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Jean Tsien

Jean Tsien

Producer, editor and writer · Taiwan

Primetime Emmy winner · Oscar nominee

Jean Tsien is a Taiwan-born documentary editor and producer based in New York.

Biography from TMDB.

From
Taiwan
Works as
Producer, editor and writer
Titles
29 on Motif · 43 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Up 20% in 30 days

What are Jean Tsien's films like?

Across their 24 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
37%
Self
17%
Survival
13%
Power
11%
Bonds
9%
Morality
7%
Ideas
5%
Community9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDisplacement3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 21 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 7 · Dark 9

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 20 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 11 · Intense 4

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
14
Hopeful
13
Tense
10
Melancholic
11
Warm
6
Other
12

How their films linger

Thought-provoking12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet16
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jean Tsien's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 29 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jean Tsien's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

43 credits, 29 with a Motif page.

  • The Lion Queen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2026)

    Editor

  • The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas(2025)

    Consulting Editor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • To Hold a Mountain(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud(2025)

    Consulting Editor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television(2025)

    Show Editor

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all shows

  • Night Is Not Eternal(2024)

    Consulting Editor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.(2024)

    Show Editor

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Ashima(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • AKA Mr. Chow(2023)

    Editor · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Island in Between (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2023)

    Producer

  • Unconditional(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • unseen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2023)

    Thanks

  • Love to Love You, Donna Summer(2023)

    Consulting Editor

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Free Chol Soo Lee(2022)

    Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Try Harder!(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • After the Rain (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2021)

    Executive Producer

  • Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir(2021)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Sky Blossom (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer

  • 76 Days(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Asian Americans(2020)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • The Apollo(2019)

    Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • People's Republic of Desire(2018)

    Editor · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Unafraid (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2018)

    Story Consultant

  • Blowin' Up (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2018)

    Co-Executive Producer

  • Call Her Ganda(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Oslo Diaries(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Please Remember Me (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)

    Executive Producer

  • Plastic China(2016)

    Editor · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Miss Sharon Jones!(2015)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Road(2015)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Drivers Wanted(2012)

    Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Place at the Table(2012)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Open Season (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)

    Editorial Consultant

  • Wo ai ni mommy(2010)

    Consulting Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    Editor

  • Please Vote for Me (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2007)

    Editor

  • Shut Up & Sing(2006)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Music from the Inside Out(2004)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Hamptons (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Editor

  • The Hamptons (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Editor

  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon(2000)

    ADR Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Scottsboro: An American Tragedy(2000)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Malcolm X: Make It Plain (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    Editor

Career shape

A full career of 33 titles from 1994 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Shut Up & Sing (2006)

$1.9M worldwide

Highest rated

Plastic China (2016)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television (2025)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing2 of 33: 1 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing15 of 33: 11 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thEditing14 of 33: 10 only editing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score87thOther crew7 of 33: 7 only other crew, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score80th

33 titles, 4 with more than one role — producing and editing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · crew2000s7 · crew2010s10 · crew2020s15 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

a Primetime Emmy from 2 major nominations, 2021–2024.

WinNomination
  1. 2024
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary Short Film
  2. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Jean Tsien's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 88th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 21 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 89th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Approval · how many liked their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Reach · how many have seen their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th8
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · producer

Call Her Ganda (2018)

89th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A. (2024)

Midcredits 98th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 55/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 63, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Jean Tsien work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jean Tsien's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bryn Mooser shares the most, 4.

Directors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles