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Film, Production Design, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Production Designer Laura Santoyo talks new film ‘Falling’

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Learning about various aspects of humanity is a passion of Colombia’s Laura Santoyo Dangond. Originally from Colombia, she has also lived in Peru and Canada, and loves to travel to experience different cultures and learn new languages, fluent in Spanish, English, French, German, and Portuguese. This desire to learn about the world and its people is part of what led her into filmmaking. With every new project she embarks on, she gets to tell a different story and learn something new about history, society, the human mind, and more. Beyond the stories, she works with people from all over the world that have different backgrounds and ways of seeing life, and together they share and experience their differences through their art. As a production designer, Santoyo takes everything she has seen and practiced and channels that into creating visually stunning and captivating sets and props that fully transport audiences into what they are watching.

“I make an effort to stay true to the story and what the characters are. I do a lot of research on the characters and the environment where they live. I also try to have many exchanges with the director where we discuss characters and share research and inspiration images, etc. to understand their vision and the direction they are taking the story to. I like to play with colors and used them to imply aspects of the story that are not explicitly spoken by the characters,” she said.

Santoyo is known for her work on award-winning films such as Lockdown and Tim of the Jungle, both of which made their way to several of the world’s most prestigious film festivals. Last year, her film The Plague premiered, reminding audiences of what she is capable of, as Santoyo created a dystopian world. Her most recent film premiered just last month at the Slamdance Festival, and once again Santoyo shows she is unrivaled as a production designer.

Falling set_2
Bill Bowles, Laura Santoyo Dangond and Ewen Wright on the set of Falling, photo by Sam Shaib

“As soon as I finished reading the script I felt like I had to be part of the project. It is one of the most original scripts I have read, very intelligent and I thought that it was a story that had to be told and that I wanted to tell it,” she said. “The script of this film describes a number of absurd situations and uses humor to address subjects that are affecting our society. It was very important that the design of the movie supported the comedic tone without ridiculing the situations.”

The film tells the story of a potentially psychosomatic white man, a woman stuck in a vortex of mansplaining, and a young black man confronted by the racial disconnect of society, each trying to make sense of their lives as their worlds are set on an inevitable collision course in this surrealist comedy.

It was important for Santoyo and the rest of the team to differentiate the three storylines that run parallel to each other and to show the absurdity of the situations without being too over the top. Therefore, they assigned one color to each character.

The first story, about a man who can’t walk, represents the feeling of impotence that someone watching the news at night can feel when they see injustices with no way to help. This character takes the “sickness” he feels to the extreme. Therefore, they decided to use the color blue with him, which is very clinical.

The second story, about a woman who’s caught in male-dominated conversations turmoil, was assigned the color red. She is often angry and frustrated, and all the men that she’s with see her and other women as objects. Santoyo felt red reflected these feelings.

The third story is about a black man, who in the most absurd situation, ends up being shot by the police. The filmmakers gave him the color green, because he’s young and innocent at the beginning and at the end it is his case that makes the man in the first story sick.

“As a society, we are still fighting against racism, social injustice and women’s equality and this film raises awareness on these subjects in a comedic tone. I believe that it is very important to have films like this one because we can start generating discussions that could eventually lead to change,” said Santoyo.

Working on Falling has been one of the most fun experiences Santoyo has had throughout her career. From the first time she read the script, she knew it was going to be challenging because there were many locations with three different stories that at the end become one. Each story had elements of magical realism that could also be difficult to achieve in production design. Santoyo wanted to enhance the experiences of the character through the set, but not overdo it to a point that the messages behind each scene were lost. She managed to find the perfect balance, always keeping in mind the color palette they had decided for each character early on in production.

“I think many things make Laura an excellent designer, collaborator, and professional. The first thing that comes to mind is passion. She’s clearly passionate about what she does – she made it clear that she seeks out work that she connects with on a personal and aesthetic level. Once she’s onboard, she’s obviously all-in. That shows at every phase of a project when you see her initial ideas, the hours she’s putting in, the attitude she brings to every meeting and production day, and the diligence with which she executes. Beyond that, she’s a professional with outstanding training, instincts, and experience. She knows how to present her ideas clearly – both verbally and visually, she has leadership skills, she remains calm under pressure, she knows how to prioritize, stay organized, and keep others motivated to work at a high standard,” said Ewen Wright, Director.

