The Division of Culture and Creativity (DCC) High Table Dinner was held on 22 May. Mr Eddy Wong, a famous production designer and art director, was invited as the guest speaker for this event.
DCC High Table Dinner
Mr Wong is a well-known production designer and art director, who has received numerous awards. Throughout his career, his productions have been nominated 12 times as Best Art Direction by the Hong Kong Film Award, and they have won 5 times. He worked as a second production designer on the movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which was awarded Best Art Direction-Set Decoration at the 73rd Oscar Awards.
Joining Mr Wong at the High Table Dinner were Vice President (Academic Affairs) Prof Chen Zhi; Vice President (Student and General Affairs) Prof Zhang Cong; Registrar of UIC Professor Li Jianhui; Managing Director for Finance and Administration Mr Nelson Chan; Dean of the DCC Prof Brian Clarke; Associate Dean of DCC Dr Jiang Wei; and Assistant to the President Ms Lilian Li.
Vice President (Academic Affairs) Prof Chen Zhi (left) and distinguished guest speaker Mr Eddy Wong
Mr Wong began his speech by talking about his own experience. He used the film Red Cliff, which he was involved in production design, as an example. Mr Wong emphasized the sense of responsibility and team awareness in the art industry, which means you must use the standard of 120% to push yourself to do better. Mr Wong said he was a journalist before entering the art industry, and it was this experience that gave the ability to pay more attention so that he can often observe the smaller details in life as well as think more.
Mr Eddy Wong
Mr Wong also explained the application of aesthetics and the importance of humanity theme in the film. "In the film industry, we should think more about human nature. Only this can make our films continue to move forward, because it is the humanistic themes that can make people around the world understand and resonate. It’s all about us, our hearts, our values, and being a person,” he said.
Year 4 Cinema and Television (CTV) student, Lan Ruoxuan, asked how to prepare if she wanted to work in the film art industry in the future. Mr Wong answered that art is not just a matter of drawing, but more importantly, it shows one’s own understanding of aesthetics, whether it is to be a director or an artist, the most important thing is to have yourself in aesthetics.
Lin Binghan, also from Year 4 CTV, asked “Will some domestic films deliberately be closer to the international aesthetics understanding in order to attract the attention of foreign audiences?” Mr Wong said that commercial films must consider the market, but to do your own things does not necessarily have to please others. Good things will naturally be liked and appreciated, sometimes the key is that people should dare to try and break through.
Year 2 Enviromental Science student Yan Jiaxuan performing for the audience
Prof Brian Clarke ends the dinner with a toast
Reporter: Wei Xiaojing
Photographers: Ben Wen, Wei Xiaojing
Editors: Deen He, Samuel Burgess, Aria Wu, Marissa Furney
(from MPRO)
