Beyond the River: Cinematic Motion Painting with Director Wenchun Cheng

If you pressed Wenchun Cheng aka “Catherine”, she will admit that partnering with other creative professionals in a challenging scenario is what excites her the most. The idea that constraints produce greater creativity is certainly applicable to Catherine’s work on the music video “Beyond the River” by Hsu Jen Huang. Within a mere one-minute & three seconds, “Beyond the River” boasts as much dazzling energy and excitement as any major studio VFX movie trailer. What’s all the more impressive is that no high-tech wizardry was involved in the creation of this terse production. Visually creative and sonically provocative, this music video compels the audience to get up and move along with it. Honestly, it seems unthinkable that a massive company like Apple or Google won’t either purchase this film or copy it for an ad campaign because it is so unique. Having directed a number of commercials herself, Catherine is keenly aware that advertising has become more welcoming of creative approaches by filmmakers like herself. Commerce and art are not diametrically opposed, a welcome byproduct of a more discerning consumer population. What is certain is that Catherine is a masterfully inventive director with a deep well of ideas.

  Every artist wants their work to be experienced fully, as a primary focal point, and Hsu-Jen Huang is no different in this. His trips to the historic water towns in China’s Jiangnan region inspired him to create hand-painted paper parasols with imagery of the architecture and landscape of its water towns. Imagining an exhibit in which attendees viewed these within an art exhibit in a pedestrian/restaurant-like atmosphere made him wince. Mr. Huang recalls, “As I recalled one afternoon in the rain during the travels of these water towns, I was astonished with a vivid image of townscape, the movement of people fleeting with colorful umbrellas, boats passing, and the drizzling rain. What a beautiful moment! These parasols need action, not to be treated as just a canvas. The idea of making this film got me very excited, so I got in touch with Catherine through a mutual friend who is also a filmmaker. The first time Catherine and I talked, I could feel the creative energy inside her. Catherine is very keen on music, and she immediately proposed to narrate in the form of dance, expressing the concept of the vitality of these umbrellas through non-existent characters.”

  Vision is a powerful force. Undeterred by what most would consider a derailing component, Catherine plunged headfirst into unknown territory in the making of “Beyond the River” with incredible results. Without any formal training in dance choreography and with a cast of non-dance background actors, this director manifested a dance music video which can only be described as stunning in its beauty and grace. Amidst carefully crafted moments which feature close-ups of the painted parasols, masked actors are seen dancing and vaulting between each other. Describing her creative process, Catherine informs, “I wanted to bring the art of the oil umbrella to life for the audience, and I felt that dance would be the perfect medium to do so. Despite not having any experience as a professional dance choreographer, I was confident that I could create movements that would be effective in conveying the story of the umbrellas. I approached the choreography with a sense of humility, understanding that I was working with untrained dancers who may not have had any experience with choreography before. To choreograph the dance, I focused on creating simple, repetitive movements that would be easy for the dancers to learn and remember. I also encouraged the dancers to use their own body language and personal expression to bring their own unique style to the dance. I believe that my lack of experience as a professional dance choreographer allowed me to approach the choreography with a fresh perspective and an open mind. By focusing on simplicity and personal expression, I was able to create a dance that was effective in conveying the story of the umbrellas and bringing the art of Hsu-Jen to life for the audience.” 

 There’s no question that Catherin Cheng is the type of artist who perceives the big picture. The visual language and the blending of images, movement, and music are complementary in a way that doesn’t overly fixate on any single component and thus allows the true message to shine. Balance is present in every aspect of this production. “Beyond the River” is thrilling and beautiful and authentic.