We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Blake Huang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Blake, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
Thanks for having me today! I’ve always been fascinated by how movies and TV shows can make people laugh, cry or even just feel. They are more than just entertainment: they are topics to discuss and to quote from, family rituals, shared experiences, trends, social commentary, and forms of escapism. We as filmmakers are making these dreams come true; we are creating a reality for people when their most unreachable dream actually happens on screen: where they can have a beautiful romance story, a great adventure, become heroes and villains, and be whoever they want. That is the power of film, and that is how I want to be remembered: a filmmaker, a dream maker.
As a Video Editor and Sound Designer, my mission is not only to tailor the hard work of the crew on set, but also to bring out the depth of the storytelling in post-production and transform the emotions to the audience. I hope to make films that touch the audience, are remembered, and hold unique meanings. In doing this, I hope to change the stereotype of artists, and display to the world the role of the artist in society––maintaining humanity.
It feels odd to talk about legacy in my 20s, but I want people to remember the emotions they experienced when they watched my film: “Oh, what was that film that made me cry so hard?” “What was that movie that gave me chills?” My goal is not only to create films for the sake of artistic expression, but to craft narratives that resonate on a profound level, leaving an enduring impact on audiences and other creators.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Blake Huang, I’m a Video Editor and Sound Designer. Originally from Taiwan, I moved to Chicago for college and I’ve been serving the Chicago filmmaking community ever since. Video Editing to me is like playing a puzzle, assembling all the pieces of the story in the right place, sharing but also challenging the director’s perspective. I enjoy putting together the hard work of the crew to achieve our collective vision in storytelling. As for Sound Design, it’s amazing how much I can use sound to manipulate the audience and affect the storytelling. Not only to make the film more realistic, but also to support the visual and the audience’s experience seamlessly. I also do (DIT) Digital Imaging Technician as a side gig on set, because I enjoy the atmosphere at film productions with everybody working hard to craft the storytelling together.
Throughout the years I’ve Edited and Sound Designed in various formats such as short films, documentaries, commercials, and feature films, and was the on-set DIT for more than 20 productions. Among them, the sci-fi/action short film “Hole Punched Ear” gave me so much creative space and imagination to play with in post-production. I was DIT on set, edited and sound designed the film. It ended up getting selected for and winning many film festivals around the world. I’ve also shot and edited 15 commercials of varying lengths with Octane Rich Media for Baylor Scott and White Hospital. This experience was so much fun, and really challenged my way of storytelling through editing because I edited commercials that ranged from 60 seconds to 5 seconds. Additionally, I worked on the drama short film “Frog + Spider,” which explores womanhood and human connection. I was able to be involved since the pre-production stage as the Editor, as well as Post Supervisor in the post-production stage.
I always look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with people in different projects. It is my mission to bring out the experience of storytelling, and achieve something wonderful for the audience to remember.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I enjoy the freedom of using my imagination, the joy of solving the problem in post-production, the reputation my works bring me. But the most rewarding aspect is always the reaction of the audience when they see my work. To create a realistic storytelling, we often ask ourselves: how do we pull the audience out from the environment where they watch the film––whether it’s in a theater, in a living room, or even on a cell phone––to a dystopian city, a spaceship or under the sea? My profession of editing and sound design are the type of craft where the more invisible they are, the better. If no one notices the match cut in the fight scene, or the clock ticking sound effect in the background, I as a filmmaker successfully maintain the storytelling without interrupting the audience experience, and create a new environment that is more than just a screen.
I love witnessing the audience watch my film, seeing their fascinated faces at the visuals, the giggling at my dirty jokes, even the curse words at my jump-scare in the scene; that’s when I know I brought out emotions in people, and that’s the most rewarding. Filmmaking is not known as a highly stable occupation, but I’m willing to risk that because I’m passionate about the remarkable ability to evoke emotions, expand empathy, and inspire, making films a universal language that goes across cultural boundaries. The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is not the craft itself, but the impact that it can bring.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Coming from a traditional Asian family, this question is perfect for me! The stereotype about artists is that they don’t make money, but art is what we all live for: it fuels the human spirit. People often neglect the importance of spreading the beauty of art. As a form of art, filmmaking emphasizes the impact art can have on our bonds with others, and how art can paint a vibrant picture of the emotions we are struggling to express.
When illness strikes, we turn to doctors; when our rights are violated, we seek out lawyers. When our regular routine becomes dull and gray, where do we go for something more colorful in life? Sometimes we’re in the mood for adventure Science-Fiction movies like “Star Wars”; other times we have an urge to watch situation comedies like “Friends”; or enjoy the feeling of our hearts racing through thrillers like “Psycho”. Those feelings are how we connect with each other: through cinema, through music, through art. And that is why we need artists.
Many non-creatives struggle to understand why I’m so passionate about pursuing my dream as a filmmaker. This decision is not driven by the profit, but the influence I can bring. I hold the belief that filmmakers and artists are crucial to humanity, and their importance can be compared to highly-regarded fields like law or medicine. We as storytellers and visual poets have the capacity to reflect on, challenge, and inspire society. Through capturing the human condition, we contribute to a collective narrative that lasts over generations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blakehuang.wixsite.com/blakehuang
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blake_1226
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-huang
- Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14999112/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
Award Winning Short Film “Hole Punched Ear”: https://holepunchedearfilm.wixsite.com/home
Image Credits
“Frog + Spider” short film poster — Poster Designer Loren Fay
“Hole Punched Ear” short film poster — Poster Designer Alan Yammin