Introduction:
On July 8th, the 25th Taipei Film Festival came to a close. The highly anticipated awards for "Best Actor" and "Best Actress" were won by Wang Bojie and Lu Xiaofen, respectively. A dazzling array of female actresses, including Wang Jing, Xie Xinying, Song Yunhua, Xu Weining, and Zhang Junning, also contributed to the glamorous red carpet event. Amidst the spotlight on the front stage, the awards received behind the scenes held significant value. One of the notable awards was the "Best Original Score" awarded to the film "The Abandoned," starring Zhang Junning and Ruan Jingtian, with the score composed by Wan-Chien Yang. Her appearance in a stunning pearl-white suit at the awards ceremony defied the conventional image of understated behind-the-scenes personnel and left a lasting impression.
"Who is behind Wan-Chien Yang?" Many industry colleagues and media professionals who attended the Taipei Film Festival that evening intuitively felt that the makeup, hairstyling, and overall styling were not something a composer could accomplish alone. Through careful investigation, we have uncovered the identity of this "behind-the-scenes maestro."
"Enabling Artists to Create with Peace of Mind"
Assisting Wan-Chien Yang in coordinating a top-notch package for the evening was W.A.Y Entertainment, also hailing from Taiwan. One of its founders is Chi-hsien Chen(陳起賢), a musician known for composing music for hit TV series such as "Love is sweet(半是蜜糖半是傷)" and "Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain(從前有座靈劍山)."
"I have been collaborating with Wan-Chien for nearly 10 years, from the early days of W.A.Y Entertainment until now," said Chi-hsien Chen. "I believe that even behind the scenes, artists need management and support, whether they encounter creative bottlenecks or experience significant moments in life, like Wan-Chien's achievements."
It is understood that W.A.Y Entertainment, founded by Chi-hsien Chen in 2015, has been dedicated to providing and producing music for film and television projects, with Chi-hsien serving as the team's music director and executive producer. "Being a music producer is a multifaceted role," said Chi-hsien Chen. "Not only must you understand music, but also the projects we serve and the artists we work with. Especially when providing services for film and television projects, our collaborators are often not music professionals. Our task is to understand their needs—sometimes, they may not even know what they want—and find ways to guide, experiment, and bring out their true intentions." Throughout this process, as the music director for film and television, Chi-hsien Chen needs to fully grasp the project's requirements and work with his team to create and refine the musical compositions.
Collaborating with composers like Wan-Chien Yang, Chi-hsien Chen deeply understands the pain points of industry professionals. "I am also a behind-the-scenes worker in music. Usually, we only deal with matters related to music. However, breaking down successful works, understanding the client's language, dealing with finance, legal matters, administration, and packaging—all of these aspects are beyond the scope of artists! Similarly, for production companies, complex musical theory and copyright jargon can be daunting. W.A.Y Entertainment provides a solution to these challenges," shared Chi-hsien Chen. "My hope is for artists to create with peace of mind, and through our collaboration, our partners can find the most suitable music."
Behind the "Blockbuster Maker"
"Even in South Korea, where TV drama music is highly advanced, it is not a standard practice to involve classical musicians in the composition of the entire TV drama score. We are making a very new attempt," shared Chi-hsien Chen.
It is understood that in 2014, Chi-hsien Chen began producing music for film and television projects. He found that the traditional approach to Chinese film and television music production separated music editing from score composition, resulting in a disjointed experience for the audience. In order to change this situation, Chi-hsien Chen drew inspiration from the film and television music production methods of South Korea and the United States. He introduced the logic of film music into the process of TV drama music production. On one hand, he produced theme songs for the film and television projects. On the other hand, he collaborated with classical composers to write scores and personally served as a music editor, ensuring that the music heard by the audience remained consistent with his initial creative ideas. In the Chinese film and television market, the role of music editing is not considered crucial, so this innovative practice faced significant challenges. "The first thing I had to do was to explain to the collaborators why I wanted to take on the role of a music editor," Chi-hsien Chen chuckled.
Thanks to the collaborative work model of the artists under his label, Chi-hsien Chen was able to create an abundance of music and achieve a seamless integration of "visuals × music" in his works. This led to continuous praise from audiences and fans, as well as the emergence of standout music in popular dramas such as "Love is sweet".
"The Most Rebellious Child in the Classical Music Dynasty"
Chi-hsien Chen was born into a family of musicians and started learning the piano at the age of four, displaying astonishing musical talent. Initially assigned to study classical music alongside his sister, he fell in love with rock music during his teenage years. When his father sent him for piano lessons, he would secretly slip away and join his classmates to practice guitar before his father even left the street. His parents then urged him to study abroad and pursue a "useful profession," not to waste his academic achievements. However, how could he leave music behind when his musician friends were still together? "At that time, my parents thought being a teacher was a good profession, so I applied to National Taichung University of Education. I randomly filled in my major," Chi-hsien Chen jokingly recalled. He thought he would study diligently in college, but upon arriving in Taichung, he continued skipping classes, forming bands, and even expressing to his school advisor that he preferred music over his courses, almost jeopardizing his graduation.
