THOMAS PODVIN’S FREELANCE WORK
Freelance writer - translator - Editor

Thomas PODVIN
contact at hkcinemagic dot com

Born March 25th, 1976
Freelance writer - translator

Currently in the UK
Formerly based in Shanghai, PRC


1.Summary of relevant knowledge & experiences
-Writing for Periodical Press NCTJ certificate -New
-Writing knowledge in French and English (Features, reviews, columns, interviews, reports)
-Experienced in article, interview, essay and review writing
-Interviewed film and music industry talents:
Roger Spottiswoode, Westlife, John Woo, Terence Chang, Jia Zhangke, Chis Lee, Peter Chan, Zhang Jingchu, Wong Jing, Ching Siu-tung, Fan Bingbing, Liu Ye, Peng Xiaolian, Wong Xiaoshuai, Simon Yam, Gordon Chan, Barbara Wong, Derek Yee, Anthony Wong, Coldfairyland...
-Access to entertainment circle, wide network in Asia
-Experienced in Festival coverage
-Translation experience, French to English and English to French
-Familiar with Microsoft Word, Excel, Internet and website maintenance

2.Experience as a writer
2.1.Freelance writer/translator
*Contributing to UK-based Impact Movie magazine (print, MAI Publications) since February 2008. -New
(Monthly Magazine featuring Eastern and Western Action Cinema, Anime, DVDs and Video Game Reviews).
*Contributing to UK-based magazine Firecracker since end of 2007 (online and print).
*Freelance writer for Shanghai lifestyle magazines in English language in Shanghai, PRC, since March 2005: that's Shanghai (English, monthly contribution), City Weekend (English, regular contribution), Shanghai Scene (French, monthly contribution), i magazine (English, first issue)
*Freelance translator (French <--> English) for fashion designer Nelly Biche de Bere company in Shanghai.
*Since August 2007: have joined Los Angeles-based SDI Media Group: "the world's leading provider of subtitling and language dubbing services to the entertainment industry." Translating subtitles from English to French, for films, TV programmes, DVD extras (for all the major film distributors and studios in Hollywood).

2.2.Chief Editor and writer for the English version and editor for the French version of HKCinemagic.com.
France, since Nov 1998
This is a France-based non-profit bilingual web-magazine (English and French) dedicated to Hong Kong cinema.
Around 20 persons from France and abroad (HK, L.A., Europe) are part of the editorial staff.

*My work within HKCinemagic.com consists in: organization and lay out works, writing articles, essays and film reviews, undertaking film festival coverage, carrying out interviews with film industry talents, creating an international network of festival programmers, film industry professionals, correspondents and journalists.

*Have interviewed actors & actresses: Wenwei Mo (Karen Mok), Wu Bai, Zhong Li Ti (Christy Chung), Zhu Yin (Athena Chu), Lin Jia Xin (Karena Lam), Ren Da Hua (Simon Yam), Huang Qiu Sheng (Anthony Wong), Martial artist Liu Chia Hui (Gordon Liu)…
Some interviews with film directors: Chen Kexin (Peter Chan), Wang Xiaoshuai, Jia Zhangke, Lu Yitong, Peng Xiaolian, Er Dong Sheng (Derek Yee), Chen Jia Shang (Gordon Chan), Yu Yan Tai (Ronny Yu), Li Xian Luo (Bruce Law), Wong Chun-Chun (Barbara Wong), Lai Miu-suet (Carol Lai), Liu Guochang (Lawrence Lau)…

*Have covered film festivals (with HKCinemagic.com): Cannes Film Festival (2004); Shanghai International Film Festval; HongKong International Film Festival (HKIFF); Brussels International Fantasy Film Festival (BIFFF); Udine Asian Film Festival (Far East); 100 Chinese film retrospective at the French film archive, Paris; Paris Asian Film Festival (Carrement a l’Est)…
HKCinemagic.com, http:www.hkcinemagic.com.


3.Academic Qualifications
November 2008 NCTJ Training Ltd, Essex -New
(NCTJ is the UK National Council for Training of Journalists)
Writing for Periodical Press NCTJ certificate
News and feature writing, UK media laws, sub-editing, lay out, newspaper and magazine design.

1997-1999 University of Sciences and Technologies of Lille, France
Bsc. in Environmental Sciences

4.Languages
French: native language (born and lived in France for 26 years)
Fluent in English: lived in Norwich, Norfolk, East Anglia region, England for two years and a half in 1999.
After staying four years in Shanghai, I've relocated in the UK.

5.Techniques and Interests
Familiar with Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, FrontPage and use of Dreamweaver Mx
Full clean driving licence
Culture, media, entertainment
Webmaster for a bilingual web-magazine
French Cookery
Cycling


Photo by Thomas Podvin

Latest upddate: November 2008

English

Professional, dependable and disciplined.
After graduation in 1999 from a Gallic Engineering University, French native Thomas Podvin relocated two years and a half in Norwich, England to work as an environmental sciences officer. In the meantime, he co-founded the bilingual France-based web magazine HKCinemagic.com in English and in French, a platform dedicated to Hong Kong cinema blending a database of movies and profiles and editorial content (interviews, reviews, features).

In 2004, he decided to give his career a new spin facing new challenges. He left to Shanghai, PRC in October 2004 and became a freelance writer and translator for local English lifestyle magazines. “Writing about people is much more rewarding than anything else. What's more, my scientific background has helped me tremendously. Structuring ideas and describing concept is very much something a scientist is trained to do and that is what a good writer should be able to do too. I strive to go to the end of things and I am intellectually curious. ”

Thomas Podvin mainly writes in English for publications around the world (UK, China, France, Finland). After living four years at the heart of a bustling Shanghai, he has relocated in the quiet North-East England since October 2008.

contact(at)hkcinemagic(dot)com

Find all items in English

Last update: 14/11/2008


Français

Thomas Podvin, français d’origine, est diplômé de l’Université des Sciences et Techniques de Lille, France. Après ses études, il travaille deux ans et demi à Norwich, au Nord-Est de l’Angleterre en tant que technicien en sciences environnementales. Entre temps il co-fonde le magazine sur le web HKCinemagic.com (en anglais et en français), dédié au cinéma de Hong Kong, et qui comporte une base de donnée de films et biographies, plus des interviews et des articles de fond.
Après avoir écrit de nombreux rapports techniques et scientifiques, il décide de passer à autre chose de plus stimulant, et tente l’aventure à Shanghai, RPC, pour laquelle il s’envole en octobre 2004.
Il y devient rédacteur freelance pour des magazines culturels locaux pour expatriés en langue anglaise.
« Mon cursus scientifique m’a apporté beaucoup dans ces nouvelles fonctions. Non seulement je sais structurer et exposer mes idées aux lecteurs, mais mon esprit analytique m’aide aussi à aller au bout des choses ».
Thomas Podvin écrit à présent des critiques, des articles et des interviews dans le domaine de l’entertainment (cinéma, musique, livres et sites Internet) pour diverses publications en France, en Chine et dans d'autres pays.

contact(at)hkcinemagic(dot)com

Tous les textes en français

Mise à jour : 01/08/2007


Photo by Mick Ryan.