Dim Sum With The Folks
My new Wells Fargo print ad, shot at Bao in LA.
My pretend parents were lovely people. They wanted to adopt me and I said…sure, why not.
Laughter For A Change – “It’s about kinship, it has to be.” (2 VIDEOS)
In October I attended the Durfee Foundation’s “We Heart LA” event and had the pleasure of hearing this fantastic keynote speech by Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries (press play above). Father Greg, who has worked on gang rehabilitation for 25 years in some of LA’s toughest neighborhoods, weaves powerful anecdotes of loss and hope to remind those of us in the non-profit sector why we do the work we do: “it’s about kinship, it has to be.”
(BTW, he also has incredibly funny stories about Diane Keaton and Laura Bush. And you have to love a Jesuit Priest who curses mildly from time to time)
This idea of kinship resonates loudly and clearly with the work that we do at Laughter For A Change, because at our very core, we use improv to build stronger connections between individuals and communities. I am moved time and time again, when I witness in our programs how shared laughter has a profound ability to bring people together. When we play, we laugh, and magically strangers become friends and friends become brothers and sisters. The walls we erect around ourselves come crumbling down. Corny I know, but I’ve seen so many times with my own eyes the transformative power of a laugh and I’m happy to report, it’s a beautiful thing.
Below is a short clip of our Middle School Improv Jam at the Koreatown Youth and Community Center. Look at the smiles, look at how these kids come together to create comedy. The funky handshake at 0:53 says it all. A huge thank you to KYCC staff for including us in their video yearbook.
A Great End To 2010
November and December have been very kind to me. First off, I had the opportunity to work with Neema Barnette and her talented students at the UCLA School of Film. We filmed an original work written and directed by Neema’s talented student Ashley Tillett, who did a great job guiding her own vision to fruition. It was a terrific learning experience working with both Ashley and Neema, and I was humbled to be in the presence of Neema who broke barriers as the first African American woman to direct sitcom television. It’s not every day you get to work with a trailblazer like Neema who had previously directed for the Cosby Show, A Different World, and China Beach among many other programs. I learned so much watching Neema work with her students and I’m grateful to Ashley for giving me the opportunity to participate in such a great project.
The end of 2010 has also been great to me because I just booked a national commercial spot for Quaker Oats. We shoot tomorrow and I’m looking forward to spending the day in work out clothes, pretending to be a spinner with a good group of people.
Thanks to Mimi Webb Miller Casting, Director Henry Lu, and the Juniper Park Agency for including me in such a fun project!
State Farm High Jinks
Just completed a two night shoot for a State Farm commercial in Cantonese. It was filmed on location in San Pedro and we had a great crew of Chinese folks working on this, from the actors to the director and production staff…it honestly felt like I was shooting a commercial with extended family. We even managed to squeeze in a few hands of Big 2 between takes and there definitely weren’t any shortages of “ai-yahs” throughout the long nights mixed with some choice expletives.
Major props to Sammy Lim from the Bay Area, an actual State Farm agent who spent the most time out of anybody in front of the camera. He was the real deal.
The ad should air in early November on your local Chinese language network.
When I told my Mom about the shoot she exclaimed, “you don’t speak Cantonese!” Typical Cantonese mom…what a hater .
So I’m a 49ers Fan
Super excited! I Just booked a NFL Network spot for Thursday Night Football.
For the promo I will be a 49ers fan who likes chips and dip. This will likely require some tortuous Method/emotional memory exercises so if you don’t hear from me for a few weeks, its probably because I’ll be soaking up my tears with a Jerry Rice jersey 
I’m a Raiders fan but when duty calls…GO NINERS!!
Junction (video)
This is a 1-minute short that my oldest brother Ivan directed and produced for the OBUSE60 film contest in Japan. Starring my nephews Niko & Rafa, “Junction” took home the “Audience Favorite” award. Great job guys!
Boston Scientific
Just shot a new industrial for Boston Scientific and here it is. Look out for the engineering nerd writing on the clear marker board around the one minute mark…a little scary how much I look the part!
Little Candy Hearts
I just wrapped up shooting “Little Candy Hearts” (LCH), an independent short produced and directed by the AB5TRAX media team Seaton Lin and Hunter Woo. A cryptic neo-noir piece shot on the Canon 5D, I play the lead character (aptly named) “David,” a man with a treacherous secret that ultimately forces him to make a life and death decision – his or her’s. Look out for LCH on the film festival circuit in 2011.