CHAPTER.3/ Designer on the set
Sydney Saneun Hwang
I’m a visual person, so hopefully, my work speaks for itself AND I WILL BE KNOWN BY IT.
OR Who knows, maybe one day I will make it to Debbie Millman’s “Design Matters”
CHap.3/
DESIGNER ON SET
Note: only the voiceover is ai generated in this feature.
BEST ADVICE SHE RECEIVED FROM A MENTOR, JESSICA MOON
Be an art director to yourself… You can’t be good at work if you don’t make time for yourself.
Jessica Moon was my mentor for the AIGA NY mentorship cohort in 2023. When I asked her about how she manages work/life balance and overcomes creative blocks, she offered two valuable pieces of advice:
“Be an art director to yourself.” and “You can’t be good at work if you don’t make time for yourself.”
HOW ABOUT WE REWATCH THE PILOT? Shall we…
Sydney Saneun Hwang is a New York-based designer gifted in brand consulting, creative thinking, and creating graphics that help bring the stories of studios such as Hulu, BET+, NBC, and more to the ‘silver screen’ of TV/film. Her photography work (a creative passion) was even a part of the world-renowned, PHOTOVILLE Festival in 2021.
The SVA graduate has worked on set for Saturday Night Live, S48 and has collaborated with various departments of film teams from the upcoming Diarra from Detroit slated to premiere later this year, and created several graphics for Saint X which hit streaming in 2023.
IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE JUST ONE OF THE MULTIPLE ART CREDITS YOU HOLD FOR TELEVISION ON THE ICONIC, IMDb, WHICH WOULD IT BE?
I’d pick ‘Diarra from Detroit ’ for BET+ / Atlantic Pictures.”
If I had to choose one from my IMDb credits for TV/Film, I’d pick “Diarra from Detroit” for BET+ / Atlantic Pictures. The scripts were hilarious, and it was so fun to work with all the talented people involved. The show is a mystery comedy that follows Diarra, who refuses to believe she’s been ghosted by her rebound Tinder date in Detroit. As a screen designer, I built her Tinder app alongside other interactive digital screens.
It’s always rewarding to weave my background in branding and digital design, two things I’m very passionate about. An audience will be thrown off if they catch something that is not realistic or plausible on screen–so attention to detail is a must. It was also fun to collaborate with Apple’s brand team to ensure that each build was aligned with their brand guidelines and standards.
Check out the show when it airs in 2024! Shoutout to Anne Fleischman, Sharon Lomofsky, Nneka Bennett, and Carlisle Peloquin in the Art Department! They did an exceptional job bringing the mysterious vibe of Detroit to life.
Verge Hotel by Sydney Saneun Hwang
Zaha Hadid Retrospective, Interaction Design
Sydney on film set/props see ‘noticed’
Recently I was very impressed by the visual language explored in Severance on Apple TV”
Recently I was very impressed by the visual language explored in Severance on Apple TV. The minimal aesthetic is clinical, tight, and uses atmosphere as a tool to communicate and further the plot of the show.
PEER PERSPECTIVES
(Above) Two Parallel Lines (Nyc Subway Encounter Series) Zine
from commercial design to graphics for TV/film, artbook making, and photography.
How do you merge or prefer to separate your giftings?
I find being a good designer is like being a good actor– like a chameleon constantly changing color. Having multiple creative outlets is truly beneficial in so many ways. It’s like you are adding more communicative languages to your toolset.
For instance, my photography skills comes in handy when I work on a design project, bringing in elements like editing, photoshop, composition, and visual story telling. Creating artist’s books* becomes a playground for pushing creative boundaries that I couldn’t do in commercial gigs. My professional design expertise supports my work in production. And ironically, working in a fast-paced and highly stressful situations on a TV/film production has made me a great creative problem solver.
As a whole, it is positively affecting one another. It’s like a giant mind map of creative connections. As an individual, each endeavor stands as its own practice where I express and explore, and this help me that I don’t burn out easily.
For instance, while I haven’t tackled any branding work in the entertainment sector yet, I envision merging my experiences in design with the TV/Film world. Perhaps one day I can be involved in a project that makes titles and identities for “Saturday Night Live”, beyond creating graphics on set.
↙︎ LET’S HEAD BACKSTAGE TO CONTINUE HER JOURNEY
BACKSTAGE: THE WEAVING OF HWANG’S DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS
All the foundations of my creative outlets are rooted in my years at SVA. I vividly recall my first semester at SVA when I majored in graphic design. On the first day of a basic graphic design class, my teacher, Roman Luba shared his journey from studying architecture to selling artisanal/fashion items to becoming a graphic designer. I was blown away. In my mind, I envisioned a tree blooming, made possible by all the small branches (or roots) supporting the tree. Each little node makes the tree stronger, flourishing.
In the following year, I met Raul Valverde at SVA, a multimedia artist from Spain. One day, he showed us his project, encompassing drawings, animations and photographs in a form of a publication. He worked on this during
his MFA, when he was studying communication design, and cleverly demonstrated how he used design as a means to communicate his own practice. Through his work, I learned what "multidisciplinary" means. With his guidance, I delved into the world of media art (which evolved into photography) and artist’ book, all of which became the foundation of my passions.
Looking back, my journey as a creative was definitely not linear, smooth, and easy, but I take pride in my unique path I’ve been building. I'm still in the process of finding my voice as a designer, and the journey continues.
PEERS WHO HAVE HELPED, INSPIRED, OR PUSHED SYDNEY ONWARD IN HER CREATIVE JOURNEY
ALEX PETROWSKY (Illustrator, Graphic Designer)
Screen graphic designer for Succession
Alex is a talented creative who works in TV/Film. From illustration to prototyping and interaction design, he is a multi-talented artist and always on the look out to learn new things. He was the person I leaned in the most in 2023, when I had to make various apps and screens for BET+/Atlantic productions. He was always available to answer my questions and guide me through. Building tinder app and other apple product screens was not easy and I’m truly grateful for his help!
Silvia Foz (Photographer/ Ceramic artist)
Silvia travels the world to photograph beautiful moments, and I live vicariously through her work. Her work is beautiful it inspires my creativity.
Last but Not Least:
People I met from Type Thursday, amazing guests from Debbie millman’s podcast, incredible contributors from Medium, my fellow creative friends, and many more!
CREATIVE INSIGHT THAT IMPACTED HER JOURNEY FROM THE STAGE OF THOUGHT LEADER, BRIAN COLLINS
Be a problem-’seeker’, rather than a problem-solver.
In February 2021, I attended Brian Collins’ virtual talk that was moderated by Miami AD School. During the event, he shared a piece of advice that left a big impression on me. He said something like the following: “We already had the courage in us to pursue this career path. What’s left to fear? Go out and find more problems. Be a problem-’seeker’, rather than a problem-solver.”
Sydney Saneun Hwang
PEER PERSPECTIVES
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