Choose a career based on passion.

29 YEARS OLD WITH POPULAR COMMERCIALS

Recently, American media reported on the nominations for the 76th Emmy Awards. Productions related to HBO's television series Hacks (which premiered on May 13, 2021) received 17 Emmy nominations, the most prestigious award in the American television industry.

A short video clip of Nguyen Sieu promoting the film Euphoria appeared at HBO's 2022 CASH Awards as a nominee in the Outstanding Sound Design category.

Among them, the short film Hacks: Bit by Bit (a promotional film for Hacks ) was nominated for the Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series category. The scriptwriter and director of Hacks: Bit by Bit is Nguyen Sieu, 29 years old - currently the only Vietnamese advertising filmmaker at HBO, the globally renowned American pay-TV network.

Hacks is a critically acclaimed and award-winning television series, including Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Screenplay, Outstanding Directing, and Outstanding Lead Actress, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Comedy Series.

During his nearly three years working at HBO (formerly Paramount Network, a popular American cable television channel), Nguyen Sieu participated in many major projects. Besides Hacks , one notable example is Euphoria , the fourth most-watched television series in HBO history, averaging 16.3 million viewers per episode. Nguyen Sieu's commercials and behind-the-scenes footage contributed significantly to the success of this masterpiece.

The behind-the-scenes series Enter Euphoria consists of 8 episodes, with episode 5, produced by Nguyen Sieu, winning a bronze award in the Best Behind-the-Scenes Video category at the 2022 Clio Awards, one of the biggest marketing awards in the US.

HBO recognized Nguyen Sieu's creativity because he incorporated a Vietnamese perspective into the production process.

SUCCESS IS ACHIEVED BY CHOOSING A VIETNAMESE APPROACH

According to Nguyen Sieu, he was fortunate to join HBO, a place that perfectly suited his creative strengths as a versatile artist, rather than being limited to just a few individual skills. "I wrote scripts, edited videos, arranged music, worked with lawyers to ensure the video's legality, communicated with photographers to gather images, and directed graphic designers to make the video's visuals more interesting and visually appealing," Nguyen Sieu explained.

In particular, the working environment at HBO allows Super to occasionally express ideas that are slightly different from traditional videos. Normally, post-production videos rarely include external elements (such as photos of other people), focusing instead on clips from the film and interviews with the producer.

But in the video "Enter Euphoria - Season 2 Episode 5 ," Siêu included two photos by veteran photographer Nan Goldin to compare two scenes from Euphoria , clearly explaining where the inspiration for the filming came from. Siêu shared: "When I proposed the idea, the creative director of Euphoria really liked it and said, 'Go ahead and do it.'"

According to Nguyen Sieu, HBO recognized his creations because they value individual and unique perspectives. Therefore, he didn't have to try to adapt his viewpoint to that of an American. "I always approach every video as a Vietnamese producer. Vietnamese culture often values ​​emotion. Perhaps that's why my work has touched the hearts of viewers not only in the US, but also in many other countries," Nguyen Sieu shared.

Nguyen Sieu and his colleagues at HBO

" UNIVERSITY IS NOT A STEPPING STONE TO MAKING MONEY"

Looking at the secure position Nguyen Sieu has established in the American television industry, few know that 10 years ago his choice caused his parents and relatives a great deal of worry.

As a former outstanding student of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School, Siêu was accepted for scholarships by 7 prestigious universities (mostly in the US). His choice to study art surprised many, who thought the profession would be "difficult and not very lucrative"... Nguyễn Siêu confided: "Studying filmmaking and art media like I did, even if I got a job in the US after graduation, the starting salary would only be around $30,000 - $40,000 per year. That's very low, very poor, but I want to live my passion."

According to Nguyen Sieu, he noticed a fundamental difference between educational philosophies in Vietnam and the United States. Vietnamese people view university education as a stepping stone to employment, with the ultimate goal of acquiring a profession and earning enough money to support themselves. Americans, on the other hand, see education as an independent experience. Going to school is simply about expanding one's knowledge in their chosen field. In American universities, students are guided towards their passions, encouraged to study what they enjoy and want, rather than focusing too much on making money.

Nguyen Sieu's current secure position at HBO is the fruit of his journey of daring to pursue his passion, his spirit of learning, and his confidence in his creative abilities. Sieu's long-term goal is to write and produce his own TV shows or films in the future. "Hollywood today highly values ​​stories that are culturally significant and deeply personal. Therefore, I always draw on my life experiences – as a Vietnamese person living between Vietnamese and American cultures – as material and inspiration for my creativity. The creative process is never simple, but I believe that knowing who you are and what your story is is the 'secret formula' for success," Nguyen Sieu shared.

Choose classes based on "interesting" rather than "practical".

With the belief that "four years of university is a journey of discovery and learning," Nguyen Sieu always chooses classes based on the criteria of being "interesting" rather than "practical," learning what he doesn't know about the world around him instead of just preparing skills for future employment.

Siêu carried that enthusiastic spirit into his internships. He didn't shy away from unpaid work; his ultimate goal was always "learning." Thanks to this spirit, Siêu consistently achieved outstanding results, graduating with honors in film and media studies (GPA 3.9/4.0) from Vassar College in the USA.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nha-lam-phim-la-nguoi-viet-duy-nhat-tai-hbo-chon-nghe-vi-dam-me-185240802233256007.htm