Wright was looking through portfolios and films for a costume designer when Santoyo’s work caught his eye. He asked the costume designer who the production designer was that possessed such talent. He immediately reached out to Santoyo, who was extremely responsive and receptive to the idea of the film. They immediately began a strong partnership and shared ideas about the film.

Falling Set
Ewen Wright, Laura Santoyo Dangond and Yonit Olsen, photo by Sam Shaib

“Laura has a creative voice, and in a key role on a collaboration that can’t be undervalued. She brings her lifelong sense of design, studied theory, and just pure instinct to her work in a way that gives her work a through-line. I really enjoyed developing a shorthand with her. Lastly, she has a phenomenal attitude and work ethic. She went above and beyond for our production – and even when things went wrong, or the hours ran long, Laura was a reliable source of positivity and joy. As a leader on the team, she set a tone for those around her that I know contributed to all of us doing better. When I was stressed or needed a moment, I always knew I could rely on Laura for a laugh – just as the rest of the time I relied on her for her eye on the image,” Wright continued.

Working with such a committed team was one of Santoyo’s favorite parts about filming Falling. She found everyone came together to tell such an intricate story, and she was constantly inspired by those she worked alongside. However, it was the message behind the film that truly made the experience for the production designer.

“I am so proud to have been a part of this film. I think it’s a story that captures the feeling that something is wrong in the world and the willingness to change it, but not knowing how to go about doing so. I think many people feel that now. I’m thrilled to know that it’s being watched by many people and it can maybe inspire some change in our society,” she said.

Now that Falling has begun its film festival run, Santoyo is looking forward to her next project. Undoubtedly, she has a very bright future ahead of her, and audiences can continue to look for her name rolling past their eyes in movie credits for years to come.

“I want to keep exploring and finding new stories to tell and more talented people to work with. I am looking forward to creating more worlds where magic is possible. I want my work to reach even larger audiences and present stories to the public that entertain them and that touches them. I have a couple of projects in line for this year that hopefully will help me accomplish this,” she concluded.

 

Top photo by Jesper Duelund

international Talent, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Animator Sijia Huang brings joyful characters to life in new film ‘Breakfast’

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As an only child, Sijia Huang was always looking for ways to entertain herself. She didn’t have any siblings to play with, and growing up in Chongqing, China, she immersed herself into movies from a young age, finding that it not only passed the time, but consumed her every thought. She knew she had to be a part of that world, and loving drawing from an early age, she became committed to knowing everything she could about animation. She studied her favorite films and scoured video stores to find new movies she could learn from. Now, she is an acclaimed animator, winning audiences around the world over with her unique style and commitment to her craft.

Her films Box Home, Quitting Brave Victory, Measures and Frames and Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil have allowed the world to see just what Huang is capable of. Her ability to generate smooth animation while still maintaining a good balance between tension and looseness generate the perfect rhythm for her films. She knows that in animated films, her work is the entirety of the visual aspect, making up 50 per cent of the movie goers experience, and she knows how to make that lasting impression.

“Just like having good actors or actresses in a film, a professional animator can create lively characters that will contribute lots to the story. A good story is one of the most important parts of a film. The power of a well animated character, a good story, and the aesthetic value behind an animated film is why I want to be a professional animator,” she said.

Huang’s most recent film is titled Breakfast, in which she was both the director and leading animator. She designed and crafted all the puppets and did all the stop-motion animation. Breakfast is a combination of 2D and stop-motion animation. The character design is what intrigued Huang to take part in the film, with a unique take on stop-motion puppets. She also found the script interesting, with funny and unique characters.

The story begins with two hands hitting two eggs. As the hitting goes on, the two eggs start to crack and finally explode into pieces. Two creatures come out of the eggs. One is a duck with hairy human legs. The other one is a muscular man with duck feet. The duck and the man both have a crush on each other and start to dance. In the middle of the dance, the two hands interrupt them by hitting them on their heads. A chase and fight commence. In the end, it turns out all the encounters and fights are happening in a child’s imaginary world when he plays with his toys – a rubber duck and an action figure, during his breakfast.

