This is the 8th time I've competed in the The 72 Hour Film Shootout (screened at the prestigious Asian American International Film Festival 2018) and I have nothing but love for this competition and the values for which it stands. Their mission is to promote ethnic and gender diversity in media. It's a cause that means a lot to me, so it goes without saying that I'm honored to win Second Runner Up and for Jamie Miller to win Best Actress.
The theme of this year's shootout was 'No More,' and in our film we spoof 'Get Out.' As an Asian-American actor, I touch on my own personal experiences in casting. Being told that I'm too much, or not enough -- given my mixed ethnicity. Or that I should be someone I'm not. In 'Get Out' the imagery of the sunken place shows a man trapped, watching his own life through a television screen. The casting place serves as a substitute for the sunken place, forcing the actor to be a vessel for someone else's vision. That, in some way, is how much of the entertainment industry has operated. Watching TV and movies growing up, media was mostly from the white male perspective. I would see their perspective of me, but never my own.
That being said, 'The Casting Place' is my sarcastic expression of these frustrations over the lack of diversity in media. The questions I'm asking are 'can an Asian-American actor be Asian-American? Or does Hollywood mostly write Asian roles for foreign Asian characters?' Thank you for watching, and please enjoy!
P.S. If you're wondering how we did the sunken place effect, watch our behind the scenes.
P.P.S. If you haven't seen Get Out, this is our scene reference. We were very particular about recreating it.
The theme of this year's shootout was 'No More,' and in our film we spoof 'Get Out.' As an Asian-American actor, I touch on my own personal experiences in casting. Being told that I'm too much, or not enough -- given my mixed ethnicity. Or that I should be someone I'm not. In 'Get Out' the imagery of the sunken place shows a man trapped, watching his own life through a television screen. The casting place serves as a substitute for the sunken place, forcing the actor to be a vessel for someone else's vision. That, in some way, is how much of the entertainment industry has operated. Watching TV and movies growing up, media was mostly from the white male perspective. I would see their perspective of me, but never my own.
That being said, 'The Casting Place' is my sarcastic expression of these frustrations over the lack of diversity in media. The questions I'm asking are 'can an Asian-American actor be Asian-American? Or does Hollywood mostly write Asian roles for foreign Asian characters?' Thank you for watching, and please enjoy!
P.S. If you're wondering how we did the sunken place effect, watch our behind the scenes.
P.P.S. If you haven't seen Get Out, this is our scene reference. We were very particular about recreating it.