The Dictionary
What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
I was shooting mini-docs on my friends who were MMA fighters and after I released little snippets online I got a call from Combate Americas, a large MMA promotion in Latin America, wanting to air it. The rest is history.
How did you get into directing?
It’s been a long road. I’ve always wanted to direct but I had no experience. After I moved to L.A., I started working in the camera & G/E departments on AFI sets and started shooting my own things. These passion projects would pay dividends. Clients eventually would reach out saying they want a spot feeling like this or like this, allowing me to direct.
What is your most recent project?
Three docu-style vignettes for REDF, a non profit focusing on social enterprise. We focused on the comeback: how incarcerated individuals can make a comeback in not only reintegrating, but becoming CEO’s of their own companies.
What is the best part of being a director?
The best part of directing is the people you meet. Crew members. Clients. Agency. You meet an incredibly diverse range of people who slowly grow to become lifelong friends.
Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I grew up in Changchun, China with my grandparents and moved to America later in life. Outside of freelancing I also mentor for the Latino Film Institute, teaching filmmaking to at-risk youth in his hometown of San Jose. The program provides an alternative for English learning students and teaches them the value of empathy, communication and teamwork through the filmmaking