SAF Seeking… Learning from Our Parents’ Mistakes

  • April 18, 2012 12:33 pm

DIANE

Diane Tuet is a SAF living in Northern California and making her living as a photographer, artist, Chinese herb specialist, and Food Network follower. She is the quintessential SAF Seeking ‘True Love’. (Other SAFs look for career highs, physical achievements, a really good hairdresser… it all adds up to a certain happiness… but I digress.) Nonetheless, while going through one of her first bad break ups, one of her great lessons of love came from her Chinese mother who came to stay one night with her to help her cope.  She wanted to share the lesson with other SAFs, just in case it might mean something to them.

Beds... where the truth comes out.

In the midst of despair, you wonder how you forget all the important stuff your parents tell you.

I awoke from a surreal dream/nightmare to find my mother had fallen asleep next to me. Just a little bit before, she had told me this story in hopes of comforting me from my broken heart.

Mommy always said, “you don’t get to marry the one you love.”  Read more...

6 Comments on SAF Seeking... Learning from Our Parents' Mistakes

Why I’m Distributing My Latest Film on Kickstarter

  • April 12, 2012 1:16 pm

DAVE

Tucson, Arizona native Dave Boyle made his feature debut in 2006 with Big Dreams Little Tokyo.  He followed up with White on Rice, which was released in theaters in 2009.  In 2010, he began a multi-film collaboration with musician Goh Nakamura.  The first two films in the series, Surrogate Valentine and Daylight Savings premiered at the 2011 and 2012 SXSW film festivals respectively.  

Franchise.

It’s a word you usually associate with faceless corporations. In the movie world, a “franchise” is a cash cow: Twilight, Iron Man, and budding franchise The Hunger Games all come to mind.

But what about sequels that aren’t made as a blatant cash grab? What if the creative team just felt like they had a really great thing going, and that the story wasn’t over?  Read more...

1 Comment on Why I'm Distributing My Latest Film on Kickstarter

Make Your Parents Proud

  • April 9, 2012 4:42 pm

EUGENE

Eugene Ahn really did go to law school, and quit his job as a practicing lawyer to become a rapper. He makes geeky hip hop under the alias Adam WarRock. No, it doesn’t suck.

 

“What do your parents think?!”

It’s been about two years since I quit my job as a lawyer to be an indie rapper, and I still get that question more than any other. To have that answer make sense, let me establish a few things about myself:  Read more...

37 Comments on Make Your Parents Proud

Why I Wuv The Princess Bride

  • February 13, 2012 3:34 pm

BRIAN

Brian Watanabe wrote THE ROGUES GALLERY, which turned into the oddball cult film OPERATION: ENDGAME starring Rob Corddry, Maggie Q, and Zack Galifianakis. He’s developed scripts for production companies at Fox and Sony, is an award winning advertising copywriter, and doesn’t live in his mom’s basement, despite previously writing about Star Trek, Star Wars and film nerds.

Chick Flick.

That was my first thought when someone, long ago, insisted I watch THE PRINCESS BRIDE. I mean, really? For a prepubescent boy, there was nothing remotely interesting about that title. Princesses? Brides? Pass.

Inconceivable cast reunion interview & photos from Entertainment Weekly

And I wasn’t alone. Back in the day, when I was a summer fun group leader, they popped in THE PRINCESS BRIDE VHS during movie-time for our 5th & 6th graders. One of the more precocious girls walked up to me with that sassy, 6th grader attitude and asked, “What is this?” I guess she didn’t like the title either.  Read more...

3 Comments on Why I Wuv The Princess Bride

I’m an Alien, and That’s OK (Adventures in Korea)

  • January 19, 2012 10:27 pm

KURLYKOLLY

A native New Yorker, Colleen, aka Kurlykolly is a loyal reader of YOMYOMF. She is also a fan of future Oscar winner, Sung Kang. Last year, she attended the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival with YOMYOMF, which was the highlight of her entire life (Colleen was one of the winners of our twitter contest). She currently resides in South Korea teaching English to little kiddies. When she is not working for “the Man”, she spends most of her time obsessing about all things Korean. Oh yeah, she is not Yellow, she is Black.

I am writing this guest blog while drinking a bottle of soju in Daegu, Korea. (I’ve just discovered it tastes great with mango juice.) A few years ago, I became obsessed with all things Korean. I’m in love with Korean food, dramas, and music. I cannot speak Korean well so I decided that I would immerse myself in the language completely and move to the “motherland.” This way I can understand So Ji Sub clearly when he confesses his love for me. One week of vacation in Seoul just wouldn’t do, so last January, I made a New Year’s resolution: move to South Korea.

After months of interviews and rejection letters (see the letter below), I left for South Korea in October to become an ESL teacher. Naturally my family was supportive. My father: “Which part of Korea? I can’t bail you out of jail in North Korea.” My mother: “You’re going to end up in a prison camp!” My sister: “God, you really want an Asian man that bad?” Yes.  Read more...