With his sister, younger sister, and almost all the children of relatives studying classical music, Chi-hsien Chen naturally became the most rebellious child in this classical music dynasty. "But now everyone calls me 'teacher' when they see me, so I'm not that different from my profession!" Chi-hsien Chen joked. "And when I was young, I only skipped classes, but I did read books. I love reading!"
After graduating from college, Chi-hsien Chen proposed to his parents that he wanted to form a band and venture in Taipei, and his parents decided not to provide financial support and let him fend for himself. In Taipei, Chi-hsien Chen formed the band Popholic with several good friends and served as the guitarist
Fortunately, Chi-hsien Chen's rebellious phase was short-lived, and it wasn't too extreme. After cutting off financial support from his parents and lacking a strong desire for performing, Chi-hsien Chen shifted his focus to behind-the-scenes work after two years of being active as a band member. He became part of the production team for the prominent Chinese band F.I.R. and began an apprenticeship, learning and working simultaneously.
During his time working for F.I.R., Chi-hsien Chen's musical talent began to garner attention. In 2012, he was selected as the music producer for popular Chinese idol Kimi Qiao(喬任梁)'s debut album "Pin.K." under Warner Music, marking a significant turning point in Chi-hsien Chen's music career. From then on, he embarked on a new journey as a music producer.
"No Music, No Superman Flying"
In 2014, through a friend's introduction, Chi-hsien Chen started producing music for film and television projects. In 2015, he officially established Leshi Entertainment with his wife, Chao-Hsuan Li, a former employee of Warner Music and a popular music lyricist. Leshi Entertainment focuses on providing music solutions for film and television projects. Thanks to his background in a musical family and being surrounded by world-class classical musicians, Chi-hsien Chen, with his keen professional instincts, recruited a group of classical musicians including Wan-Chien Yang under his wing. Combined with his exposure to classical music from a young age, he possesses a solid foundation in classical music and professional judgment in the realm of popular music albums. He serves as an A&R and producer for film and television projects, collaborating with his partners in the field of popular music. Together, they have built Leshi Entertainment into a music production team that excels in both classical and popular music, receiving high praise. This has also allowed Chi-hsien Chen, who has always loved literature and film, to find a new way to express his passion for music. "I am a fan of Jin Yong's books. I have always believed that Jin Yong's books are the best 'script' prototype in Chinese history," Chi-hsien Chen exclaimed. "When I was very young, I would read Jin Yong's novels and imagine what the scenes would look like.
Having been exposed to a rich musical upbringing from a young age, Chi-hsien Chen has no boundaries when it comes to his favorite music genres. "I enjoy all forms of musical expression, whether it's ethnic music, Western classical music, or popular music. I listen to them all," Chi-hsien Chen replied. "I remember the first time I heard Mr. Jun Zheng's 'Return to Lhasa.' All the images of blue sky, white clouds, thin oxygen, and the Potala Palace came to my mind. Since then, I have always wanted the opportunity to visit Tibet. Later, I learned that Mr. Jun Zheng wrote this song before he had been to Tibet, and I found it even more interesting. It shows that musicians can truly depict the appearance of every flower in the world with music!"
When asked about the music masters who have had the greatest influence on his career in scoring, Chi-hsien Chen openly admitted that his taste in classical music has been greatly influenced by scoring masters Hans Zimmer and John Williams. "Many movies that I loved as a child, such as 'The Lion King,' 'The Last Samurai,' 'Jurassic Park,' and 'Harry Potter,' had soundtracks composed by these two masters," he revealed."I once heard a saying, 'No Music, No Superman Flying,' which perfectly illustrates the importance of scoring in an entire film project," Chi-hsien Chen remarked. "Compared to the entire film project, music plays a very small role. Even today, when more and more film projects emphasize the importance of music, there are still many people who consider it optional. Sometimes, I also doubt whether focusing on a project and bringing the logic of a movie into a TV series can be understood by everyone. However, the audience's reaction is the most genuine. We cannot control whether a drama becomes popular or not, or whether it is good or not, but at least what I can do is ensure that the music meets our standards and satisfies the viewers who pay close attention to the music in the show."
Conclusion
With 10 years of experience, Chi-hsien Chen has candidly witnessed many people come and go in this industry, but he has remained determined to move forward. He metaphorically compares himself to a "wave watcher" standing at the shore, seemingly distant yet somehow close to the entire entertainment circle. All these experiences have been interesting and have fueled his creativity.
As an emerging music producer and music director for films and TV dramas, Chi-hsien Chen has set new standards and raised the bar in the field of Chinese-language film and TV music with his innovative thinking and talent. Looking ahead, Chi-hsien Chen reveals that he has recently finished working on the music for the TV drama "The Furthest Distance" and is now exploring different musical forms, collaborating with artist partners to contribute to the wave of Chinese-language music.
Perhaps, there will come a day when this "wave watcher" transforms into a "wave rider" – and we may witness that transformation.
