While we continue to hope for a correspondent in Toronto so we can do camera interviews, we still have to stay connected with the Asian film industry there. We focused a bit on Andrew Chung back in November 2010 when he was developing Millions and with the series going strong and a new short film, Beauty Heart Story, being screened at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival Nov. 6th @ 5:00PM, it was the perfect time to get a written Q&A from Andrew.
1. Tell us about your film background.
I studied screenwriting at the Vancouver Film School many years ago, and worked in both development and distribution for a few years for a couple of companies in Vancouver. I used to read scripts in development, and market films in distribution. Since then I’ve made a few short films in multiple roles such as Director, Screenwriter, Story Editor, or Editor. Even before film school I made a few shorts with my sister, Melanie. I’ve always been writing even as a kid. I always thought I was going to write comic books actually (which I still hope to do in the future!). But here I am. My latest project is MILLIONS, a TV series that’s currently in development.
2. You have done a few shorts including your most recent short “Beauty Heart Story.” Do you have plans for a feature film?
I’d love to do a feature film, but there is nothing in the works right now. Although, I have a feature written that I think has potential but it still needs a lot of work. And also a lot of money! Perhaps once MILLIONS slows down (which I don’t think it will any time soon), I’ll get to that feature. I definitely love the concept, so I will eventually get back to it.
3. Tell us about “Beauty Heart Story.”
“Beauty Heart Story” is a short documentary film that I directed. It’s my Love Letter to Vancouver where I lived for 4 years, and I have a lot of fondness for. It was a great time in my life, so I tried to capture it in this short film. I think every city is characterized by its people more than anything else, and Vancouver is no exception. So I decided to center the film around people who were from Vancouver or lived there for a significant period. It stars Sarah Lian (Mister French Taste, Jasmine), of Malaysian fame (and also one of the stars of MILLIONS), who was raised in Vancouver and represents the Beauty; Mister Park, a Vancouver-born Korean MC and Songwriter who represents the Heart; and myself, representing, what else, but the Story. We all talk about our time in the city and what it means to us.
4. “Millions” is the web series you are developing. Tell us about the idea and development of the series, what’s happening with the project.
MILLIONS is a dramatic TV series I’ve written and created. It’s the story of a group of twenty-somethings that embark on a dangerous but ambitious journey to become millionaires. It has the camaraderie of Entourage, but the drama of The Sopranos. So I think people will enjoy it. The lead cast is entirely Asian North American, but it’s a story for everyone. We have some really talented actors, so we’re really excited about it.
But maybe this’ll be a good time to clear things up about MILLIONS. I know there’s some confusion about what’s happening with our series because not everyone visits our blog. Originally, the series was supposed to be solely a Web Series, but it’s currently been put on hold, because we decided to pursue TV. A Web Series WILL happen regardless in some form or another, but we wanted to explore the TV route first. So there are no episodes online right now, only documentary featurettes on the filming of our Pilot. We shot a Pilot for TV a few months ago, which I co-directed with my sister, Melanie, and right now we’re pursuing producing and network partners to develop the show further. A Trailer however will be released in the next month or so, so people will finally get a sneak peek of what the show will be like. We’re also going to be holding a screening of the pilot locally for our cast and crew at the beginning of December, but it will also be open for the public as well, so that they can get a sneak peek. But for updates on the development of the show, please visit our website at www.MillionsTheSeries.com Things are very organic, so developments always happen. The only way to know what’s going on up-to-the-minute, is to visit our website/blog!
Trackbacks/Pingbacks