Karin Fong is a director and designer at Imaginary Forces, where she directs and designs TV commercials and title sequences as well as trailers for film and television. Her show reel includes title sequences for TV series Boardwalk Empire, Rubicon and South Park, cinematic scenes for the Sony game God of War and TV commercials for God of War Ascension and luxury brands like Lexus.
Fong enjoys the variety of her job and the kind of storytelling problems that she is asked to solve. The biggest inspiration for her, in fact, comes from the story itself: “That is one of my favourite parts of the whole process; to dive deep down into whatever the subject matter is.”
You can make a very immersive, emotional piece with film, she says.
Most recently, Karin designed and directed the title sequence of a new series called Black Sails, shot at the Cape Film Studios in Cape Town, South Africa. The series premiered on 25 January 2014 in th US and tracks the golden age of piracy in the 18th century.
Fong's advice to aspiring directors and designers is to work with people better than you. "It elevates the work and you learn a lot. Our world is very collaborative but you also have to bring your own voice to the mix," she explains. "Make things that you like and make sure that you edit it properly so that it properly reflects you."
If you show your true self and really make sure your work reflects that, I think you’ll have an easier time finding the kind of work you want to do and the kind of people you want to work with, she says.