EMBERS OF THE SKY (2010): Actors + Crew on working with writer-director Justin Calen Chenn (Part 2)

Below is Part 2 of a collection of feedback I received from the international actors and crew that worked with me on my 2010 sci-fi anthology feature, Embers of the Sky. (Note: Justin wrote-directed-produced Embers of the Sky as Justin Calen Chiang)

ACTORS+ACTRESSES

ROWENA SUMNER (England)

"Working with Justin was an absolute delight. His shoots were, without exception, focused yet relaxed - much like Justin himself. My experience from working with him, is that his relationship with actors is one of absolute trust in both directions; thus he produces a highly creative environment in which all can flourish. Justin's drive, vision and trust in the skills of others, makes him a wonderful director to work with, and I would certainly jump at the chance to do so again."

HAYLEY J. WILLIAMS (England)

"What can I say...working with Justin both challenged and inspired me in so many ways.  Justin is a unique talent with tremendous vision...and someone who I completely envy because he makes sure his dreams and visions actually happen rather than wistfully hoping that one day they will - he has a strong belief in his abilities and quite rightly so!!  He has overwhelming passion and drive in everything he does which is sometimes surprising given his extremely calm and lovely quiet demeanor on first meeting.  He seems to ensure that he works with amazing people and it's obvious that he learns from every experience he has both in life and film-making, and he moves forward leaps and bounds because of that. 

He is wonderfully open to his actor's and creative team's suggestions and feedback whilst on set – which, as an actor who has worked with many directors, that is a real treat as he makes you feel creatively involved in all parts of the process!  I admire Justin because he is not scared to try anything new and see his vision through - quite the opposite in fact, he relishes the opportunity to learn, evolve & improve through each film he makes, with a childlike excitement, which is incredibly endearing.  I would be honored to work with Justin again, and have no doubt that he will continue to achieve incredible success in all aspects of writing, directing and producing."

SHERILL TURNER (England)

"I’ve worked with many directors over the years, on stage and on screen, and I highly recommend Justin as a talented director and a thoroughly decent person!

I first worked with Justin last February on Embers of the Sky. Upon first meeting him, it was clear that he was a focused and very personable director, which is an actors’ dream. He didn’t run a standard clinical casting session. Instead, he made time to meet with each of the actors, which was a wonderful way of developing a working relationship.

The shot itself was well organized and a very positive experience. I feel I can speak for the whole cast and crew when I say we felt respected, well looked after, and that we were an integral part of the creative process, bringing Embers of the Sky to life.

I am very happy to say that Justin has also become a friend to everyone involved in Embers of the Sky, and actively takes an interest in other projects that we are working on. He is a skilled director with an admirable design to learn more about his craft and all aspects of storytelling. I look forward to working with him again in the future!" 

CRAIG ARCHIBALD (Canada)

"Directing a film successfully takes the utmost in all of the creative skills.  It is a high-wire balancing act between artistic temperament, technical know-how, and social motivational skills. It is rare to find someone who balances all three well. Justin Calen Chiang is one of these rare finds. 

Artistically Justin is sensitive and inspired. A great combination. He listens, encourages and inspires his cast and crew to be the best they can be and at the same time achieving what he needs for his finished product.

Technically he moves with surprising confidence in the whirl of the blue collar grunt and high stress world of film making. Not only does he know what he wants - he knows how to adjust and motivate his crew to the top of their abilities. He also shoots fast and precise. The man knows exactly what he needs to get, which actors can appreciate.

And finally, he is a fantastic guy. His energy and kindness is infectious. He understands human nature.  He understands inspiration. He treats his cast and crew with grace and dignity.  And thus he achieves wonderful results. It doesn't get better than that. I would work with him again anytime he calls."

KEVIN MARRON (Ireland)

“I’m an Irish actor from Carrickmacross that has been working in film for almost ten years. I have to say working with Justin on A Song For Swan was a real joy. A friend of mine had just signed on to the film and thought Justin and I would get on well, so introduced us. I was impressed with him from our first meeting; he had a clear vision of what he was looking for and was very capable in expressing it, he also had all the right questions ready for me and I could tell he had researched my past work and writings too - a true professional, he is always prepared. On set, Justin's professionalism and vision abound; he chooses each element, the locations, the costumes, the props, carefully and knows well what he wants. He builds a strong team around himself and leads it calmly but assertively. I look forward to opportunities to work with him again.”

JUSTIN GORDON (USA)

“I first met Justin immediately upon moving to LA, where I worked on his "Embers of the Sky" trilogy as an actor in a brief, but strongly written and directed interlude called "Faith In Monsters. A calm, confident presence, and an actors delight to work with, so as a collaborator, I hope to meet Justin again in the future.”

CERINA DA GRACA (Hong Kong)

‘My name is Cerina da Graca, and I have worked as an actor for six years, previously in Hong Kong, and now the US. It was great working with Justin. He is very creative and communicates well with actors to achieve what is needed in the film. Moreover, he is great to work with as a colleague, full of excitement, humor, and energy. I feel fortunate to have worked with someone so dedicated and passionate about their vision.”

