Every year comes with its ups and downs, and though this year may seem more despairing than others in recent memory with all the celebrity deaths and current events, it is also important to reflect on personal highlights of a year. I’ve featured some experiences through blogs, so this post focuses on the ones that have not yet been mentioned.
First up is a music video I assisted on as a PA. Shoutout to Dennis at Zenith Division for bringing me on! This was technically shot in 2015, but the video was released early in January.
Though my internship at ISAtv ended 4 years ago, I still enjoy helping them out from time to time. Here is a sampling of things in which I’ve had the pleasure of assisting as a PA or photographer.
This year was also the year I met Benjamin To and had the privilege of assisting him on a few episodes of his Life Stories series for NBC Asian America. It was such an honor to be able to meet some of the most influential Asian Americans in the US, and I am so grateful that Ben was open to having an extra hand on set. One episode was even screened at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
Through Ben, I also met Alan Chung. It was only a matter of time before we crossed paths, as we shared a couple circles, from attending the same university to interning at ISAtv. With Alan, I worked on my first 48 hour film competition and a couple other side projects.
The second annual Comedy Comedy Fest occurred in August, and while I was only able to shoot for one night, it was filled with musical wonders and laughs. Thank you, Jenny Yang, for asking me to help!
With a small nudge from a friend, I joined the staff at Tuesday Night Project, a space linking art and community through performances and workshops. This includes Tuesday Night Cafe, the longest, currently-running mic series in the United States. Below, is a video from our fundraising campaign that also explains why it’s been such a strong organization for Asian-American and minority groups.
My first, official, front-of-camera acting debut is in this little commercial for AT&T. Thank you, Jon from Milldam Films for believing in me!
My hands also get some prime time for Chase Bank.
Arguably, a few of the longest and unique work days I had were on the set of Cupcake Wars: Celebrity. Here’s a low-res screenshot I managed to grab of my millisecond cameo.
In retrospect, I’m quite happy with what I’ve managed to accomplish this year. I’ve gone on adventures with friends (like this one), taken on a new job, and expanded my skill set.
Wishing everyone a wonderful new year filled with more exciting memories. Cheers!