24 Comments on I'm an Alien, and That's OK (Adventures in Korea)

How to Survive in a TV Writers’ Room

  • January 16, 2012 1:17 pm

COREY

Corey Miller has been interested in the entertainment business since he was a child, much to his mother’s (and often his own) chagrin. After holding an ungodly number of Production Assistant, Production Coordinator and then Writer’s Assistant positions, he got hired as the Assistant to the Show Runner on the television show “CSI.” After impressing his boss (i.e., bugging her until she relented), he got the chance to write a freelance episode. Later hired as a Staff Writer on “CSI: Miami,” he eventually rose the ranks to Supervising Producer. His other writing credits include the indie film “Border To Border” and episodes of the series “The Forgotten” and “NCIS: Los Angeles,” and he sold a spec pilot to The Peter Chernin Company and Fox. He is currently a Writer and Co-Executive Producer on the series “Body of Proof,” which airs Tuesday nights (10/9c) on ABC. Corey is not ashamed to admit that he is an L.A. native. You can follow him on twitter at @toomuchfire. Here, he shares what it’s like inside the writers’ room of a network TV drama.

Everything you need to survive the writers' room.

Pretty much every writer can attest to the fact that the blank page is one of the scariest visions that they face on a regular basis — the harsh, bright-white beacon of their presumed failure, since most assuredly, THIS time the page will remain wordless.

Now picture a conference room bathed in fluorescent light, its walls covered with huge, white dry erase boards, with nary a word on them. Add a group of screenwriters to the mix, and that fear is compounded, with interest. They gaze up at the blank walls and then each other, all thinking the same thing: “You mean, we have to come up with an idea that will sustain a full episode of television? Craft a plot, and character arcs, and have the suspense gradually and realistically build in every act, leading to every commercial break? Oh, and it needs to entertain millions of people, especially in the 18-49 demographic? And we have to justify spending millions of dollars of our employer’s money?”  Read more...

2 Comments on How to Survive in a TV Writers’ Room

Everything I learned, I learned in a Chinese Restaurant

  • January 9, 2012 9:11 pm

CURTIS
Curtis Chin is a Motown-born, New York-bred, Los Angeles-based writer, producer and community activist. He’s proud to have co-founded the Asian American Writers Workshop and Asian Pacific Americans for Progress and for writing and producing the documentary Vincent Who? He’s less proud of having started the Young Republicans Club in high school. He’s currently working on a new website with a former ABC and HBO exec, widelantern.com, and developing a teen comedy with director Quentin Lee and producer Chris Lee.

“Everything I learned, I learned in a Chinese Restaurant”

That’s the title of my memoir, if I ever get around to writing it. It’s not an unusual experience if you’re Chinese American. In fact, according to the magazine Chinese Restaurant News, there are nearly 41,000 Chinese restaurants open in the United States. That means a lot of kids, grandkids, siblings, cousins and spouses working for cheap or free.

My family owned a restaurant in Detroit, opened in 1940 by my great-grandfather. I spent countless hours there, working off-and-on for much of my childhood, first as a dishwasher then up to waiter and manager with the occasional delivery boy duty. (I sucked in the kitchen, so being a cook was never in the cards.) And while it was a tough life, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. It taught me a lot of values in life that I use, even today.

Here are the top ten lessons I learned growing up in a Chinese restaurant:  Read more...

1 Comment on Everything I learned, I learned in a Chinese Restaurant

From a Firm, to The Firm

  • January 8, 2012 12:02 am

BEN

Ben Lee has written for the television shows ELEVENTH HOUR and FAIRLY LEGAL and is currently writing for THE FIRM, a series based on the John Grisham novel (premiering tonight at 9pm, then moving to Thursdays at 10pm, on NBC). After graduating from Harvard University and Columbia Law School, he worked for several years as a corporate attorney in New York before breaking his parents’ hearts to become a writer. You can follow him on Twitter.

When I was working at the old law firm, I rarely went to court. I didn’t pound my desk or strenuously object to anything. But here’s what I did: I wrote something around fifty pages long under ridiculously tight deadlines. I sent it out to a dozen people, who gave me a whole lot of notes that were inconsistent with one another. I listened to them fight about the document while I kept my phone on mute. Every once in a while, I said something that made me seem competent. After the call, I silently cursed everyone, revised my draft, and repeated the cycle until they all liked it or got tired of fighting about it, whichever came first. Little did I know how well this would prepare me for a career as a television writer.

As a lawyer, I helped private equity firms buy, revamp, and sell undervalued companies. I represented a subprime mortgage lender in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. I negotiated license agreements for American television shows to be broadcast in Poland and Malaysia. I drafted endorsement agreements between professional surfers and the energy drinks emblazoned on their boards. But all along, what I really wanted to do was write cool lines for pretty actors.  Read more...

9 Comments on From a Firm, to The Firm

Best Quality Clips

  • January 4, 2012 10:17 pm

Lynn Chen is an actress who is attached to her computer. She has two blogs – The Actor’s Diet and Thick Dumpling Skin, both about – you guessed it – food. When she’s not writing for those sites she’s starring in films like “Surrogate Valentine,” “Saving Face,” “White on Rice,” “The People I’ve Slept With,” and the upcoming “Yes We’re Open.” Actors from “Better Luck Tomorrow” that she hasn’t worked with yet – Sung Kang, Jason Tobin, and Roger Fan.

