"The screenwriting industry appears to have a low barrier to entry, but in reality, the gateway is quite narrow. You must have a director who can turn your script into a film; otherwise, your work has no chance of seeing the light of day." Speaking about the ways young screenwriters enter the industry today, veteran filmmaker He Wei said, "Most aspiring screenwriters generally have only two paths: either join a film company and start as an assistant screenwriter, gradually working their way up, or get to know a director—or become one themselves—to have their scripts filmed and shown to audiences."
Hong Kong filmmaker Nick Cheuk, who rose to fame with the film Time Still Turns the Pages, experienced this transition firsthand after entering the industry, moving from a screenwriting assistant at a film studio to an independent filmmaker who writes and directs his own work. Some say he was lucky, with a relatively smooth career trajectory, as his first self-written and directed work received both market success and critical acclaim. Others praise his patience, noting that while his output is small, it is refined.
Yet, the bittersweet realities behind these assessments are likely known only to Cheuk himself. In a recent interview with Ta Kung Pao, he shared his professional experiences. When faced with the dilemma between cost recovery and depth of content in the commercial film market, Cheuk said his greatest challenge has always been the creative process itself.
Over 13 years in the industry, Cheuk has transitioned from screenwriting assistant to co-writer, and finally to independent writer-director, completing this journey with just five works.
Market shrinkage makes advancement difficult for screenwriters
As He mentioned in the interview, young screenwriters hoping to enter the industry typically have two paths, one of which is joining a film company and starting as an assistant screenwriter. After graduating from City University of Hong Kong with a degree in film studies in 2012, Cheuk's first job was as a screenwriting assistant at Dante Lam's studio. "During that time, I learned under Jack Ng, who later became the screenwriter and director of A Guilty Conscience. Back then, he was the screenwriter, and I was the assistant. The first film I worked on was Unbeatable, where I was mainly responsible for screenwriting assistance and script supervision."
During his time at Dante Lam's studio, Cheuk was primarily involved in tasks such as data collection, drafting story outlines for investor reviews, participating in team discussions, and basic screenwriting training. These monotonous stacks of materials formed the daily routine for countless young screenwriters entering the industry and laid the foundation for their future creative work.
"An assistant screenwriter typically needs at least three years before possibly being promoted to screenwriter, and that's only if the company recognizes their talent," He said. "In the past, when the film market was booming, and there were more filming opportunities, this path was easier. Now, with the market shrinking, film companies have reduced demand for scripts and raised their standards, making advancement along this path even more difficult."
"Therefore, more young people today opt for the other route: collaborating with a director or becoming one themselves to avoid their work being buried due to the lack of an intermediary (director)."
"Building creative confidence is important"
After working at Dante Lam's studio for nine months, driven by a desire to create, Cheuk left and began working as an independent creator. Soon after, he met director Kit Hung of Soundless Wind Chime and got his first opportunity to write a film script.
"That was the first time I had the chance to write a script longer than ten pages. Later, I wrote my first 90-page film script. Although I didn't think that script was particularly good at the time, it showed me that I could write a 90-page film story."
Throughout the interview, Cheuk repeatedly mentioned that he isn't someone with strong creative confidence. In his career, building that confidence has been crucial. "Many young people today lack creative confidence. They worry about criticism and easily doubt themselves."
Later, Cheuk worked on Wilson Yip's Paradox. That period was a time when he lacked creative confidence, fearing that his writing wasn't good enough. He learned diligently from mentors like Jack Ng, immersing himself not only in screenwriting but also in various aspects of the film industry. Before Time Still Turns the Pages was released, Cheuk had worked for the Hong Kong Film Awards for five years. Every time he saw others accepting awards on stage, he would ask himself when he would have the chance to participate as a nominee.
"That moment made me especially eager to have my own work."
In terms of the number of released works, Cheuk is not a prolific director, but this wasn't by design. Over his decade-long career, he repeatedly faced projects being shelved for various reasons—more than 20 stories he wrote never made it to filming. Some were due to funding issues, others because of changes in directors or cast. These abrupt halts not only affected his income but also took a psychological toll.
Future plans to explore commercial film genres
"For a long time, I didn't really have any work of my own." Around 2017, a script he co-wrote with Kit Hung couldn't proceed due to funding issues. "Kit said, 'Cheuk, why don't you take this script and try applying for the First Feature Film Initiative? If you succeed, you'll get HK$2 million in funding, and you can start filming. You can direct it yourself.'" With this encouragement, Cheuk applied for the Initiative for the first time.
As an important avenue for young Hong Kong filmmakers to break into the industry, He noted that while the First Feature Film Initiative primarily funds directors, most applicants are newcomers who are both "director and screenwriter." This allows excellent scripts to be filmed and helps newcomers enter the industry. Many of Hong Kong's emerging film talents, including Cheuk, have made their mark through this initiative.
Cheuk's first application was ultimately unsuccessful, but judges such as Philip Yung, Felix Chong, and Derek Tsang remembered his work. After the selection process, they each extended opportunities to him in different ways.
Around 2015, Cheuk began conceptualizing Time Still Turns the Pages. By 2018, he had completed the first draft and applied again for the Initiative, ultimately standing out. The film was released in 2023, becoming the second-highest-grossing Hong Kong film of the year and receiving 12 nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Time Still Turns the Pages received approximately HK$3 million in government funding at the time. Cheuk mentioned that the Initiative granted him significant creative freedom and alleviated financial concerns. The government only required the film to be released within three years, and when the pandemic caused delays, his request for an extension was approved. He noted that this initiative provides newcomers with funding and creative space, free from commercial pressure, making it an excellent way for young filmmakers and screenwriters to enter the industry.
However, once they move beyond government funding, they are still thrown into the market to face its scrutiny. Many new directors struggle to balance cost recovery with depth of content. Cheuk doesn't confine himself to the framework of art films and may not necessarily make another art film like Time Still Turns the Pages in the near future. He said he plans to explore commercial film genres more in the future, whether romantic dramas, heartfelt stories, or adventure themes with action elements—he is open to trying them all.
(Source: Ta Kung Pao; Journalist: Sylvie Xu; English Editor: Darius)
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