Meet videographer and multimedia designer from Hong Kong, Cancan Kwok.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a 24-year-old videographer and multimedia designer based in Hong Kong. I have been working as a freelancer for the last 3 years. My main focus is on working on creative images, multimedia design, and digital production. I started my own studio in 2018 as the Co-founder & Growth Commander of Cmd Tab Studio and the Co-founder of Capital C Production Ltd.

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

I live in Hong Kong. I think Hong Kong is one of the best places to live in the world because of HongKongers. HongKongers are brave!

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

The best – Safety is number one!

I can walk around after work and be back home late at night by myself and still feel very safe because there are a ton of people on the streets. Although there are some things that may happen, we know the police will come within 10 minutes, which means we can make good use of our time and enjoy our life!

The worst – Our city is creatively dying.

Because of political factors, we are losing our freedom of expression and creativity. Apart from averting significant themes and sensitive content, we have to consider market needs more seriously which caused limitation of movement. Also, the competition for new creative jobs is very cutthroat. With a lack of support, many people in the industry take a voluntary payout and ignore the production quality of their work, resulting in a vicious cycle. This causes misunderstandings to the market participants who get in touch with the clients. For only a hundred dollars you can make a professional music video and it is very difficult to regain their business again.

Because of political factors, we are losing our freedom of expression and creativity.

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

Avenir, Next, Bold

How did you start your career in art?

I had an interest in art since childhood. As a child, I always try to imitate my dad’s drawings. While I was studying in middle school, my teachers and friends encouraged me to study visual art and this taught me a lot. I started to participate in some art exhibitions and created some artworks related to social issues like gender stereotypes, political brainwashing, freedom, etc. Time flies! I studied design and got an opportunity to work as a video production intern where I acquired a taste for film, multimedia and interaction design. For now, I am running my own design business.

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

Yes, they have always been supportive of whatever I want to do. They understand I am an emotional person who will suddenly disappear and create something. I am glad to have them with me to go through my life’s ups and downs. The only downside is that they don’t know much about what I actually do at work.

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

I would like to make a good design to preserve our wonderful memories and culture.

I would like to make a good design to preserve our wonderful memories and culture.

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be

Hard question but I would say it would be Ai Yazawa. She is a Japanese manga artist and the author of Nana, Paradise Kiss, etc. Her artworks are otherworldly and have deeply influenced me. However, she put NANA on hiatus due to an illness nearly 10 years ago. I hope to collaborate with her and hopefully, we can have the story of NANA continued.

How would you describe the women around you?

My mother, grandmother, supervisor, colleagues, and friends are all really tough and hard-working.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

Alice Mak. She is a Hong Kong artist and creator of the cartoon, McDull. McDull is more than just an animation because it fully represents a Hong Konger’s life. It taught me about life, philosophy, and culture.

Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?

Of course, there are challenging aspects to being a female in our industry, especially when we are shooting videos. Men would think meanly of us: weak, spoiled, and lazy because we are females with small figures. In addition, some people think I only get the jobs because I am a girl and I did not get these opportunities due to my own merits. These moments are where I draw my motivation to work silently and prove that I can accomplish my tasks by myself without pulling a few strings.

Success belongs to the persevering.

Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?

I don’t think I am entitled to give advice to anyone but I would like to say: “Success belongs to the persevering.” Together we can make it!

Photos courtesy of Cancan Kwok.