After he finished his military service, he entered the film department at Chinese Culture University. Upon graduation, he went to the West Gate district of Taipei, "where there were eight film companies in a single building." There he worked moving props, setting up lights, and doing all sorts of odd jobs, before serving as an assistant director for Yu Kan-ping, Tsui Hark, and Hou Hsiao-hsien.
退伍後插班進入文化大學影劇系，畢業後，就到以西門町為據點「一棟大樓有八家電影公司」的環境工作，從搬道具、打燈光、各種雜事做起，陸續擔任過虞戡平、徐克的助理導演，侯孝賢的副導演。