“The story is more about viewing the world with children’s perspective and the positive messages behind the story include love, support and equality,” said Huang.

Huang began working on the animation back in 2015, and it took over two years to perfect every image. After premiering at the New York Short Film Festival 2018 where it was an Official Selection, the film has already seen great acclaim. It was an Official Selection at the 2018 GUKIFF Animated Short, UK Monthly Film Festival, and the Oniros Film Awards. It also had an Official Screen at the Oregon Shorts section in the 41st Portland International Film Festival. At the Los Angeles Movie Awards, Huang was awarded with Best Animation for her work on the film, and at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival she won Best Director. Needless to say, none of the film’s success could have been possible without her considerable contributions.

“Knowing the film has been so successful means a lot to me, as the director and the leading animator on this film, I had a lot of pressure. At the beginning, I didn’t know if the audiences would like the characters or not. This film is all about these interesting characters, which I personally love and had lots of fun on animating. It turns out that audiences really like it too, Every effort paid off at the end,” said Huang.

Huang was responsible for all the stop-motion animation in Breakfast, which was 90 per cent of the entire animation. Stop-motion requires working with puppets. While making the puppets, she was very careful when it came to the mold and cast process, one of the greatest challenges. When she began the process, she had no experience in casting them, and through trial and error, eventually created characters that were even better than the original design.

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Sijia Huang, Stan Lee, and Yifu Zhou with the Digital Domain team

“I first met Sijia when we worked together on some digital content pieces for Stan Lee, and immediately recognized her exceptional talent and matchless vision. She is one of these rare talents, as she clearly demonstrated in Breakfast, and her reputation precedes her in the industry. Her stop-motion work is renowned for being refreshing in the animation world, as it is simultaneously mature, artistic, and avant-garde,” said Yifu Zhou, Vice President and Visual Effects Supervisor at Digital Domain.

Although they are not human actors, Huang says the puppets require a lot of care. For example, the Duck character has a pair of hairy legs that need special handling and care when animating. Therefore, she chose to only touch the joints that she needed to bend so that the leg hair would not fall off. She also used baby powder to help reduce the stickiness of the silicon surface.

“The ball and socket armatures were so fun to animate. I enjoyed the experience of animating on stage. It is hard to imagine without the ball and socket armatures, how to work on some of the shots. The most difficult part is to animate characters in the air. Two characters in the film are made of silicon and super sculpted. The materials and steal ball and socket armatures make the puppets heavy to animate. In order to stable them in the air, I used special designed rigs, so I can tie the puppets to the flying rigs to create movement in the air,” Huang described.

Music was also a big part of the film. Not only did Huang find the ideal composer in Lance Trevino, she also needed the choreography to be perfect. This required an ample amount of research on Tango dancing in order to perfectly execute the animation. To do so, Huang analyzed the patters of the dance steps and extracted the key movements to fit the animation style. Her dedicated resulted in the Tango being the highlight of the film.

“I loved the film, so animating it was really fun. When you see the characters on this film, you will know why I love them so much,” she concluded.

Be sure to check out Breakfast to know just what Huang is talking about.

Actor, Film

Chinese Actor Yifan Luo talks upcoming film ‘Rift’

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As a child, growing up in Shanghai, Yifan Luo did not see himself as an actor. In fact, he was very business oriented, and the arts were not a feasible career option for him at the time. However, as a teen, everything changed; when he stepped on the stage for the first time as the lead in his high school play, he experienced the unique sensation that only comes from doing something you truly love. His passion for acting was born at that time, and now, over ten years later, this passion only grows stronger each time he steps onto a new set.

As an in-demand actor in both China and abroad, Luo is constantly looking for different roles than those he has played previously. He aims to portray as many different personalities as possible, from a schizophrenic psychopath in the film SAM to a jokester college freshman in the feature Talentik. His versatility knows no bounds. With the four films he has coming out this year, each character explores a different side of humanity. In the upcoming movie Rift, Luo once again plays a different role than he ever has.