EMBERS OF THE SKY (2010): Actors + Crew on working with writer-director Justin Calen Chenn (Part 1)

Below is Part 1 of a collection of feedback I received from the international actors and crew that worked with me on my 2010 sci-fi anthology feature, Embers of the Sky. (Note: Justin wrote-directed-produced Embers of the Sky as Justin Calen Chiang)

ACTORS + ACTRESSES

RACHEL RATH (Ireland)

“I've worked as an actor for almost fourteen years and in all that time I have found it rare to work with a director that is talented, calm, controlled, prepared and ready to collaborate. Justin Calen Chiang is all those things. Being on set with Justin was a great feeling. I was there to act and he trusted in my ability as a performer and gave me freedom and respected my choices. I would work with him again in an instant. :)”

SKIP PIPO (USA)

“I worked one day with Justin on Embers of the Sky and it was a pleasure. The set was relaxed and comfortable and Justin encouraged creative collaboration with everyone while at the same time running a very efficient shoot day. I would jump at the chance to work with him again.

I am originally from Seattle where I studied at Northwest Actor's Studio and have been a working actor in Los Angeles for nine years. Thank you for taking the time to read this.”

MARIA OLSEN (South Africa)

“I came to America from South Africa in January 2005, and haven’t stopped to take a breath ever since! Project wise, I’ve done over 15 stage plays, 30 feature films, 60 short films, 5 web series, and 8 music videos.

I was excited when a friend suggested that I meet Justin Calen Chiang - and possibly work with him on Embers of the Sky - as I know that this friend is a total professional and perfectionist who wouldn't work with anyone not cut from the same mold.  When I actually began to work with Justin, I found that he was more even than what I thought he would be as, not only is he an incredibly talented filmmaker with a unique vision, he is also extremely gracious on set and works with a quietness and calmness that is sure to bring out the best in every actor.  I can't wait to work with Justin again in the future.”

NAPOLEON RYAN (England)

“Justin Calen Chiang is a skilled director who knows what he wants and how to get it with economy and style.  He is a pleasure to work with and a creative thinker who can circumvent logistical difficulties with flare and ingenuity.  I worked with him on 'Embers Of The Sky'.  His technical knowledge of sound production allowed him to record my voice for pivotal moments in the film quickly and effectively despite time pressures.  He is tenacious and has the determination to bring his future ambitions to fruition.”

HUGH MUN (Morocco)

“I liked working with Justin Calen Chiang on "Embers of The Sky" because of his attention to detail, and drive for perfection. As a person, I found that Justin is approachable, friendly, and generous. I would be delighted to work with him, again.”

Hugh Mun has been in the film industry for nearly ten years, and has worked with notable people such as James Caan, Adam McKay, and on film and shows that have been shown at Cannes, nominated for the Emmy’s, or shown on NBC.

NATALIE MCMILLAN (USA)

"Despite being the ultimate authority as writer/director/producer, Justin was always very open to feedback from his creative team. Rather than trying to control everything, Justin trusted us to discover his vision together, so that each artist involved had room to explore and play. He was also able to adapt to last-minute adjustments gracefully, which is very important for film-making generally, and especially for low-budget film-making. I would work with him again. I am an alum of Tisch School of the Arts, and have been involved in film both in front of and behind the camera."

TRAVIS GREENSTREET (USA)

I worked with Justin on his very first feature, The Way of Snow. For starters, I felt the film (which was also written by Justin) was powerful, and provoking in what it wanted to say about the pains of emotion. Justin was also the lead actor in it, so my scene was going to be opposite him. From our first rehearsal, I was impressed by how natural an actor Justin was, even though he had never done any training.

On the day of the shoot, I was further impressed by the depth of Justin’s acting ability. Given that the role was very complex and needed extreme emotional subtlety, Justin handled it with ease, just like he handled his directorial abilities. He was concise, prepared, but also ready to go off and “seize the moment” if such an instance came up. He didn’t waste takes, and if he saw that he got it, then we moved on. I did my close up in one take, and then, we were onto the next shot. As an actor, I appreciated that.

****CREW

DAN KANES (USA), Cinematographer

"It is rare that one finds a young visionary director as motivated, passionate, clever, and contemplative as Justin Calen Chiang. I had the opportunity of shooting a series of three science-fiction films for Justin. Despite the challenges we faced in creating strong production value in an independent, entirely self-financed project - Justin maintained a strong vision, level headed response to challenges, and the urge to innovate and explore new ideas in filmmaking. Watching Justin work with the actors inspired me to push myself further as a cinematographer, and expand my horizons in filmmaking.

I have worked on over 100 film sets, and working with Justin has been one of the most rewarding experiences because of his strong vision, matched with compassion and understanding for cast and crew, as well as a strong vision and skill at bringing that vision to life on the screen, no matter what it takes. I look forward to working more with Justin in the future, and seeing his vision come to life on the silver screen for all to enjoy."

MICHAEL BRUCE LOGAN, ASC (England)

(Directors Guild, Academy Member, Senior Colorist)

“Justin Calen Chiang is a highly creative and visual director. He is fantastic to work with. He is very decisive and knows exactly what he wants, but he is very open to input and a good listener. Apart from his passionate filmmaking abilities, he is also very personable. My experience working for him as a colorist was one I would love to repeat and was an opportunity to do some really creative work. I would love to work with Justin again.”

Bruce Logan has been in the film industry for over 40 years, starting with his first job in visual effects on Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. He has gone on to DP films such as the original Tron (1982) and worked on films such as Star Wars, Clint Eastwood’s Bird, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Airplane! and many, many more.