Kelsey Tang
Q What do you do?
“I’m a creative producer and video editor at POPEYE Media—a full-service video production company specializing in music videos, commercials, and organic content creation.”
I use the term “creative producer” because my background in writing and graphic design shapes my approach in unexpected ways—my editing style is journalistic, sentimental, and punchy!
Past clients range from corporate behemoths like Netflix and Panda Express to indie darling brands in hospitality, food & beverage, tourism, and more.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
1) Work in corporate media design for five years.
2) Nurture a creative passion on the side—in my case, editing Youtube video essays and writing about indie artists for fun.
3) Quit your full-time job, but bring your corporate connections into your new venture. (My former boss/mentor still hires me for gigs as a regular contractor!)
4) Accept the uncertainty and fluctuations that come with freelancing. Understand that you might be in the red for the first few years as you build your client base and develop your voice.
5) Learn to fall in love with the process as much as the result—although this may be counterintuitive to fellow children of immigrant parents!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
To me, video editing and writing feel very similar. It’s like alchemy the way we impart a worldview into a viewer’s brain.
So as a video editor with a writing background, I understand how to wield existing assets to manipulate a message. Do you want to convey the message overtly or subtly? You want the reveal to be gradual or abrupt? On top of that, we use sound design and color to transmit a secondary message or amplify a primary story. The gamut of messages and feelings that an editor/writer can conjure is freakishly infinite.
Q What are you working on right now?
We just released a docu-style commercial for a 100-year old artisanal ice company in Japan! Viewing link here: https://vimeo.com/1040949417
Everything done in-house (pre-production, filming, editing, music composition, color). This project combined all my favorite things: travel tourism, family history, and custom scoring to match the musically sonic qualities of their trademark Kachiwari ice!
Q What’s your style?
Sentimental with restraint. Inspired by our immigrant parents’ boundless capacity to love, despite their inability to fully express themselves.
Our short documentary titled “God Also Likes Donuts” explores the widespread presence of Cambodian-owned donut shops in California, and the intersection between immigrant entrepreneurship and motherhood. It’s a very personal piece that embodies all my favorite things: good music to tell a story, candid interviews to reveal a larger phenomenon, and a spotlight on underrepresented communities. Oh and delicious eyecandy featuring glazed pastries and fuzzy VHS clips. DM me for the viewing link!
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I’d love to focus more on typography and title design, whether for books or films or concert posters. Analog or digital? Mixed media or animation? Or both? When I was a kid, I used to browse the local VHS rental store and just stare at the covers, the titles, the copy. It’s fascinating how deep you can get within a singular artistic aspect of a larger project!
Q What is frustrating you right now?
We’ve been maintaining a steady rotation of recurring clients, so I feel ready to open up our network to meet more connections! So many industries to learn about—jewelry, artisanal cocktail ice, gently renovated architecture. It’s an entire job to do outreach and establish sincere relationships, so that’s been my biggest challenge.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
After a project is completed, we need to archive footage and project files, collect thumbnail stills, export various versions (subtitles, different resolutions, etc.), and then post on our website. It’s the organization, preservation, and record-keeping that I procrastinate on.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
People tend to view passion and financial success as mutually exclusive—you can have one but not both. But that binary is a false narrative. In the beginning of your freelance career, you might not get to pick and choose what projects you want. But trust that as you build your portfolio, you will start attracting the clients and projects you want so that you can be more selective. I’ve found meaning in my commercial projects and client relationships, and providing for myself and my loved ones gives me the energy to pursue my passion projects. In turn, that creative fulfillment deepens my appreciation for client work. It’s a cycle that sustains itself.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Accounting, finances, and tax expert please! How to maximize our returns and organize/itemize/categorize all our expenses?! I don’t even know what I don’t know so I would love a personalized assessment and crash course on all business-related accounting matters. It actually boggles my brain.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I would love to get in touch with any tourism boards or more brands with a focus on family/heritage/culture. I feel like commercial art gets a bad rep for being too sterile, too manicured, too scripted. I’d love to flip the script for these brands and take a more grounded, community-focused approach without sacrificing visual finesse.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I love the afterlife that occurs after a fulfilling project—when people who worked on the project go off on their own to create something new, when the project inspires viewers to create or embark on something new. It’s beautiful seeing a project spawn new relationships, new conversations, new worldviews!!
Q: What is your rate?
For strictly linear editing, prices start at $1,500. For editing with sound, color, motion graphics, prices start at $5,000.
For full-service video production, we do our best work starting at $15,000. But every project is case-by-case so you can just email me for a custom quote!
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email me at kelsey.popeyemedia@gmail.com or DM me on IG at @kelsotang
Tell me about your project, budget, timeline, and how you found us :’)
Q Who is a creative you admire?
@moodinfinite — my partner who runs POPEYE with me! He’s a director, writer, and a human disco ball that reflects and refracts the best parts of anyone he meets.
@dandan_cello — a cellist, producer, singer, an artist! An incredible visionary with unshakeable lore to her music and story.
@junseiofficial — sound designer, audio engineer, audiophile to an almost annoying extent! No one has a greater fervor for earcandy than this foo.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Live music albums, the sun, and a fizzy drink.
This member profile was originally published in March 2025.