The year so far has been a roller coaster. At the end of 2019 I finally obtained permanent residency (PR) in Canada. I was looking forward to seeing more of the country and travelling abroad again. Early 2020 I had string of gigs lined up which would have sent me flying off around Canada filming dance competitions. I was also gearing up to help organize the Art Auction Gala at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and Pride In Chinatown with Paul Wong Projects. Of course, things took a turn for the worst as events were cancelled once Covid-19 was in full swing.
Stuck at home, I had the freedom to let my hair down (literally grew it out!) and let myself blob out, something which I didn’t feel comfortable while I was waiting for my PR application to process. I was also crazy busy in 2019 working as a Host Supervisor at the Unwritten Exhibition at Oakridge. After a while in lock-down I wasn’t sure how long it would take for my next project to come through.
One lucky outcome was that Westbank, the company who put on the Unwritten Exhibition, asked me to help them film a series of live-streams to help showcase their upcoming building developments. With most public venues closed, live-streaming was a great way to help to stay connected their clientele while maintaining physical distancing. I also had the opportunity to see some pretty cool projects!
Penthouse level on 49th floor of Vancouver House.
For a long time I’ve been putting off making a short film with my friend Kimberly Ho. It only took a pandemic to free up our calendars so that we could sit down and create something. After a few months in lock-down we were eager to do get our creative juices flowing. Our film Dumplings (2020) actually made it into a local film festival here in Vancouver - more details to come!
A moment from Dumplings (2020)
The live entertainment industry is unfortunately still on hiatus. I know a lot of performers in Vancouver who’ve taken a big hit. On the flip side of the coin, it’s spurred a whole bunch of artists to create exciting new content through the use of video. I usually stop myself from going crazy on video effects to avoid seeming cliché or over done. It’s been refreshing to watch people who have no background in video, have fun and produce stunning content while experimenting in the craft. It’s inspired and challenged me to be less vanilla in my work.
I recently a shot a Billie Eilish tribute with local performer, Gia Metric. The video was made to play out on the LoveStream, an online party streamed on Twitch. No longer being able to perform on the stage, local drag artists took their talents online onto the LoveStream to not only maintain but encourage connection. It was also a way to raise funds since their typical venues had closed down.
To be honest, in the days leading up to the shoot I was feeling a bit ‘meh’ with everything. All those weeks not seeing friends in person had gotten to me. I was’t feeling motivated to make anything nor start working again. Finally getting to go out with a creative group was exactly what I needed. It was reinvigorating to team up with Gia Metric and [Director] Chase Webb, as all three of us helped each other get out of a slump we were feeling. Special shout-out to Rami Films for letting us use their studio and equipment.
It was also great to interact with our community during the LoveStream and to see audience’s and friend’s reactions to our videos. With restrictions continuing to be eased, I’m looking forward to once again meet up with friends and colleagues in person. This was not how I expected 2020 to go, but it definitely has opened my eyes to new ways I can help my community through the use of live-stream video productions.
Left: Director Chase Webb