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.”
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