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Vivienne Chow

How did you get involved in working with Zhang Yimou on the Beijing Olympics in 2008? 
We knew each other from way back. I was producing TV commercials at an advertising agency in the early 1990s. I was a fan of his films such as Raise the Red Lantern. So I tried to ask him to see if he would work with us. Then he agreed and shot his first TV commercial with us. That was how we got to know each other.
The first TV commercial we did was for Marlboro Lights. It was a big production, featuring 1,000 actors playing drums on the Great Wall. We had a great time together; got to know each other and his crew too. We stayed in Beijing for three weeks on pre-production. We were shooting in Jiayu Pass, the furthest end of the Great Wall.
We continued to work together over the years. We invited him to work with us on videos for the Shanghai Expo. Then when he became a director for the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, he asked me to come on board. He worked with a lot of foreign companies and he knew me for a long time.
He's very nice and extremely smart, but I was a bit anxious at the time. Then one day he dragged me to the conference room full of people and said to me: "Has anyone worked on Olympics opening and closing ceremonies before? No. I haven't done it either."
I was convinced. I also thought that it was time to move on from advertising. So why not give it a try? Zhang is a great director. He didn't have to bring pen and paper to meetings but all of his ideas, including the precise time frames and camera angles, were all in his head.
Then I signed a confidentiality agreement and moved to Beijing in April 2007 and spent 15 months there. That was how I switched from advertising to this.

What was it like working in Beijing for the Olympics ceremonies compared with Hong Kong?
It was an eye-opening experience. I thought working in advertising in Hong Kong was great but [Beijing] was another level. There were so many things to learn.
The team was assembled from top-notch creative people from China and the rest of the world. My command of English was an advantage.
One big difference from working in Hong Kong was the intense competition. There was an abundance of resources available in China, both talents and other resources. Many young people were available to help.
People's attitudes were also very different. Our colleagues from northern China were very direct. It was Beijing's first Olympics, and we faced many problems. There were arguments from time to time but only centring on the project, not any personal agenda.
For example, not everyone agreed on the idea of the gigantic Chinese scroll painting. But Zhang was very persistent and convinced everyone. The technical team and creative team also had disagreements. But we were very united as a team. There was a lot of trial and error. The director said: "We are doing a show for the whole world." Thus, despite the problems, everyone worked hard because we wanted to put on a good show.
I learned so much from the director and my team. The attitude and teamwork are very important. I have learned to be patient and to be inspired. If there's something you don't understand, just ask.

Does it mean that the attitude of Hong Kong people today is their disadvantage?
I'm proud of Hong Kong people being very efficient, but having worked on a few shows in Hong Kong, I feel that their attitude has changed.
In the past people took pride in technological advancement and the free flow of information. But I feel that people now tend to confine themselves to a comfort zone. You thought that you knew enough, but you will never know enough, especially if you are in the creative field. If you want to achieve excellence, you have to dare to take risks and make an effort in order to push your ideas forward. I feel that today, people here stop after reaching a certain level.
I also have a feeling that young people today, while they look for more opportunities, also want to see results quickly. They want to make big bucks and get promoted in a short period of time.
But today in the digital era, people are exposed to much more information. However, experiences and opportunities here are much less compared to China, which has much bigger demand.
People in mainland China are very hard working and have great curiosity. You have to be open and have a curious mind. You need to talk to people and let others inspire you, and reflect on your work even if you are doing well.
Your company, Artists in Motion, has done spectacular city branding projects in cities and countries, from Hong Kong to mainland China and Australia, with special large-scale moving image projections. How do you feel about different cities' strategies in city branding compared to Hong Kong?
In China, many cities are using culture and heritage to promote themselves, using multimedia entertainment. Because there are so many cities in China, they are all competing with each other intensively.
I've done a few projects on the mainland. My impression is that they are very keen on new ideas. Because they want to maximise their exposure, they want to find a new angle and dare to try new things to achieve their goals. Many of my clients are globetrotters. They often travel to Europe and America to absorb new ideas and learn new developments.
But do you think that compared to mainland cities, Hong Kong is being "too safe"?
It is a little too safe. Creativity needs risks.
City branding in Hong Kong might have come a little late, but I'm proud to have worked on projects in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's city development revolves around property and infrastructure development but not much around culture. Now Hong Kong has a better incentive to conserve its culture and heritage. Many of my shows tell stories about a city's culture and heritage. I support heritage conservation and culture because it is our source of inspiration. Everything from buildings to even trams should be preserved.
What are the keys to success in doing creative work?
Experience and attitude are the keys. You need to accumulate experience. It is like a sponge; the more you work, the more you absorb, and no one can take your experience away. When you have experience, opportunities will come along.
That is accompanied by your attitude. People pick someone who has great attitude and determination to produce excellent work.


From Hong Kong advertising guru to organising big multimedia shows
Hong Kong-born Yvonne Ho began her creative career as a head of television production for top advertising agencies such as DDB Needham and Leo Burnett.
In the early 2000s, she teamed up with mainland director Zhang Yimou to produce promotional videos for the Shanghai World Expo. She later moved to the capital for 15 months to join the team under Zhang putting together the Beijing Olympics opening and closing ceremonies.
Ho then worked as executive producer on the Shanghai corporate pavilion for the 2010 World Expo and the Yan Cheng (Jiangsu Changzhou) Water Show, while serving as multimedia consultant for the Republic of China Centennial Celebration New Year's Eve Countdown. She also worked as a project director for a multimedia installation at the Huaqing Pool in Xian .
Recently, Ho was a project director for the HK 3D Pulse light shows, commissioned by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The shows featured at the 2014 Wine and Dine Festival, Winterfest and the 2015 Lunar New Year celebrations.


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Moving Forward

Move out of the comfort zone and start taking risks, says Hong Kong-born director Yvonne Ho

Photo: Jonathan Wong

Ho channels her creative energy through Artists in Motion. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Entertainers paint on a scroll with their bodies during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

Closing Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Photo: Robert Ng

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To day's Moving Forward features former advertising guru and multimedia visual image director YVONNE HO as she charts her creative journey from Hong Kong to Beijing, working under celebrated film director Zhang Yimou for the 2008 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies. She tells Vivienne Chow why culture and risk-taking are necessary for Hong Kong to progress
