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Like many artists do with their works, Jason Chen often doubts the competence and the impact of his projects. This spring, however, has given him fewer reasons to fret, as his animation short film "Subconscious" has become the darling of many critics. In March, Chen’s piece won Best Experimental Film at the Greater Philadelphia Student Film Festival. April brought a Best Short-Experimental Award at Philadelphia CineFest’s Festival of Independents, and May yielded the work a Student Academy Award as Regional Winner — Alternative Category. This final honor garnered him consideration for a medal and a cash prize from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ever humble, Chen considers his success "very surprising."
The 23-year-old resident of the 1500 block of Mifflin Street came with his family from China to America in 1998. The move was an attempt to enjoy urban living akin to that in his hometown of Guangzhou and allowed Chen to explore his artistic gifts.
"My family members, like many others in China, looked down on art, so I had never considered myself an artist until coming here," he said.
Chen, who took two years of basic English while living in China, finished his elementary education at St. Thomas Aquinas, 1719 Morris St.
"My classmates prompted my interest, but my time at St. John Neumann High School gave me greater inspiration," Chen, a 2004 grad, said.
"My mentor at Neumann, [advisor] Simona Josan, helped me to think about being something other than a lawyer or a doctor," Chen added.
Josan suggested he attend the University of the Arts, 320 S. Broad St. Following her advice, Chen started out with an interest in film and later took a liking in photography. The student developed an interest in animation during his sophomore year. For his senior thesis, Chen, who graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in animation, constructed "Subconscious," a four-minute, 31-second pixilation animation short film with still photography. Reflecting his infatuation with dreams and imagery, the film serves as a metaphor for a breakthrough in life. It centers on a cocoon and its eventual transformation into a butterfly.
The brighter side has definitely become Chen’s preference.
"This film is my most satisfying work so far. It is my way of trying to come to terms with how I have treated life and how life has treated me," Chen said.
Success almost eluded the film.
"I had intended to send the work to festivals, but I was not too proactive. Karl Staven, the Chair of the [university’s] media arts department, coaxed me into sending it," the filmmaker said.
To receive Consideration for a Student Academy Award, Chen had to submit a DVD of his work. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences established the Student Awards in ’72 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. The country is divided into three regions. Chen learned in early May that he had won his region’s Alternative Award.
Chen learned last that he would not be among the overall winners.
"I have no disappointment over losing. I think if I had won, my win would have led to a premature retirement and I don’t want that," he said, chuckling. "What I find strange about my win is that I won for animation even though I love photography more."
The artist is considering a Master’s degree in photography. His love for it has inspired a just-for-fin project called "A Thousand Faces."
"My goal is to collect 1,000 images of ordinary people and develop ways to appreciate the complexity and simplicity of the images," he said.
He is also working on an untitled 15-minute short film dealing with creation and destruction that he hopes to enter in a future contest.
"Art has to be continuous. I never intend to stop making art. Once anyone does, the passion for the work will suffer," Chen said.
