Blossoms Shanghai was all the rage in early 2024, the streets of Shanghai buzzing with excitement over Wong Kar-wai’s latest project. Among the dedicated crew members behind this cultural phenomenon was Jiang Hao. He joined Wong’s production team as a planner in 2017, when the project first launched, and spent six years heavily involved in the research and development of memorable settings in the series like Huanghe Road, Zhizhenyuan Restaurant, and Bund 27. When Blossoms Shanghai entered post-production, Jiang chose to return to school, kicking off a conversation with himself.
Wong Kar-wai (left) and Jiang Hao (right)
In 2023, Jiang enrolled in the Interactive Media Arts (IMA) Master’s program jointly offered by NYU Shanghai and NYU Tisch School of the Arts, graduating the following year. Thanks to the program’s flexible structure, he was able to balance his work without compromising his studies.
“During the pandemic, there was an overwhelming amount of information about technological revolutions circulating on social media—AI and GPT were advancing at an incredible pace, which gave those of us in traditional industries a sense of unease,” Jiang recalled. “When I caught COVID, I was scrolling through web pages out of boredom, and the IMA program popped out at me. I took it as a sign to apply, eager to step outside my comfort zone and discover something new!”
“We've Got Each Other's Backs.”
Jiang describes his IMA learning experience as well-structured, cross-cultural, and highly supportive. The program’s unique structure includes two semesters of online learning, and in-person classes at NYU’s global network campuses in New York and Shanghai, as well as at the global academic center in Berlin. Each location offers a distinct cultural context, providing varied perspectives to enrich the coursework.
In New York, Jiang described the introductory courses as a "welcoming, open playground." This phase allowed him to gain a broad understanding of interactive media, with the freedom to experiment with creative ideas. “Studying in New York was like having a vast blank canvas, where you could explore and create without any restraint. Every corner was brimmed with inspiration,” Jiang recalled.
"I was excited about experiencing the American style of education, but I was also a bit anxious, since I haven't been in school for years, and I knew that campus life would be quite different from the workplace,” Jiang shared. “Once in New York, I found my anxiety quickly alleviated by the loving community. There was a strong sense of support—professors cared not only about our ideas but also encouraged us to understand others’ perspectives. Since the IMA program evolved from the sophisticated Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP)1, it provided us with incredibly rich resources.”
In New York, Jiang worked on an interactive project titled Leave Me Alone Machine.
IMA Cohort in New York
Honeymoons
The program's unique structure also helped Jiang foster strong bonds with his peers. "Each one-to-two-month on-site learning phase felt like a 'honeymoon' with my classmates. Even though we weren’t always together, each reunion was fulfilling and enjoyable," Jiang reminisced. These close interactions provided him with invaluable support and inspiration, both academically and personally.
Of all his experiences, Jiang particularly enjoyed his time in Berlin. He found the city’s vibrant and diverse culture to be an ideal complement to the “Live Bodies” course, offering him a deeply immersive artistic experience. “In Berlin, the entire city was my classroom. The ‘Live Bodies’ course made me rethink the interaction between humans and space, as well as the connection between art and everyday life,” Jiang remarked.
In Berlin, Jiang participated in an interactive VJ project titled Resculpting the Falling Pig.
IMA Cohort in Berlin
“Everything Happens for a Reason”
During the early production of Blossoms Shanghai, Wong Kar-wai was meticulous about historical accuracy, down to the smallest detail in every frame. His insistence on intentionality greatly influenced Jiang’s learning approach in the IMA program.
“In the IMA projects, we were encouraged to explore the motivation and rationale behind each creative idea,” Jiang said. “This mindset gave me a sense of direction in my studies. Whenever I faced a challenge, I would dig into the root cause and systematically unravel the complexity.” This approach enabled Jiang to navigate IMA’s interdisciplinary challenges with greater ease and confidence.
“The IMA experience has made me more confident because I understand that every complex creative problem has its own internal logic and reasoning. Once you identify and understand it, you can find a breakthrough,” Jiang stated. This mindset not only enhanced his design skills but also helped him approach various challenges in a multicultural, interdisciplinary setting with poise.
After graduation, in addition to continuing his work with Wong Kar-wai, Jiang is exploring new opportunities in writing and visual interaction. He believes that the IMA experience has laid a solid foundation for his creative pursuits, allowing him to approach new works with confidence and to apply the concept of “everything happens for a reason” in conceptualizing and materializing his creations.
A highlight from Jiang’s thesis project, A Critique of Everyday Life
IMA Cohort at the Graduate Convocation in Shanghai
Finding Inner Peace
“The IMA program was not just an academic and creative journey, but also a healing process.” Jiang reflected. Through his experiences spanning three cities, he gradually made peace with himself and found his inner balance. “Throughout this journey, I kept breaking down my old self-perceptions and rebuilding my values. This was not just about renewing my understanding of art but also profoundly reflecting on my personal life,” Jiang shared.
Today, Jiang continues to delve into the creative field, eager to incorporate the principles and methods he learned at IMA into future projects. “IMA taught me how to navigate the world of creativity freely, and this confidence is my most valuable asset for future endeavors.”
Jiang’s Instagram Story
【1】In 1979, Professor Red Burns, known as the "Godmother of New York Tech," founded the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at New York University. ITP paved the way for the development of several new degree programs across NYU’s global network, including the undergraduate Interactive Media Arts (IMA) program at NYU Shanghai, launched in 2013. In 2019, on ITP’s 40th anniversary, NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ ITP program and NYU Shanghai’s IMA program jointly established the Interactive Media Arts Master’s program.