我的BLOG
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Beijing Bling
2008-09-18 11:05AM / 標準BLOG
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bad blogger, bad!
2008-09-03 3:04PM / 標準BLOG
Man, I've neglected my bloggin' lately. Many reasons, but really most of it is just due to being busy - but all in a good way. It's been one hell of a fun summer here in NYC and as it draws to a close, I have so so much to look forward to this Fall. I can't wait!
First, next week, I'm shooting a short called Yes, Yesterday that is an homage to the films of Hou Hsiao Hsien and Wong Kar Wai - 2 geniuses in the cinema game. I've been prepping for this role like nothing I've ever done, even if it is a short. I play an immigrant from mainland China who bumps into an old friend on the streets of Chinatown New York. It's a story about unrequited love, lost, longing, and all things Asian and angsty that Hou and Wong put in their films. I love it!
Playing my opposite is the ultra talented and uber beautiful (and tall) Xin Li, a model/actress best known for her role in last year's Paris, Je T'aime - one of my favorite films. Before I knew she was in the film, I was excited about it, but add her in - and the fact that the gifted Eun-ah Lee is shooting it (we've worked once together) - and my excitement level is off the charts!
I've been researching this role like mad, primarily because, although I'm Chinese, I'm more American in many ways than I am Chinese. This role calls for a Chinese immigrant so it will be the ultimate challenge to pull this off to be convincing Chinese national. I've been hanging out in Chinatown here observing people, watching tons of Chinese films, and last week, did the ultimate and did a shift at a friend's Chinese restaurant as a bus boy - what my character is supposed to be in the film. I guess that's called method acting, baby! I inhabited being a nameless, faceless bus boy and I've got to say, it was as interesting an experience as there ever has been in my life. It's a totally different game when you're a server and people who come in to eat expect certain things of you, treat you a certain way, and never really make eye contact. I'll never eat in a Chinese restaurant the same! I just wanted to get the feel of being in that environment, get use to the smells, sounds, sites, and way employees interacted in such a setting. Totally helpful - hopefully it will come into good use for my character. After all, I didn't get paid and didn't take home any of the tip after my shift! I best get something out of it...
I've haven't cut my hair at all (and man it needs cutting) and been trying to shed weight (something my concerned friends are actually saying I should stop doing) - all in an effort to look more like an immigrant. The big challenge is whether my Chinese will be convincing enough....I've done many projects in Chinese before, but in many ways, this will be the ultimate test.
And it's falls in line nicely too as after this, I'm off to Asia for an extended trip! (I'm slowly turning more Chinese perhaps?) I'll be going through Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and maybe Taipei to test the waters out there to see whether I've got what it takes to work out there...I'm prepared for anything and nothing all at once. Meeting with whomever I can while trying to understand the Asian market a lot more. How good is my Chinese going to have to be? How will I be perceived? How does the system work? I have no idea what to expect. Wish me luck!
Oh, one of the films I've studied recently, I'm embarrassed to say, I have never seen till now: Hou's Three Times. The first segment set in 1966 is quite honestly maybe the most honest piece of filmmaking I've ever seen. And I'm kind of a big fan of Shu Qi now.
I know, I know. I'm slow...
Other parts of the biz going well too...just booked a 'wildspot' commercial for a glasses company (if anyone knows how a 'wildspot' works exactly, please tell me)...friends are telling me of the Chase ad in this week's BusinessWeek, and then not too long ago, I got back from LA where I viewed a cut of Quentin's film we're on...I think of all the things that have been happening recently, I'm MOST happy about that. I can't wait to be able to talk about it more...FRACKENTASTIC WORK "PEOPLE"!!
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full circle...sort of
2008-07-15 5:12AM / 標準BLOG
It's been one kind of busy summer! After getting back from LA a couple weeks ago where we wrapped Quentin Lee's latest project, The People I've Slept With, it's been back to the New York grind. Can't complain though. It's been a fun summer to be sure. There's no place like NYC in the summer time.
First, a little on PEOPLE...I had the pleasure of serving as an executive producer on it (I also had a small role in it) and from my vantage point, the shoot went rather smoothly thanks to the great direction Q gave, the tight reigns Stanley and Koji (producers) kept, and the tremendously hard working and gracious crew and cast we had. Karin Anna Cheung and Wilson Cruz are going to carry this film far and the look and feel that Quyen Tran gave it with her cinematography using the Red Camera has got me wishing it were the fall now when I hope to get a rough cut.
