Christine Chang Talks Debut Short “Making Space” and Observing Love on Screen
Disclaimer: this article contains spoilers for Making Space: A Goodbye Love Story.
Christine Chang has never believed in staying in one lane. Over the past two decades, her work has spanned celebrity and lifestyle photography, writing, podcast hosting, and pharmaceutical marketing — building a career that redefines success and proves it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.
In yet another ambitious career chapter, Chang made her directorial debut with her first short film, Making Space: A Goodbye Love Story. The short follows Cece (Jessika Van) as she navigates a “situationship” with Jeff (Tim Chiou), a charming man unwilling to commit to a long-term relationship. Upon discovering that Jeff is dating other people, Cece is forced to confront her wants, desires, and the challenge of choosing herself.
Following its Los Angeles premiere at the Beverly Hills Film Festival in April and its screening at the LA Film Fest in May, Making Space continues to build momentum through community screenings across California.
Sitting in her Los Angeles home with her dogs cozily lounging in the background, Chang spoke with EnVi over Zoom about the making of her short film, her career progression, and the themes that continue to shape her creative work.
Reframing Romance
Looking through a camera lens and putting words into paper has always been a calling for Chang. This passion has stayed with her throughout her extensive career as a photographer, capturing celebrities, weddings, and intimate moments. Chang turned to writing with her 2020 book Show Up: Finding Love for Independent Women, a candid exploration of modern dating.
But filmmaking has long been present in her life, with Chang recalling early memories of making music videos and writing plays with her sister and neighborhood kids using VHS video recorders.
“I think as kids, we all know what we want to do — so as a kid, I remember wanting to make movies… As an adult, I did not pursue filmmaking until this last year because adult life happens… But in the back, filmmaking was always there. That interest was always there. It was just the courage to pursue it.”
The topic of romance and relationships has been a consistent thread throughout Chang’s creative work, particularly in her podcast Show Up With Christine Chang, where she discusses love, dating, and career advice. Making Space sparked from these constant conversations, reflecting a culmination of her lived experiences, a message for other women, and an ongoing lesson for herself.
“I just really wanted to show this shared experience, and also a lesson too, for any women who might be going through it, ‘cause I think when you’re going through it, and you’re in it, and you’re enamored by this person, it could be a little cloudy to see. That’s what you have friends for. And also maybe this film will be a reminder, like oh yeah, I can use this for myself. I can choose me.”
Chang attributed her favorite part of both making the film was seeing the reactions of other women. She recalled moments on set of when her predominantly female crew would make dramatic exclamations at plot points that felt deeply familiar in the beats of modern dating. The scene where Cece confronts Jeff, in particular, garnered some of the most vocal reactions.
“We filmed in a very small house and so we’re in a very small bedroom [with just] makeup, wardrobe, producer, and they’re watching it on the screen. And I could just see in their body language how engaged they were [that they were] leaning forward… So when I saw that, I was like, okay, they’re engaged. Like, we’re on the right track here.”
Making Space captures the emotional uncertainties of romance in a grounded and realistic way. Rather than villainizing any character, the film presents a situation that many viewers may have either experienced or witnessed, making its emotional impact especially relatable.
Learning the Language of Film
In the process of writing and directing her first film, Chang faced a learning curve in the technical aspects of screenwriting and cinematography, but the challenge was both expected and welcomed. “That’s what I asked for,” Chang said. “Anytime you’re doing something new, it’s growth, and so there’s gonna be growing pains and things you don’t know.”
Her experience in photography gave her a distinct perspective, shaping the way she observes intimacy and connection from behind the lens.
“It definitely helped me have a framing eye,” she noted. “For me, there’s two general types of approaches — there’s the more cinematic, pretty approach, and then there’s the emotional approach, where that’s more me, because that’s how I am with photojournalism. I look at the connection between people and the look on their face first versus, ‘Is this pretty?’”
