Andrew Hamlin
Northwest Asia Weekly
Bao Tran (Photo by Al’n Duong)
The Seattle area’s own Bao Tran started working for himself, scraping together money and resources to make short films. But thanks to ViacomCBS, it will be easier for him to realize future projects.
The communications company recently announced that Bao Tran is one of five participants in VicacomCBS’ 2021-2022 “Directing Program”, which focuses on building careers for talented directors from “underrepresented groups.” The award allows Tran to meet with network and studio executives, showrunners, producers and other industry leaders; shadow seasoned directors on CBS productions; professional support including agency and manager purchasing, branding, business development and portfolio overview; and continued support. He will also have the opportunity to direct a dramatic TV episode as part of the show’s new highlights.
All of the above may seem overwhelming, but Tran, the son of Vietnamese immigrants who grew up in Olympia and the coastline, is no stranger to networking and generally hard-working. He thanked his bilingual family for a lot of inspiration and understanding. Speaking English with Vietnamese “Helps me understand how people think, express and understand themselves in very different ways. A very important skill in storytelling.”
When asked which filmmakers inspired him to make films, he was quick to name Jackie Chan, “Because who doesn’t like kung fu movies? When I started to find out [Jackie Chan’s] Influences like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, I fell in love with the whole movie. “
At 12, Tran picked up his home camcorder and started recording movies with friends. A lot of kids take up the camera as a hobby, but Tran persevered and caught the eye with his fifth short, Bookie.
Filmed in partnership with Tran’s close friend Nick Risinger, who agreed to serve as filmmaker, Bookie took about three years to produce as the two young men had to raise money and go to college, in addition to revolving around Queen Anne and Ray Neil Beach. But the process is worth it. Along the way, Tran met action film director Corey Yuen, who guided him through the next phase.
Director Bao Tran on set (Photo by Al’n Duong)
“I was lucky enough to know Corey as a family friend and he showed me the importance of story and characters in action filmmaking.”
He used his Vietnamese connections to travel to Vietnam and work in film editing. He wrote a script for a feature film: the story of three deformed kung fu disciples resurrected from old age to avenge their master.
“I wanted to explore these ancient themes of martial arts, honor and loyalty, through a modern Asian-American lens,” commented Tran.
Funding for the final film, dubbed “Paper Tiger,” came from private investors and Kickstarter crowdfunding. The filming covered many places on the Seattle map, including plenty of activity in the International District of Chinatown.
Not that the whole thing is easy.
“We faced a lot of backlash and boycotts from the big studios who didn’t think audiences would want to see a movie led by people of color,” Tran explained.
“With the success of Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther, we saw a lot of potential in our film and made progress in making the film we wanted to make. Now, since our release, we have received Amazing response. It is one of the top films of 2021 according to Rotten Tomatoes, and the Seattle Asian American Film Festival awarded us the Jury Award and Audience Award for Best Film. We are so grateful and proud that our films have audiences.”
When asked about future plans after the director’s initiative, Tran sees an open path. “ViacomCBS’ shows are being watched and loved so much and I’m so excited and excited that I’ll be involved in directing the series.
“Other than that, Seattle is my home, but of course I follow where the adventure takes me. I want to continue telling stories in film and TV, telling great stories that really reflect me and my community.”
Andrew is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
