Thanks for all the questions. Keep ‘em coming!
mailbag@yomyomf.com

Question #1
“Why do Asian American films suck so much? They usually look like shit, the writing sucks and the acting terrible. They keep telling us we have to go support them because they’re Asian but why should I pay for shit?”
– Martin


Well, Martin, nobody likes paying for shit. You should apply the same criteria as all the other films you choose to watch (which I’m sure some are shit also.) I do agree that telling people to go and support the film solely because it’s Asian American does no one any good. It has the potential to be a ‘boy who cried wolf’ scenario. Asian American films need to be judged as a film first and foremost. You can first check if the film was in one of the major film festivals (Sundance, Toronto, Cannes.) These are great stamps of quality for independent films in general. Watch the trailer and read up on the film to see if it’s something you want to see. You could check to see what company (if any) picked it up for distribution and what theaters the film is playing in (indie art house or multiplex.) Also read reviews if that’s your cup of tea. And if it passes your mustard, go. I would strongly suggest one thing if you do end up liking it- drag all your friends to go see it. Word of mouth is the most important part of any film’s success, especially independent ones.
– Justin

Most films Asian American or otherwise, that are produced on the cheap could be viewed as similarly ‘bad’. There’s no reason you should feel pressured to support films that you think will be subpar but I do think that if you’re the kind of cinema goer who really wants the option of seeing original, independently produced, low budget films in theatres, VOD or whatever platform it’s incumbent on you as the consumer to put in the effort to patronize them by following recommendations from critics or festivals you respect, watching their trailers online etc. Independently produced films released by smaller distributors are at a huge disadvantage these days because unlike the major studios they lack the marketing dollars, stars and efx to draw people into the theatres and fork up the money regardless of whether the movie delivers for the audience. So look at patronizing low budget indie films – Asian American or otherwise as you would with mom and pop restaurants. If you want them to survive, you should make the effort to seek out and at least support the good ones.
– Elaine

Question #2
“What is the one advice you would give about making it in the film business?”
– Mark


I guess if I could only give ONE advice, it would be about context. It is vital to get the proper understanding of where you are and what you’re doing. Film is a collision between art and commerce and is built on a lot of myths (probably so it’d be easier for people to exploit one another.) The ‘rules’ are all over the place and ultimately it’s up to you to define and figure it out for yourself. I’ve been in the non-profit, documentary, TV, commercial, festival, indie, and studio world and I can tell you each of them have their own politics and bullshit. Learn what they are so you can operate, rebel, or walk away from them on your terms.
– Justin

Hi Mark, the one piece of advice I would give you is: find your voice, find your voice, find your voice. By that I mean, what is your world outlook? How many degrees on or off center are your characters and situations? What is the tone of your movie? Big Momma’s House and Breaking Away are both comedies, but no one would confuse their voices. I remember one of the first things a veteran agent said to me: “The studios can always fix a script. They have an army of doctors who can come in and fix structure or plotting. But what they can’t fake is your voice. That’s the one thing you – and only you – can bring to the table.”
– Alfredo

No single thing will guarantee that you ‘make-it’ per se but certain skillsets (which often take experience to hone and acquire) can help you save time, prioritize and better strategize your projects/career trajectory. One skill is to be able to read between the lines and have a good bs detector. As a business that operates quite a bit on public perception and where everyone has an opinion but no one knows anything, there’s no upside to being transparent and showing your cards. Many will not reveal the whole truth of a situation either as part of a larger strategy to defer responsibility, not ruffle feathers, buy time, misdirect, etc. With so many people working different agendas, your job – be it as a director, exec, producer, etc. will be much clearer and easier if you can sniff out the bs and grasp the subtext of what is being communicated. Much of it is like a constant game of poker to figure out if that exec really liked your script or is just meeting you to cover themselves in case a competitor takes interest, or if that agent really wants to sign you or is just taking you out to lunch as a favor for another business contact, or if that actor is really going to do your project or string you along indefinitely. No one can possibly know everything and sometimes random stuff happens despite all the information you might have at your disposal to make good decisions. But the more you can hone that instinct to sniff out the truth, the better you will be able to navigate the politics and find the real opportunities in the midst of the landmines of false hopes and dead ends.
– Elaine

Question #3
I met a boy and he said he wanted to smoke up with me. Do you know what that means?
–Blue

From the rest of your message (not printed here), it sounds like you are a nice and innocent young woman so I hope this encounter doesn’t burst your purity bubble too badly. There could be a couple of different meanings depending on the context.

Most likely, the boy would like to engage in the act of smoking marijuana with you. The good news is if he’s the one asking you to “smoke up” that means he has the marijuana in his possession and is willing to share without payment. But the bad news is that he is probably only offering because he wants to get into your pants. Which leads me to the other possible definition.

“Smoke up” can also refer to a variety of sexual practices. One way a guy can “smoke up” a woman is to take a bong hit and then exhale the smoke into the lady’s vagina. I personally wouldn’t know, but supposedly this will get the woman really high. It sounds like fun but there are dangers. Blowing smoke into any orifice whether it be the vagina or your ass can create tiny bubbles in your bloodstream. This is known as an air embolism and can be fatal to some people so don’t try it, girl!
– Philip

Question #4
I am very much wanting to meet the Japanese porn stars. Kindly send me their phone number?
–Toshi


Be happy to but the only problem is that in the housing unit where all porn stars are required to reside by Japanese law, the phone system is a little peculiar. The porn stars can only call out and would require some information from you to properly execute the call. What they would need is your credit card number (don’t forget the 3-digit security code in the back and the expiration date), your bank account number plus routing code and your social security number. Go ahead and forward me all of that and I will be more than happy to pass it on to the Japanese porn stars so you can start off your new year with a bang.
– Philip