continue using the old green screen technology that they have been using over many years, rather than risk and try out the new technologies used in XR.
To gain more clients and build their trust in the XR industry, Tianyang mostly found herself explaining all the details about XR and answering very many questions about it. She even went ahead to try out different marketing strategies, such as advertising XR in the events that she got invited into. However, her efforts were not really helping, as clients still chose not to try out the new technologies.
During one of her marketing activities, Tianyang met another founder of a VFX company, who talked her out of these marketing strategies. On the contrary, the VFX founder encouraged her to focus on building her brand first. After all, with a well-built brand, her work would do all the advertising for her and attract clients to her company. Following that practical advice, Tianyang and her team started doing some specs and R&D projects for local businesses. And now, more and more clients have started reaching out to the company, and they have even been able to maintain a good percentage of these clients.
When asked about what core values she follows in her work and life, Tianyang Shi mentioned three:
- Belief
- Trust
- Work ethic
These three core values are what distinguish between an amateur in the filmmaking industry and a professional. Belief entails having confidence in one’s own choices, their dreams, the path they choose to follow in life and the kind of future that they envision themselves in. It is this conviction that propels a person forward, fueling their passion and encouraging them to keep pursuing their goals. A professional in the filmmaking industry should have strong belief, otherwise all their endeavors would lose purpose and direction.
On the other hand, as Tianyang further comments, trust is the cornerstone of any successful partnership or team. A good producer should do more than just learn to trust and rely on those that they work with; they should also prove to be someone that others can trust in. A team built on trust creates an environment where everyone can thrive, in turn ensuring the success of projects.
Work ethic is a practical demonstration of belief and trust. Tianyang emphasizes that a good work ethic means keeping promises and striving for excellence in every task. A person with a strong work ethic is a reliable and dependable part of the team, consistently delivering quality work and handling challenges effectively. This approach not only helps build respect and trust among colleagues but also fosters positive relationships with clients.
According to Tianyang, those three core values are a must-have for anyone looking to succeed in the filmmaking and XR industry. And while other technical and soft skills are still crucial in this industry, these three principles are what truly sets one apart. This is why the XR producer herself constantly strives to embody these values and considers these three core principles in all who she chooses to work with.
Tianyang also looks forward to a future where WLAB Studio collaborates with major brands and leading companies to enhance their projects and reach audiences worldwide. She believes that such a future is possible provided that the studio stays at the forefront of technological advancements and keeps setting benchmarks in the XR industry. As she mentions, the goal is to place WLAB Studio among the leading virtual production studios in the world.
Tianyang Shi offers two pieces of advice to individuals looking to start their own business in whichever field: One, have a clear vision, and two, stay passionate about your goals. Before starting any business, an individual must have a strong sense of direction and purpose. Such a clear vision would not only help them stay focused, but also help them navigate any challenges that they encounter. Being passionate about their endeavors is also very important, as it keeps a person motivated to keep working towards their goal.
Another key factor for aspiring entrepreneurs is building a supportive team that shares their vision and complements their skills. It’s also important to remember that entrepreneurship comes with its challenges, so developing resilience and perseverance is essential for long-term success.
On a personal level, Tianyang looks forward to a time when she can create a film about horses and Chinese Olympic riders. After all, film and horse riding are her two major passions, and she would be thrilled to combine these two in the near future.
Professionally, the XR producer intends to create a company that would open more job opportunities for young individuals looking to develop their career in the film production industry. It has always been Tianyang’s desire to help more young creatives complete their vision in film, and she hopes to achieve this dream through her WLAB studio.
Follow Tianyang Shi on her journey and follow her on her social media:
Personal Website
https://www.instagram.com/wlab.xr/
Fame Media
Writer Sherry Lee,
Hollywood Legends Editor-in-Chief
Published By: Aize Perez