“The character of the psychologist is somewhat complex. Yifan is perfect for the role and his performance is excellent. He is a professional and dedicated actor. I definitely want to work with him again,” said Jing Ge, Producer.

Rift is a compelling science fiction film focusing on a series of characters. It begins with Sergeant Howard receiving a case that Professor Miles is missing. The main character, Yu, is considered as the prime suspect. However, Yu denies everything. According to his testimony, Yu killed Proffesor Miles ten years ago for the professor’s plagiarism of his thesis paper. Yu was sent back to China after he was released from the prison. Through investigation, Howard believes that he is lying about something regarding the case. However, the psychological consultant, Gu Shenming, holds a different opinion. Yu gives them an unbelievable explanation that he comes from a parallel universe. Howard doesn’t believe Yu, but he has no evidence, so he has to release Yu after 48 hours. Yu’s girlfriend Xin bails him out. Howard is shocked when he sees Xin, because this girl was murdered five years ago by a serial killer. When Yu sees Xin, he is also surprised that Xin is still alive. Two days later, different female bodies are found in suburban Los Angeles, related to a serial killer, all while travelling through parallel universes.

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Yifan Luo in Rift

“Science fiction is always what people like to watch. Especially now in China, it is a very popular topic in film/TV shows. In this story, we see different kinds of people, good and bad. It is a real society that the film creates. It brings us a world where the hero is a real man who would never reach his goal without the help of people around him. Of course, the hero gets what he needs in the end, which also encourages the audience to go for what they want,” said Luo.

In Rift, Luo plays Gu Shenming. His character is the psychologist that works for the police. He talks to the suspects and makes the conclusion regarding whether they are lying or not. In the story, when the main character comes from a parallel universe, nobody believes what he says. Therefore, the sergeant sends Gu Shenming to talk with him and expects that he will be proved a liar. As the conversation progresses, Gu gradually believes in what the main character says and starts to suspect that the sergeant actually knows a secret about the case that he doesn’t want other people know. Finally, Gu makes the conclusion that the main character is not lying about anything, which infuriates the sergeant.

Gu Shenming is the only person that believes in what the main character, Yu, says about travelling from the parallel universe. Without the character, the main character would have been sent to prison at the very beginning. It is this character that keeps searching for evidence that proves Yu is not lying about anything, and the psychologist is the one who finally destroys the sergeant’s plan. During the process, Luo’s character is under the immense pressure but never gives give up. He does his duty as a psychologist and prevents the main character from being persecuted.

“I read the synopsis of the story before I went for the audition. I really liked the idea of a parallel universe. The character I auditioned for is a very smart psychologist who works for the police that diagnoses whether the leading guy is crazy or not, since he keeps talking about a parallel universe, which is totally what I’m good at. I believed that I could do a very good job in playing such a role,” said Luo.

As the story has the setting of a parallel universe, the actors were required to frequently move between the universes in the story, meaning the cast and crew had to constantly change the set, costumes, and makeup. Because of this, everyone had to be on top of their game. Luo made sure to be extremely familiar with the script and storyline, even for scenes he was not in. This also created a great sense of teamwork between everyone on set, as they were constantly working to make filming as smooth as possible. For Luo, it was working with everyone on the film that made working on Rift such a great experience.

“It was a great experience to work with Yifan. He is very professional and very passionate. As a partner, he is very considerable. He even helped me read the lines so patiently when I was doing my close-up shots. He always spends a lot of time working on the character before he goes to set. He is also creative at the same time. He has a sense of humor that makes his acting unique.  He is one of my favorite actors I have ever worked with,” said Yun Xie, Lead Actress.

Keep an eye out for Rift at a film festival near you.

Producer, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Producer Yayun Hsu talks new film ‘Next Door’

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Taiwan’s Yayun Hsu sees her role as a producer similar to that of a magician; she is often required to make things appear out of nowhere, with the end goal of enthralling audiences and providing a temporary escape, and a source of entertainment. With each new project, this revered producer analyzes what she can do with the resources she has, looking to see how to make things happen no matter the budget. Whenever she wraps a project, she reviews what steps were taken to ensure everything is the best it can possibly be. Despite constant success, she always feels a slight sense of surprise and delight by such good results, giving her the positive power to make more movies and tell better stories, and audiences around the world are thankful for such a commitment to her craft.

