Q & A with Doug Chiang

December 24, 2008

BIO
Doug Chiang has worked in film and television production since 1986, earning an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards and a Clio Award. As a film production designer, he has worked on The Polar Express, Beowulf and the 2009 Disney film A Christmas Carol. Chiang was design director for the Star Wars prequels Episode I and Episode II. He has written and illustrated several books, including Robota, which he created and co-wrote with novelist Orson Scott Card. Chiang is Executive Vice President of ImageMovers Digital, a Walt Disney company.

Doug Chiang in his studio

Doug Chiang in his studio

Name: Doug Chiang
Latest IMPACT book: Mechanika: Creating the Art of Science Fiction With Doug Chiang
Hometown: Westland, Michigan
Current residence: San Rafael, California
Kids and/or pets? Three kids: Jake, Ryan and Audrey; two goldfish
Favorite food: Dim sum
Favorite candy bar: Butterfinger
Favorite TV show: Any science program
Favorite movies: Disney’s Pinocchio, Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
Do you collect anything (stamps, comics)? Die cast model cars
First job ever: Paperboy
Best job ever: Current

When did you know you wanted to be a filmmaker?
When I was 15.

Give us a taste of your latest project?
A retelling of A Christmas Carol, told in a new medium that will be completely unlike any version that has come before.

Talk about a time you felt star struck in your line of work.
Never was star struck by movie stars, but meeting my two filmmaking heroes—Ralph McQuarrie (original Star Wars artist) and Ray Harryhausen (legendary stop motion filmmaker) come the closest. Ralph, because his painting originally inspired me to be an artist, and Ray because his animation inspired me to be a filmmaker.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received?
Know what you want and every day, do one thing to get you closer to it.

Click here to visit Doug Chiang’s Web site: Doug Chiang Studio.

Click here to check out Mechanika: Creating the Art of Science Fiction With Doug Chiang.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 24th, 2008 at 9:37 am and is filed under Doug Chiang, Fantasy and Sci-Fi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Doug Chiang, Fantasy and Sci-Fi