Eva Jin, one of China’s — and soon to be Hollywood’s — most promising scriptwriters and directors, earned a degree in Italian opera, published four cartoon books, and studied film in the United States.

The 36-year-old writer, director and producer of the smash hit “Sophie’s Revenge” (2009) knows how to tell a story that appeals to both a Chinese and a global audience, and she knows what Hollywood and Asia want. But she makes her movies the international Hollywood way, with what she calls “streamline” storytelling.

“I tell Chinese stories, but with Hollywood crafts and techniques ... My stories have a borderless look, but a Chinese core,” Jin (Jin Yimeng) recently told Shanghai Daily in an e-mail interview from her home in Beijing.

Unlike quite a few China-educated directors, she knows how to build a set, do the carpentry, handle the lighting, cinematography, editing, sound recording, and, of course, write the script. She has carried sandbags. “There’s no job in filmmaking I haven’t done,” she said with satisfaction, attributing this to her hands-on US film education.

“If you can’t be a good soldier, you’ll never make a great general,” said Jin.

In 2010 the Hollywood Reporter called Jin one of the “Next Generation Asia.” She has won a few awards and is out with her latest film “One Night Surprise,” a 150 million yuan (US$24.5 million) sex-comedy hit that the Los Angeles Times calls a “rom-com for a global audience.” It’s a Chinese mainland-Hong Kong coproduction with an international cast and crew.

Jin, a native of Harbin, first surprised market watchers with the romantic comedy “Sophie’s Revenge,” about a comics illustrator who loses her fiance and plots vengeance. Zhang Ziyi starred in and coproduced the Chinese-Korean coproduction that made more than 100 million yuan at the national box office.

Jin was China’s first female director to break the 100 million yuan mark. The film’s English remake rights have been bought by US Mosaic Media Group.

Her latest film “One Night Surprise” is about a 32-year-old advertising executive, played by Fan Bingbing, who gets pregnant in a drunken one-night stand during her birthday bash and doesn’t remember the man. She then goes in search of him.

Variety says “This date movie is at once sweetly whimsical and full of sexual wisecracks. Sleek filmmaking, dollhouse visuals and Fan’s international profile could parlay this pic into niche release overseas.”

Jin says the film is “about how a woman finds the ideal life for herself, not relying on any men,” adding that she wants to encourage “strong and independent women.”

Jin herself is strong and independent.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Italian opera at the China Conservatory of Music. She also specialized in cartoon illustration and published four comics books.

In 2001, Jin enrolled in the film program at Florida State University and earned a master’s degree. Her debut feature “Sailfish” (2008) was a drama about a swimmer set during the “cultural revolution” (1966-76).

Jin is married to an American film investor.

Professor Shi Chuan, who teaches film at Shanghai University, attributes the success of Jin’s romantic comedies to their humor, originality and reality-based storylines.

“A lot of Chinese romantic comedies are not rooted in the reality of people’s lives and keep the audience too far away. Her success is a big encouragement for Chinese filmmakers. The romantic comedy genre is one of Hollywood’s most popular and it has huge market potential in China.”

Jin recently talked to Shanghai Daily about how she makes movies and appeals to a global audience.

Q: How does “One Night Surprise” compare with “Sophie’s Revenge?”

A: I’d like to think of “One Night Surprise” as more mature and thought-provoking than “Sophie’s Revenge.” I wrote “Sophie” in my 20s, and it was about how a woman finds ways to win her man back. “One Night Surprise,” on the other hand, is about how a woman finds the ideal life for herself, not relying on any men. This is my gift to the burgeoning class of career women in China ... I wanted to make a film that addresses social issues, and depicts women who go through crazy things yet remain strong. I know quite a few single mothers and I want to use this story to encourage younger generations of women to be strong and independent, and to pursue the kind of life they truly want.

Q: Where does your romantic comedy inspiration come from?

A: From my own life and the lives of those around me. One of the greatest things about making a film is to have a part of myself in every character. Michelle, Vivian, Heidi, Tony ... they all reflect some qualities that belong to me, some positive, some negative, some adorable, some undesirable ... What I do is to take different facets of my personality, magnify them, and have different characters embody them. It’s a way to perceive myself.

Q: Your films and stories are well-received in both China and Hollywood. What’s your secret?

A: I tell Chinese stories, but with Hollywood crafts and techniques. There’s no doubt that my target audience is mostly Chinese, and I want to tell stories they can relate to. But I also want to adopt the Hollywood “streamline” kind of storytelling method as the “package” for my stories. My stories have a borderless look, but a Chinese core.

I’m really interested in co-productions but co-productions are tricky. If you just transplant an American story and set it in China with a few Chinese actors, it would never work. I would like to tell a story that happens in China, with American characters involved. It would be a very international project.

Q: What’s your advice to Chinese filmmakers seeking a global audience?

A: I would encourage them. A good story doesn’t always have to be culturally specific, and I would always encourage filmmakers to make films for the widest possible audience. For Chinese filmmakers, the key is to master a “scientific” method of storytelling to tell stories about China. I believe this is definitely where the future lies. In the future, audiences will want to see not just certain genres, but certain genres by specific “name-brand” directors. For instance, Hollywood filmmaking has become a highly developed industry, but you only remember the names of a few directors. Why? Because only those few have developed their own unique styles, their own genres. But a good method of storytelling is the key.

Q: Did US film studies help you?

A: It was more than rewarding. In the US, learning to be a director is like learning to be a doctor. You have to learn everything: lighting, cinematography, editing, sound recording ... There’s no job in filmmaking I haven’t done. I did carpentry, I carried sandbags, I often did multiple jobs at the same time — producing for one classmate, being DP for another, and doing production design for a third. I know how to build all the sets in my film. A director’s confidence comes from this wide scope of capability. On set, I understand what’s going on in every department. I can tell which person is the weak link. Those who just stand there with arms crossed are not professional filmmakers. Real filmmakers have their eyes on not only their own department, but other departments as well. Whenever there’s a problem, they’re ready for a solution. That’s how I am on set.

Q: What can Chinese filmmakers learn from Hollywood?

A: Two things: how to be professional, and how to acquire an international perspective. A lot of directors educated in China never even touched the camera or wrote any scripts, but if you can’t be a good soldier, you’ll never make a great general. I always have happy sets. Actors love me because I encourage them to have fun. I warmed up the set before they arrive and have all the crew at their best. I think actors deliver their best performances when they’re relaxed and enjoying what they’re doing.

As for international perspective, it’s about learning from different cultures, to witness how other people feel about colors or manners. I had a year off after “Sophie’s Revenge,” and didn’t do anything film-related. That made me realize that the characters, the costumes and the dialogues don’t have to be “authentic Chinese” to be the best. I wouldn’t tell a story that leaves foreigners clueless.

Q: What was it like working with Zhang Ziyi in “Sophie’s Revenge?”

A: She’s a very professional actress, very hard-working. She takes her roles very seriously. We’re still friends. A director and an actor working together is like having a child together. You need chemistry for the child to be healthy and smart.

Q: Will you try other genres?

A: Of course I want to try other genres. I’ve always been interested in fantasies and thrillers, but I don’t see the Chinese market as ready for thrillers. The market for comedy is comparatively mature, and I think I’m quite gifted to be funny. When I was seven years old, I made up a funny song to cheer up my sick aunt, and that was such a fulfilling experience. It’s very likely that my next film will also be a comedy.