Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 03, 2025
Wang Directs Dual Projects: E-Bike Doc & Surreal Music Video
TLDR
- Nocturnal Collective's projects with Jiaxin Wang offer filmmakers a competitive edge through international exposure and festival premieres.
- Nocturnal Collective's documentary Riders follows e-bike delivery workers globally, while Kidnap music video uses VFX and nonlinear storytelling.
- These projects highlight invisible workers and emotional themes, fostering global empathy and cultural understanding through film.
- Jiaxin Wang directs a documentary on e-bike delivery workers and a surreal music video blending noir and cutting-edge VFX.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it highlights the evolving landscape of independent filmmaking that bridges social commentary with artistic innovation. Jiaxin Wang's projects address pressing global issues—the human cost of the gig economy in 'Riders' and psychological themes in 'Kidnap'—while pushing creative boundaries. For audiences, this represents access to culturally relevant content that challenges conventional storytelling. For the film industry, it demonstrates how independent studios like Nocturnal Collective are producing work that competes with major studios in both artistic merit and social impact. These projects could influence how documentaries approach global labor issues and how music videos incorporate complex narrative structures, potentially setting new standards for cross-medium artistic expression.
Summary
Nocturnal Collective, a Los Angeles-based creative studio, has announced two major international projects under acclaimed filmmaker Jiaxin Wang's direction, solidifying his reputation as a visionary in independent cinema and music video art. The first project, Riders, is an ambitious feature documentary scheduled for production from February to August 2027, following the lives of e-bike delivery workers in Brooklyn and Chinese mega-cities. The film explores themes of resilience and survival in the on-demand economy, with cinematography by Paul Song, production by Eddie Yukun Long, and music by Oscar Pan. The project targets international film festivals and seeks support from Catapult Film Fund, Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, Ford Foundation's JustFilms, and CNEX Foundation.
The second project, Kidnap, is a visually daring music video collaboration with rising Chinese rapper Yaka, currently in post-production. This VFX-intensive project blends noir-inspired surrealism with nonlinear storytelling and choreography, exploring themes of obsession and emotional captivity. Wang oversaw creative direction, visual worldbuilding, and post-production VFX oversight, working alongside cinematographer Paul Song and producer Eddie Yukun Long. The music video features production design by Olivia Huilin Gao and costume design by Sophie Deleo, with plans for submission to top music video festivals worldwide.
These projects showcase Wang's versatility in both socially urgent documentary filmmaking and stylistically innovative visual storytelling. Nocturnal Collective, through representative Yinan Shi, emphasizes Wang's unique ability to tell global stories with both urgency and beauty, reflecting the studio's commitment to cross-cultural storytelling and amplifying bold artistic voices in the international creative community.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Wang Directs Dual Projects: E-Bike Doc & Surreal Music Video
