Jianxi Zhang is a production sound mixer and supervising sound editor based in Beijing, with over a decade of location recording and post-production supervision across documentary, series and theatrical features. His location sound credits include In the Age of AI (PBS FRONTLINE), nominated for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary at the 41st News & Documentary Emmy Awards, and documentaries selected at FIRST and the Shanghai International Film Festival. He also works as a bilingual post-production sound coordinator on major Chinese features — including seven Zhang Yimou films and three Wuershan films — liaising between international sound teams and Chinese productions. He has taught sound at Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism and Communication across five years. MS in Digital Media, NYU Tandon; sound engineering, NYU Steinhardt.
Roles
Supervising Sound Editor 录音指导
Production Sound Mixer 同期录音
Post Production Sound Coordinator 声音后期双语协调
Chinese sound-department titles do not map cleanly onto English ones, so the equivalents are given above.
Selected recognition
Received by the productions, as a credited crew member.
In the Age of AI (PBS FRONTLINE) — nominated, Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary, 41st News & Documentary Emmy Awards, 2020. Credited as Production Sound Mixer.
Creation of the Gods I — Best Feature Film, 36th Golden Rooster Awards, 2023. Credited as Post Production Sound Coordinator.
Bitter Sweet Ballad — nominated, Best Documentary Feature, 17th FIRST; Media Award, 26th Shanghai International Film Festival, 2023. Credited as Supervising Sound Editor.
Shi Wo — selected, Outstanding Domestic Documentaries, Q3 2023, National Radio and Television Administration. Credited as Production Sound Mixer.
All In — nominated, Golden Goblet Best Documentary, 24th Shanghai International Film Festival; Best Documentary Feature, 15th FIRST, 2021. Credited as Production Sound Mixer.
Teaching
Tsinghua University, School of Journalism and Communication — sound workshops, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Huazhong University of Science & Technology, School of Journalism & Information Communication — sound workshop, 2026
Macau University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities and Arts — sound workshop, 2022
Moonshot Academy, Beijing — sound workshop, 2023
Education
New York University — MS, Digital Media, Tandon School of Engineering, 2014; minor in Sound Engineering, Steinhardt
Shanghai University — BS, Film & TV Art Technology, Film and Television School, 2012
Contact
jessez0021@gmail.com · +86 135 8177 6502 · WeChat Z_Jianxi
Background
Born in 1990, Jianxi spent the first 18 years of his life growing up in Beijing.
After coming of age in 2008, he moved to another major Chinese city, Shanghai, where he studied at the Film and Television School of Shanghai University. It was there that he first discovered sound recording.
In 2012, after earning his BS degree, Jianxi moved to New York to study Digital Media at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
After graduation he began working as a freelance sound recordist, taking on short films and documentary projects in New York.
At the end of 2016, after Trump was elected president for the first time, Jianxi returned to Beijing and began working full-time as a sound recordist.
Since 2017, Jianxi has chosen documentary sound recording as his main professional focus.
At the same time, he has also provided translation support for many international sound professionals working with some of China’s top film sound post-production companies.
Jianxi loves the experience of hearing beautiful dialogue and ambience through his headphones. As the AI era arrives, he believes even more strongly that documentary footage and production sound have, in a certain sense, a unique and irreplaceable value. And he will continue to dedicate himself to that work.
