creative team
filmmakers
The entire team graduated from world-class art schools and is committed to meaningful artistic innovation. We are dedicated to establishing and leading a new era of distinctive visual culture.
Hongjin Chen
Dope Film Founder, Director, Photographer
Hongjin Chen is the founder of Dope Film Studio, she is also a film director and screenwriter from China. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Majored in film production and directing, and other art fields involved include photography, painting, sculpture, fiber, and art therapy.
Most of her works are presented in different ways to reflect social issues and human nature from true stories. Such as, her latest film, Found You, is adapted from a true story of her grandmother, who is an Alzheimer’s patient. Her senior thesis project Five Point Seven is a short crime film that focuses on human nature and the class hierarchy between humans and animals. The first film she made it’s called Persona, which talks about seven deadly sins. For her, cinema is not just a medium of entertainment but also a means of cultural dissemination. In her film, she intend to bringing every ignored story to the big screen and highlighting the significance of human beings.
The self-written and self-directed short film “Goodbye” shot by her sophomore year won the Hollywood Gold Awards, 2021 International World Film Gold Award. The short film “persona” she directed won the Best First Time director (Short) in Log Angeles Film Award. Honorable Mention: Cinematography in Log Angeles Film Award. Best Cinematography in Oniros Film Awards® – New York.
Sky Chen
Photography, Director
Her name is Tianqi Chen. She goes by Sky because the middle part of her Chinese name means Sky.
She is currently a film student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she is also learning about photography.
She believes that if a person wants to shine in front of the camera, the surface image of that person is certainly very important. But what is more important is the light that hits the character, the music that flows in the background, and the photographer standing behind the camera lens.
Although she cannot stand in front of everyone and enjoy the praise and flowers, she feels satisfied when she sees her work is liked after she has worked quietly. She hopes she can continue to work on her strengths in the shadow and make the beautiful people in front of the screen more dazzling.
Qixuan Mai
Graphic Designer
Mikayla (Qixuan) Mai, UI/UX designer, Graphic designer, HCI Designer. Bachelor of Fine Arts in SAIC, Visual Communication. Master of Science in Engineering design innovation, Northwestern University.
She aspires to use what she has learned in visual communication and filmmaking to tell better stories and create better products in human-computer interaction, especially in the fields of health and UI/UX.
Jason Luo
Cinematographer, Editor, Sound Designer
Jason Luo is a filmmaker and New Media artist. In the field of filmmaking, he specializes in cinematography and post-production, which includes editing and sound design. In New Media, he focuses on web coding and design.
Jason’s journey as a filmmaker began during his middle school years and has continued ever since. He became a member of the Raffles Film Society and eventually graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he furthered his career as a filmmaker.
Jason’s love for computers began even earlier, in the early 2000s. He was instantly fascinated by the capabilities of this little magical box and has been exploring the world of hardware and software ever since.
Chenzhen Zong
Art Director, Architect
Chenzhen Zong is a multimedia artist, primarily using the mediums of digital art, photography and experimental video. He is currently pursuing an BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Chenzhen Zong works as an art director at Dope Film Studio. He has transformed from an architect to an artist exploring multiple mediums. The deeper spiritual impact of art on people and the unlimited space for self-expression are the main reasons for his decision. He hope to make people realize that what they are neglecting is more important besides that.
Scott Yan
Producer, Cinematographypher