Hung Le of BIEN on Allowing New, Diverse Voices to Move Creative Forward

Plus: His work on Quad Life and Red Hat Summit 2025

Hung Le is the creative director of BIEN, an award-winning inclusive motion design studio known for its bold storytelling and purpose-driven visuals. With over two decades of experience in the worlds of commercials and entertainment, Hung has helped shape campaigns for global brands, networks and social movements alike. 

A strong advocate for representation and equity in media, Hung leads with both creative precision and a deeply collaborative spirit. His work blends design excellence with cultural intention, pushing the boundaries of what inclusive storytelling can look like in animation and motion graphics.

We spent two minutes with Hung to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.

Hung, tell us….

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in Sài Gòn, aka Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I now live in Torrance, Calif.

How you first realized you were creative.

Our family home had a large chalkboard, and I found myself spending a lot of time drawing on it.

A person you idolized creatively early on.

I grew up in post-war Vietnam. I didn’t have access to any creative inspiration or anyone in particular. I remember seeing Tom & Jerry at a closed screening because Western media was forbidden at the time, which made an impression early on.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

I switched from computer science to graphic design in college against my family’s wishes, pursuing a creative career rather than one to make money.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

The Dadaist movement and Marcel Duchamp challenged my thinking about what art should be.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

I’m a fan of the ReThinking with Adam Grant podcast. Organizational psychology has a significant influence on how I operate.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

Quad Life Prequel. We had the opportunity to conceptualize our friend David Jeffer’s life journey as a prequel to the documentary Quad Life using animation and design techniques.

A recent project you’re proud of. 

Red Hat Summit 2025 in Boston. We created the opening sizzle to be played on 11 screens spanning over 100 feet in front of a large audience. I love projects that can reach out and touch the audience, creating emotional connections.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago. 

In design school, I was inspired by David Carson’s work. He went against the grain and elevated graphic design beyond a commercial trade.

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

Not in the motion design field, I am a fan of the director Bong Joon Ho, especially the movie Mother. His work reaffirms that creative fields benefit from diverse voices with new ways to look at culture at large.

Your main strength as a creative person.

My ability to balance conceptual thinking with systems thinking. More and more, I get the most joy from creating the right environment for talented artists to thrive, rather than dictating to them what to do.

Your biggest weakness.

I am a perfectionist. I would wake up in the middle of the night because I remembered that the kerning was off on two words, and I let it go earlier that day. This gets amplified to many other things, causing stress. I’m trying to get over it.

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

I freelanced a lot at Digital Kitchen in Chicago, and I am very thankful that Colin Davis, a DK senior producer at the time, gave me many opportunities to be on their projects over the years as an unknown freelancer from Houston. Many of the lessons I learned since that time are now implemented at BIEN.

How you’re paying it forward with the next generation of creatives.

“Fliers-on-the-wall” is our flagship initiative with many other participating studios. It’s a project-based internship where anyone, regardless of their portfolio, can be a fly on the wall to observe and learn from a project in production. “The Creative Codex” is the universal translator for creatives. And finally, the BIEN + School of Motion scholarships give eight underprivileged students full access to the platform, along with a BIEN mentor to guide them. We believe that the only way the creative industry can survive and thrive is to stop being gatekeepers and allow new, diverse voices to take it forward.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in the entertainment industry.

I would be in the gaming industry. I love storytelling with character animation and motion graphics. I love dreaming up ideas and seeing them come to life. I would not want to do anything else. Many creatives would say it’s an addiction to create. And I would agree wholeheartedly.