I don’t think it should come as a surprise to anyone who grew up with me that I wound up becoming an actress who blogs about food. I’ve always been fascinated with seeing people eat on screen, so much so that I would save certain scenes to watch AS I consumed a meal. Rewind, salivate, play. Rewind, chew, play. Rewind, digest, play. I hate the term food porn, but that’s exactly what it was. My mother used to edit out the sex in movies I’d tape off of cable – there was no need – I wasn’t obsessed with those parts. Here’s some of my favorite drool-worthy scenes.

Joy Luck Club – Best Quality Crab

Never mind that this is the pivotal moment of the movie, where June finally connects with her mother. Give me that crab! I’ll take the worst quality one, gladly.  Read more...

8 Comments on Best Quality Clips

TROY: The City of Yesterday…Today

  • December 13, 2011 4:24 pm

CURTIS

Curtis Chin is a Motown-born, New York-bred, Los Angeles-based writer, producer and community activist. He’s proud to have co-founded the Asian American Writers Workshop and Asian Pacific Americans for Progress and for writing and producing the documentary Vincent Who? He’s less proud of having started the Young Republicans Club in high school. He’s currently working on a new website with a former ABC and HBO exec, widelantern.com, and developing a teen comedy with director Quentin Lee and producer Chris Lee.

I live in Los Angeles now, but Southeastern Michigan will always be my hometown. I am a fourth-generation Michiganian, born and raised here. For many years, my family ran the popular Chung’s Restaurant on Cass Avenue. Living in the suburbs, I went to Troy High where I received a great education. There, I was elected Senior Class President and President of the National Honor Society. I graduated from the University of Michigan, earning a degree in creative writing.

I sometimes think about moving back to the metro Detroit area to help revitalize the city. But then I read about people like Janice Daniels, the new mayor of Troy, saying, “I think I am going to throw away my I Love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married there” and realize that’s just a fantasy.  Read more...

2 Comments on TROY: The City of Yesterday...Today

From the Disney Channel to YouTube

  • December 2, 2011 1:36 pm

CHESTER

Chester See has been playing the piano since the age of 6 and writing songs since the age of 10. He’s currently sold over a quarter million songs on iTunes and has had his songs played all over the world. But his mom would be most proud that his songs reached the Philippines. His most successful songs are titled “God Damn You’re Beautiful” and “Nice Guys”–the two songs collectively have been played for a combined total of over 50 million views on the web. Which is 50 million more views than he dreamed of ever getting! He’s currently the 41st most subscribed actor/musician on the internet giving him a larger YouTube following than, oh…Taylor Swift. He also likes talking in the third person. You can check out his work on his youtube page and keep up to date with his next project by stopping by his facebook or his twitter. Chester joins us as one of our partners for our new YOMYOMF Network on YouTube and writes about how he got started online.

Let’s start out by saying I’m not a writer. Okay, more than excited to be working with YOMYOMF! My entire world revolves around the internet and being a part of the next big thing. This is the first time I feel like I’m a part of the next big thing from the other side.

So a little bit about me! I’m an actor/musician/singer-songwriter living in LA. So I basically represent 99 percent of the people out here! I’m also half Filipino which seems to be a shock for most because I look as white as they come. But a 4’11″ mom reminding you that it’s not too late to become a nurse is a sure way of knowing you’re Filipino! I graduated from the TFT program at UCLA just like Offender Justin Lin. Go Bruins! I was one of few kids fortunate enough to land a consistent acting gig as soon as I graduated. Yup, I became the face of a Disney Channel show called Disney 365 for a little over 3 years. I would basically interview Disney Channel stars in the most energetic way possible. Given that I wasn’t actually 15 years old, I was pretty happy to be on the show for as long as I was.  Read more...

24 Comments on From the Disney Channel to YouTube

10 Gift Books For Film Nerds

  • December 1, 2011 11:40 pm

BRIAN

Brian Watanabe wrote THE ROGUES GALLERY, which turned into the hodge-podge cult film OPERATION: ENDGAME starring Rob Corddry, Maggie Q, and Zack Galifianakis. He’s developed scripts for production companies at Fox and Sony, won awards as an advertising copywriter, and changes a diaper like nobody’s business.

Do you collect movie ticket stubs? Can you name three films starring Earnest Borgnine? Can you spot the Billy Zabka action figure in this photo?

If you answered yes, you’re a film nerd. Sadly, it’s an incurable condition, much like herpes or Bieber Fever, just far more enjoyable. But there is some good news: With the recent releases of some amazing, coffee table books, gift-giving for the movie geek has never been easier. So whether you’re Christmas shopping for your favorite development exec or you’re dropping hints to your significant other or spouse, check out these 10 gift books for film nerds.  Read more...

5 Comments on 10 Gift Books For Film Nerds