Modern Magic with Dianshuo
Dianshuo Zhang has an odd profession. It’s not odd in the sense that it is unheard of but rather the fact that she is in charge of creating both things that are not actually there as well as removing that which is too prominent. While her vocational title is VFX Compositor, it’s just as apt to refer to her as a prestidigitator. An acclaimed and constantly in-demand talent in the film and television production world, Zhang’s weapon of choice is a computer and her ammunition is the software that alters reality…or at least the semblance of it. She has worked on numerous award-winning productions which vet her renown in the industry among her peers. Conceding that her inherent microscopic attention to detail benefitted her vocational aspirations, Dianshuo seems to have been destined for the type of work she finds herself so fully immersed in these days. Combining nature AND nurture, Dianshuo easily vacillates between tempering the unplanned into the mundane in addition to conjuring the dramatic. Yes, it’s all in a day’s work for her but it’s work that she revels in every day.
We are in what is often referred to as the New Golden Age of Television. The progression of cable TV and Streaming services has resulted in some of the most innovative and provocative programming ever. Zhang worked on FX network’s Fosse/Verdon, recipient of eleven Primetime Emmy Nominations. Based on Sam Wasson’s biography of Bob Fosse, the series stars Oscar nominated actor Sam Rockwell as Fosse and Oscar nominated actress Michelle Williams as actress and dancer Gwen Verdon. A story such as this requires subtle work from a professional like Zhang. Adding tweaks to Rockwell’s visual appearance in terms of facial hair/balding or creating smoke trails from his cigarette allowed the shooting schedule to move quickly with the confidence that the final scenes would be perfect as a result of Zhang’s work. For the NBC award-nominated series Shades of Blue starring Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta, Dianshuo and her team at The Molecule fueled the gun battle scenes of this crime drama with muzzle flashes and bullet hole explosions. In contrast, Zhang notes that she found herself using her talent to remove mic shadows from certain scenes because, as she states, “You don’t hire someone as famous as Jennifer Lopez to star in your show and then leave a boom mic shadow on her face.” CBS twice Emmy Nominated The Good Fight has utilized Dianshuo’s talent throughout its three seasons. The final episode of the most recent season features a cataclysmic explosion that transforms the appearance of the Chicago sky, courtesy of this VFX artist. This perfectly illustrates the type of effect that no production budget could afford and no filming location would allow. From the common cigarette smoke of Bob Fosse to an explosion in one of the country’s biggest cities, these images all fall within the parameters of Zhang’s work.
2019 saw Dianshuo’s work on Director Justin Baldoni’s feature film Five Feet Apart. This story of two teens who are forbidden to come within close proximity to each other due to potentially fatal medical conditions has so far earned a WW Box Office Gross in excess of $80 Million and received a number of Teen Choice award nominations. From Facetime scenes of the two teens to their daring adventures across the wintery landscape, Dianshuo had a hand in a variety of aesthetics for this film. Transforming the outdoor scenes from Spring into Winter, she allowed for the production team and cast to be efficient and comfortable while communicating the visuals the director and writer intended. The moniker “magician” certainly applies to Zheng when you witness what she achieved for this film.
When queried that she creates the impossible and allows the productions whom enlist her to achieve exactly what they want in the look of their work, Dianshuo announces, “I feel doubly fortunate. I’ve found great success in a career that I truly love; a lot of people don’t get that. Additionally, I’ve been able to work on so many award-nominated and award-winning productions. I remember when I went to see the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. I was amazed by Sam Rockwell’s performance [Rockwell won the 2018 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this film]. Fast forward just a little bit and I’m working on a TV series with him. Not many people get to experience working with an artist whose work they admire so much. I remind myself of that every day.”
