THE INTERVIEW
November, 2024
JIEN JANE
DIRECTORS OF HALLOWEEN (RABBIT WEL EP 6)
BEST HONORABLE MENTION
Jien Jane, tell us a little more about yourself. Where did your desire to be a director come from?
RabbitWell.com is a fictional story inspired by Silicon Valley nerds and urban legends.
It is a story of nerds meeting superheroes who focus on different areas of discipline. It
is a social satire. It is a story that I write to my younger self. In 2014, I was taking an
Android class at UCLA Extension. While I was studying at Corner Bakery Cafe, I could
not concentrate. Suddenly, I found myself doodling different characters on napkins and
class handouts. That’s how I started my first RabbitWell.com episode.
What is your background?
I studied computer science at UC Berkeley for six years, worked in Silicon Valley for ten
years, and got three computer information system certificates at UCLA Extension. That
is a combination of twenty-plus years of computer programming study and profession.
RabbitWell.com is an animation web series about computer nerds and how to nu-nerd
It is told in humor and heartfelt stories.
What were your references to Halloween (Rabbit Well Ep 6)?
American Got Talent winner Susan Boyle got her first kiss at age 53. I am 54 years
old. And I have never been kissed. Halloween (Rabbit Well Ep 6) is about Dork
Boy having a dream on Halloween that he is on a journey of soul searching.
You won the Best Honorable Mention at the RED MOVIE AWARDS what does that symbolize?
I like to think of the journey of learning and making animated films or art as
enjoyment. Not only it is a privilege to do what I like, but sometimes the process
can be dull and lonely, especially when I am financially broke. Every win is an
encouragement to continue. I like to celebrate and give my shoulder a pat when
I have a win, whether it is a small win or a big win.
What animation technique did you use?
I use Adobe software, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Anime, After Effects, the
retired Flash, Premiere, and Apple Final Cut to make the RabbitWell.com animation web series.
Your film is a spin-off of a series, how did you construct it as a whole?
RabbitWell.com is a journey of nerds with main protagonists Dork Boy and Dork Girl to
un-nerd and self-discovery. In the journey, nerds will encounter many experiences,
inspired by superheroes, grow, transform, and find courage. It is a soul-searching
journey with bravery. I hope RabbitWell.com can bring laughter and inspiration to all the
computer nerds and our future generations.
What was the biggest challenge for this film?
First of all, I am working on it alone, as I don’t have a budget to hire. For one
simple example, my English has a heavy accent, which means that I am way
underqualified as an actress. However, I have to voice both actors and
actresses for all of my characters.
Do you have an anecdote to share with us in particular?
The population between male engineers and female engineers in Silicon Valley is 90%
to 10%. Out of the entire six years I was studying Computer Science at Berkeley, there
were six female students. Often time I was the only female student in a class. I often
hear my male co-workers complain about gender imbalance. Oftentimes, guys would
say that they want to host a party but have no one, especially girls, to invite. Believe me
or not, guys want to have female co-workers.
What is your next project?
I recently finished my next episode screenplay Horse Ride. The plot is about
how Dork Girl overcomes her fear of riding a horse
