From Production Designer to director – Helen Chan

The story of Helen Chan is one of determination, creativity, and the chase of dreams. Born in Hong Kong, Helen wasted no time making a name for herself in the film community as a filmmaker with a distinctive expressionist/surreal art style. It all started in 2019 in Atlanta, initially as a film production designer. This experience then created the basis for her visual narrative method.

Moving to Los Angeles:

After her Masters in Film Directing, which Helen completed in March 2023, she relocated to Los Angeles in search of better opportunities in music videos and commercial directing. The move to Los Angeles wasn’t just a change; it was a change in the direction toward the manifestation of creative dreams. Los Angeles provided Helen with an ideal environment for creative growth and communication with other artists from different arts.

Moving on Amidst Adversity and Embracing Creativity

The way to becoming a director was not paved, especially in securing a budget that gave her the freedom to really create something close to her vision. “The biggest struggle is finding artists who can give her a reasonable budget to direct a proper music video and really show what I can do,” she reflects. She never gives up the desire to make great art, even in the face of such an obstacle, Helen adds.

Most of the time, she just had a shoestring budget and would normally have to get by with the help of friends or even sometimes take money out of her pocket. Inversely, to the same degree, these limitations helped her further develop more innovative views. Helen believes that limitations may help act as a catalyst in creativity, pushing her further toward unique solutions and artistic expressions within the budget.

Artistic Style and Influences

It is work that distinguished her—an inimitable combination of the humorous, curious, and surreal. Most of Helen’s ideas are based on personal experiences literally, only negative moments, but presented with very attractive images. That is what really makes this flexibility and turning something unhappy into a work of art sets it apart from a lot of other works of this type. She links this deviated thinking to ADHD, by which she is able to relate apparently unrelated concepts and come up with new ideas. “I love my ability to think out of the box. It allows me to connect concepts that seem unrelated and come up with innovative ideas,” says Helen. The mindset of this show has been noticed and inspired by the world, for it is exciting and a bit different, viewers find.

Career Highlights and Achievements

The lady has achieved quite a few milestones despite entering the industry pretty recently. Since 2023, her works have achieved 41 film festival selections. In the past few months, she was nominated for Best Director in the 2024 Southeast Student Emmy Award and has also won 5 awards in the Telly Awards. All this clearly said, it was in the talent and more in the creation of the director. And each recognition not only justified her hard work but also encouraged her to move on and find other creative fields.

Future Vision

Helen’s long-term goal is to be a music video director whose work inspires a world of goodness. She pictures herself making videos that comfort people, bring them happiness, and make them something they repeat over and over again. “I want my music videos to be something that people find comfort or joy in, videos that people watch more than once,” she says. She hopes to attract enough subscribers of most artists in order to give them the opportunity on every project to enhance their music with their own creations.

Partner Network Development

She is passionate and a strict believer in teamwork. Helen looks forward to collaborating with filmmakers and artists who are as much adventurers and northerners as she is. “I look for filmmakers who are passionate and adventurous, someone who wants to start from the bottom with me,” she says. With people surrounded by this passion, Helen works towards creating masterpieces that are the reflection of this collectiveness of passion and determination.

San San: Turning Negatives into Positives

On the other hand, Helen develops her production company, San San. The mission of the company is to turn all the negative energy into positive through art. It is a high-frequency touch in social and mental healthcare since it deals with visual artwork. Being at the core of the urge to produce work that is relatable yet finished by Helen, this ultimately put her at the core of San San in the commitment to non-conformity.

Conclusion: The Impact of Helen Chan’s Work

The most rewarding part about being an artist is definitely seeing how my work affects people,” she says. She feels that each piece carries a message; hence, according to her, it is her contribution to the world. “Seeing the changes I’ve made and the contribution I’ve made to the world allows me to create more,” she concludes. Hers is one such powerful story—what a good mix of survival, creativity, and constant chase of dreams can create. Hence, this story should be so inspiring; it should make others follow the passions that come with so many setbacks as Helen Chan makes a new wave in the industry.

Published by: Holy Minoza