William Chang Suk-ping
Art director William Chang Suk-ping is legendary in the local film industry. He’s won multiple awards and earned international recognition for his inspired collaborations with director Wong Kar-wai, which began with “As Tears Go By” and continued with classics such as “Chungking Express” and “In the Mood for Love.” He talks to Winnie Yeung about making a career out of being introverted.
I was an introvert when I was young. I still am.
Growing up, I was scared of being in a group—I didn’t like talking to anyone, I locked myself in my room a lot. My family thought there was something wrong with me.
At seven years old I started to draw a lot. I drew everything and I started to design stuff. I challenged myself to design something.
“The Graduate” changed my life—it taught me how a film is not merely a tool for storytelling, but an art as well. After seeing it, I was determined to join the film business.
But my parents were not happy I chose this path—my father told me not to tell anyone that I studied art because art is “useless.”
A friend’s friend introduced me to [new wave director] Patrick Tam, who was looking for an art director for “Love Massacre” in 1980. That’s how I got my first job. There wasn’t much art direction back then.