With screenwriting in particular, Chang shared that her original script went through heavy edits after seeing the dialogue performed by the actors. Realizing that what appeared on the page may translate differently on the screen, especially with a limited runtime of a short film, led her to rethink how much could be conveyed in each scene. This became one of the production’s biggest hurdles, as Chang had to “kill her darlings” in order to streamline the story while still upholding its emotional integrity.
Chang lamented that the opening scene with Cece and her friend Jess (Sarah Wang) had to be cut down. This first scene is crucial in establishing Cece’s anxiety towards her relationship through the advice of her friend. Jess provides a “bird’s-eye view of what’s going on,” Chang explained, while giving Cece support and showcasing the dynamic of their friendship. The original scene was meant to be longer, but it needed to be shortened to avoid abrupt tonal shifts and create a smoother transition towards the main conflict between Cece and Jeff.
The party scene was Chang’s favorite sequence to shoot, depicting Cece and Jeff’s final outing together as they dance at a crowded party while flashes of their most romantic moments play in a montage.
“I think it was just fun. I like to dance,” Chang said with a laugh. “A lot of the extras were dancers, and I think having the energy of them on set in the movement with the lead actors, Jessica and Tim… Everyone was very positive that day and working together and creating community on set.”
Beyond its vibrant energy, the scene hovers between the delicate balance of intimacy and inevitability, encompassing a fleeting moment of freedom. It’s an emotionally cathartic scene where both characters let go and simply live in the present, quietly accepting the end of their relationship with a bittersweet tenderness.
Making Space for What Matters
Following the release of Making Space, Chang continues her foray into filmmaking with a feature-length documentary about her father’s life as a chemist and entrepreneur. The project explores themes of cultural expectations, family legacy, and the immigrant experience through the lens of an adult daughter carving her own path.
Speaking on the project’s development, Chang expressed that the long-form structure has been easier to navigate in some ways, while also opening up about the vulnerability it takes to delve into such a deeply personal story. Filmed on her own phone camera, Chang documents intimate, quiet, and mundane moments between father and daughter.
“My background in photography is more like journalism. I can capture some things and then eventually set up the interviews and it’s really how you piece it together to tell the story. I think documentary style comes a little more natural to me than narrative filmmaking, and I feel very deeply because it’s my dad and his family stuff… I’m a little scared, because I’m like, am I ready to do this healing work that comes with making a film about him?”
Beyond documentary filmmaking, Chang is also writing a narrative rom-com, continuing to unpack modern relationships with a blend of witty humor and heartfelt honesty.
When asked what advice she would give to female creatives and entrepreneurs venturing into something new, Chang spoke on her experience with directing Making Space.
“Be prepared for growth. If it’s new, it comes with a lot of uncomfortable emotions, but that’s how you do great things. And be gentle with yourself too. It’s the self-talk of when you’re learning or when you make a mistake. With my film, ‘cause it’s my first short of course, there’s things where I’m like, ‘Oh, I would have done it this way instead.’”
Chang also reflected on her extensive photography career, noting that the key to her longevity has been consistency.
“It’s not always going to be fun, even if it’s creative and you have interest or it’s your passion. It’s gonna feel like work eventually. With photography, it started as a hobby, and I loved it in the beginning so much, but then it would take, you know, a toll on your body. I used to shoot weddings for 15 years. So yeah, it’s not always romantic, right? But I think that the willingness to do those little things and if you’re clear on your end goal of what you want, it makes the harder days and the harder times a lot easier.”
As the interview wrapped up, Chang opened up about what she is currently trying to “make space” for in her life: her friendships.
“I realize as I’ve gotten older, you know, we get married, have kids, and things like that, and life happens, that I would like to be intentional about cultivating the time with my friends… Friendships and intimate relationships aren’t convenient, but you just don’t always go for the ease, so that is something I am making more space for.”
That same intentionality consistently shapes Chang’s storytelling. Across filmmaking, writing, and photography, Chang’s work remains rooted in how she sees the world, through moments of friendship, family, and romance, and all the ways that we are connected.
For updates on Making Space and Christine Chang, follow the film’s Instagram page as well as Christine Chang’s Instagram.
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