Throughout her esteemed career, Hsu has worked on many films and various projects that exemplify what she is capable of. This year alone, Hsu worked on a series of successful endeavors. She created a video for the Westfield Century City Mall Grand Opening Event, made a national commercial for the Whisk Wiper, produced the inaugural American Influencer Awards, and worked on several successful films.

“I give myself the rule of ‘practice what you preach.’ For example, if I expect my actors and crew to be to set on time, then I need to be there even earlier; if I hold a vendor responsible for delivering a quality product, then I need to make sure I’m delivering the same quality both in my word and work ethic. I find this strategy pays off for everyone involved,” said Hsu.

This strategy has indeed paid off for Hsu’s most recent film, Next Door. It is a horror film that conveys the message to not always trust what you see. Next Door follows Lily and Earl, who have just moved into a new home and become Morgan’s neighbor. Lily makes Morgan think her father, Earl, is an abuser, but it turns out Lily has dark secrets of her own The script is what caught Hsu’s interest in the film, and she knows the importance of a good story.

“A good storyline and a plot twist will always make a film memorable. Leaving a lasting impression on an audience is of course the ultimate goal of a filmmaker. I prefer thought provoking storylines and I hope that this one inspires change after viewing,” she said. 

The film had its premiere at the Asian World Film Festival at the beginning of November, and impressed both audiences and critics. It is expected to make its way to several other film festivals over the next year.

“It was amazing to see all the footage we made come together into a real film. It feels nice that it is now doing well at festivals. Receiving recognition from the professional filmmakers is a compliment especially from people I admire. We worked hard on this project for almost half a year, so to see it on the big screen was definitely is a pleasure,” said Hsu.

In her role as Unit Production Manager on Next Door, Hsu was involved in casting, location scouting, applying for permits, arranging catering, controlling the budget, and working on set to solve unexpected problems. In one instance, the Director of Photography realized he forgot to rent camera batteries for the shoot. Hsu knew exactly who to contact at the last minute to help the shoot continue without delay. Additionally, before Hsu joined to the team, the director already had completed casting, but he couldn’t get the right actors for the performance. Hsu then was invited to take part in the casting process, and she posted casting information on different platforms, which led to the right actors being cast for the film. There is no doubt that the film would not have achieved what it already has without her extraordinary talents.

“Yayun is very well-rounded and able to help out the team in numerous different roles. As a producer, Yayun has a strong leadership ability to solve problems. As a partner, she is dependable and reliable when I need support. As a worker, she always does her best to find the best solutions in a time efficient manner. These are all very desirable qualities in a team member. Yayun gives every working partner a relaxed and happy environment, while also supervising the filming process. We have worked on many projects, and I foresee Yayun’s support as an advantage for any team she is on in the film industry,” said Mimi Masters, Producer of Next Door and CEO of IMC Production.

Masters specifically sought out Hsu to work as her partner, as she was working on several films at the same time, and she knew she needed someone like Hsu as an on-set producer to make Next Door a success. Hsu’s commitment to every project she works on was invaluable to not only Masters, but everyone she worked with.

Despite working on many acclaimed films, Hsu had never before produced a horror film. She says it was an adventure everyday on set. They planned many things ahead, but the plans could never keep up with the changes, which is where her ability to work under pressure and problem solve proved vital. After a long 12 hour a day on set, the cast and crew’s energy began to dip, and a happy crew is of course a first priority for Hsu. It was 7 p.m., and she knew the next break wasn’t until 1 a.m. Most of the restaurants were closed by then, and she thought, “How am I going to feed my crew?” Putting her strategic thinking abilities to use, Hsu contacted the catering person she worked with earlier that day, and they made a special hot and fresh meal at midnight and delivered it to set.

“A story about food may not seem too exciting, but I learned that as a producer, the key to any projects success begins with resourcefulness and a full stomach,” she said.

Be sure to check out Next Door and keep an eye out for Producer Yayun Hsu’s future work. It is evident with everything she does that she is a “magician” when it comes to filmmaking.