We begged…he demurred…we gently begged a bit more…he still declined but did want to talk about his new film, You’re Safe With Me (Estás Segura Conmigo). Such is the case with many directors (myself included) who find their comfort zone behind the camera…ask Director Ian Gamazon (Living In Seduced Circumstances) who also recently chose the written form of interviewing!
Eric Yang is one of the many filmmakers whose short will be screened at LAAPFF. While we have been focusing mostly on feature films to showcase, there are a few short films that got our attention and a good movie is good regardless of the length! Eric has already won acclaim for his previous films and this fall has been invited to attend the American Film Institute as a Directing Fellow.
His film will be screened at LAAPFF on May 1st at 4:45PM at Laemmles Sunset 5. For more information about the festival, visit their website here: LAAPFF
#1. Tell us about your background in film.
I learned a lot of the technical aspects of film production at a private college in San Francisco, but mostly I learned by doing it. As a child I had always thought I’d be a novelist or a journalist; I was interested in storytelling. I think it was in high school when I realized that film is the perfect medium for telling the stories I was interested in, and of course, it’s a great vehicle for self-expression.
#2. What inspired you to make You’re Safe With Me?
Initially, the short was actually intended to be a creative exercise. Since August of 2010 I’ve been shooting an average of two short films a month with a Canon T2i that my dad bought for me. I always wanted to do a film in Spanish; some of my favorite directors include Alfonso Cuaron and Pedro Almodovar. I wanted to pay homage to them, and also to try and tell a emotional, character-driven story in under five minutes.
#3. Who are the people involved in the project and how were they selected for the project?
It was a pretty small crew, basically me, the sound guy, and the two actors. I met Robert Renderos through a mutual friend, and I was introduced to Yvette Yates through Robert. I wrote the script specifically with Robert and Yvettes in mind. Yvette is such a natural talent. She went way beyond my expectations. And she’s doing some great work in feature films, too; she’s co-starring in Without Men with Christian Slater and Eva Longoria.
#4 What part of filmmaking is most exciting for you?
I love the collaboration. Nothing thrills me more than walking on to a movie set at six or seven in the morning and working with everyone involved. Even when I’m exhausted I’m always aware of the fact that it’s a huge privilege to be able to collaborate with these talented people who are there to tell a story with you.
#5. What is your next project?
I’m developing a short film about the Vietnam War, which hopefully I’ll be able to raise enough money to shoot this summer. It’s about an American paratrooper who survives a Napalm bombing, and he meets a North Vietnamese soldier whom he attempts to see as a human being rather than a faceless enemy. We’ve got some amazing people involved; Joseph Ruben, who directed Sleeping with the Enemy, is our story consultant, and our editor is Madeleine Gavin, who just finished cutting the Tobey Maguire film, The Details.
Estás Segura Conmigo – Official Trailer from Eric Yang on Vimeo.
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