This all aligns nicely with Kit Hui's film, FOG, wrapping up post from her perch in London. After weeks of hard work on it here in NYC, Kit went back to tidy it up from home and hopefully in this coming year, we'll be hearing more and more about it as things unfold. I was particularly pleased that Kit was open to using one of my favorite indie bands in the soundtrack. If you haven't had the pleasure, please do yourself a favor and get to know PaperDoll. They've got an AnD site too now!
(If anyone's in NYC, they play at Crash Mansion this Thursday night and I promise you they'll rock it!)
So, since getting back into the swing of things here, I've been trying to help my friend (who happily got pregnant) on a short I produced and directed last summer get completely finished off. We finally have a rough cut and we were able to screen it in front of an audience of about 20 women recently (it was a women in film group) who, to my delight, seemed to genuinely enjoy it! They got the story, they laughed, and as I sat there and watched it with them, I found myself more and more becoming a fan of the film again though I've seen it 100 zillion times it seems. Always a good sign I figure. We shot The Felix Awards last September and as a full year comes upon us in a couple months from when we began, it looks like we'll finally have it done. Just putting sound/music touches on it (it always seems to be the last and hardest things to get finished...) and then hopefully out the door to some festivals, perhaps?
And speaking of festivals, right now, the New York Asian American International Film Festival is going on and this past weekend I found myself practically living at the venue in which it's happening. Interesting things happened while at the festival, that's for sure...
Probably the best story I have to share from it was that I got to (re)meet director Wayne Wang again after 15 years. Back way back when, when I was in college, my friend Holman was in charge of casting extras on The Joy Luck Club which was primarily shooting around the Bay Area, where I grew up and went to school. Given that I was a poor, starving college student with no idea what I wanted to do with my life then, I jumped at the chance and was put on the set for 2 days. Basically, any scene that Russell Wong was in, I was in too - just in the background. Of course, Wayne directed that film and it set him on for a string of Hollywood projects which he works on to today. He has also returned to his roots of making small Asian American films and his latest, called Princess Nebraska, opened the festival on Thursday. I rather liked this reduced, slow handed film, so if you ever get a chance, do see it!
Anyway, on Saturday, at a panel discussion, I had the chance to share the fact that I was an extra on Joy Luck with him and he got a kick out of it. Then he asked me if I had money (I guess in terms of whether I could help him finance films)! Wayne's a brash man. You should hear him speak and better yet, hear his goofy goofy laugh.
This story actually isn't all that interesting except for the fact that after that stint as an extra, after having my eyes opened to the world of movie-making, after watching Russell Wong act out a couple scenes and then return to his trailer only to never come out except when called for, I enrolled in Dramatic Arts 101 the next semester at Cal. From there, I've never looked back. So in a way, you could say that Wayne Wang put me on the path to become an actor. And not only that, while I was in LA a few weeks ago, I found myself at Russell's house playing video games (and listening to Hall & Oates songs off his computer...it was weird, trust me), which I've discovered he's a huge fan of. (Now I think I know what he was doing in his trailer.)
video gaming at russ's...
russ's dog...(can't wait to see Mummy 3 with him and Jet Li..)
Further, after my time as an extra, I got a call from someone who worked on the set of Joy Luck who was directing his own short. He wanted me in it as a henchman and I found myself acting in it alongside a young boy by the name of Jonathan Chu. Years later, I'd keep hearing this name...J Chu, J Chu, J Chu...well, not only is he the son of the famous Chef Chu's restaurant in Los Altos, but he's a USC film grad who had his short praised by Steven Spielberg, and most recently, the director of the urban dance hit Step Up 2.
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Project Michelle
2008-06-25 7:22AM / 標準BLOG
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planes, trains, and automobiles....
2008-05-17 11:39PM / 標準BLOG
Now I know how John Candy felt...the last couple weeks have been a haze as I've literally been on the go, go, go. I've finally found a small window of time now to sit, chill, and not have to worry about being somewhere, bringing something, living out of my suitcase. It's actually been a good stretch and I'm not complaining at all. In fact, right now in my life, being loaded is exactly what I need to keep propelling myself forward. I feel like in many ways I've been trying to outrun my past and so with each new day, with each new endeavor, brings a fresh perspective, new people, and experiences that continue to fulfill me, teach me, and make me a more whole being than the previous day. I know that just sounded awfully cheese-filled, but sometimes that's just what I am: a hot pocket filled with oozing cheese.
A couple weeks ago I did a job with my faux baby girl for a bank. I love it! Her mom has kept in touch with me and even invited me to their home to play some time. Apparently, sometimes my baby girl says my name...where's Brian? I hope her real dad isn't getting too angry about that.
Well, after that spot, it was one thing after another as I went on to
do an ad for Bayer where I portray a healthy man in control of his
diabetes. (Move over diabetes, I'm driving.) I actually thought I was
going in to do an aspirin session, but to my surprise, will be the face
of diabetes I think in some places in China at some point. (Hey, it's
a job and hey, it reminds me that I have to watch my white rice intake
as my dad, who developed adult on-set diabetes now doesn't ever eat
white rice.) After that, it was onto a session for Foxwoods Casinos
through an Asian advertising agency. I worked a couple days on that
which was interesting for reasons I'll get to later. The day after
that, I was up at the butt crack of dawn off to Parsippany, New Jersey
to shoot an industrial for Deloitte & Touche at one of their big
offices. Ah, how it reminded me of being a corporate drone. We
actually shot it amongst real D&T workers and I think I found
myself more interested in watching them sit there staring at a computer
monitor for the entire day while occasionally getting up to get a cup
of coffee or an apple than I was in working on the spot. That used to
be me and essentially and I'll do anything to not ever have to be that
person again (unless it's acting the part!) I was feelin' their pain.
That day lasted a lot longer than I thought it would and for it, I had
to rebook my flight home for Saturday morning - I was going home for
Mother's Day! So, Sat. morn, again at the butt crack of dawn I found
myself at JFK for a 7am flight only to find out that it was canceled
once I got there. 
Rerouted, I had to wait around for an hour and half for the next
flight. It wouldn't have been such a big deal were it not for the fact
that I was only going to be home for 36 hours! I had to cut the trip
short going out and then I also had to cut it short on the way back. I
wanted to stay home with my family for a few days since I haven't been
there since October, but I had another job to get back to NYC for on
Monday...crud. So, I landed in SF on Saturday noon, hung out with my
family for 2 whole days - Mom's Day was great and Mom was happy
(especially since I missed last year's Mum's Day due to another job),
then was off on a red-eye back on Sunday night. Come Monday morning, I
get back to my place, have time to grab a few winks, and then was off
again for another job with Foxwoods Casino. Foxy fox in my life a lot
lately. Whereas the previous week's Foxwoods job was through an Asian
ad agency and shot in NY in a studio, this spot was through a
mainstream agency and to take place at the actual casino up in
Connecticut - a good 2.5-3 hours away from NYC. What was interesting
to see was that whereas the Asian spot was held in NY with a tiny
budget, the mainstream one was held at the actual casino with no holds
barred. We had Dunkin' Donuts and a skeleton crew for the Asian one.
Once I got up to CT, we were given a per diem, food was catered, they
put us up in a plush room, and there were a million people swirling
around on set. I understand that the client will never push tons of
money into Asian advertising here in the United States, but the ironic
thing I thought about the situation was that it's probably the Asians
here in the US who wind up spending the most money and gambling the
longest hours than any other community. Foxwoods spends little to
target them, yet they get the most return from them. Dunkin' Donuts
versus a rack of ribs. Something was askew. But who am I to say
anything? I'm just a hired gun doing a part. What was also funny on
these Foxwoods spots was that each time, there were photos of previous
Foxwoods ads floating about and when I looked at them, I found myself
in them! I'd done another thing for them 3 years ago and I guess it
was time for them to refresh their look, only they reused the same
person...ha. Further, in one of the old photos, I was with a different
woman than the one they paired with me this time. Only I'll know that,
but it's funny to think that maybe in these ads, it's the same person
with a different women 3 years apart because the first relationship
with the other woman didn't work out. That'll be my little back story
anyway to myself.
I'm glad to be back without work for a little bit so I can finally get working on producing responsibilities. We've got one film in post now and one in pre. It's an exciting time...the last 2 weeks, I lost track of what day it was, what bed I was sleeping in, what city's air I was breathing. Again, I'm not complaining, just happy and appreciative to be able to share this. After all, it means I'm alive...not dead. Onto LA in a few weeks...
move over diabetes, i'm driving.
we're so happy to win an iPod at foxwoods.
office drone.
at the mgm at foxwoods with my "current gal"
dude to the right was straight mcdreamy look alike.
3 years ago with my "ex"
i just got sent this last one by the girl i worked the last foxwoods job with. i'd never seen this. she was in this as well...how come she gets these things and i don't!!?!
