We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Park recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
What some people consider risk, I consider a calculated investment in myself. Producing my first film was a big leap of faith, and I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. But each time you try something new, you learn invaluable lessons and apply that knowledge to the next venture. Instead of waiting for someone to say yes, I chose to forge my own path. As an independent film producer, it’s about taking stock of what you have, and finding a way to make something good with it. This ‘no excuses’ approach to production means not waiting for the ideal circumstances to begin a project. If you wait for things to be perfect, you will always be waiting. While this approach does involve risk, it also ensures that you are constantly growing as a person and a creative professional. I think the greater risk is not making your project, because the only movie guaranteed to fail is the one you never finish. I have now produced several feature films, with more slated for 2024 and beyond.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
When I first arrived in LA years ago, naively optimistic and full of expectation, I learned quickly that for every role booked, there were ninety-nine parts I would never play. It taught me to savor every experience of working in film and television, as well as to learn how to get creative with my journey. Shortly after arriving in Hollywood, I was fortunate to win the title of Miss Asia USA, and in addition to the crown, I was awarded a full scholarship that allowed me to earn an MBA in Marketing.
Raised in the hard-working tradition of a family business, my parents instilled in me the value of ingenuity and perseverance. Over time, I became increasingly interested in combining my interest in marketing, my firsthand knowledge of the entertainment industry, and my natural entrepreneurial tendencies. I stepped back from the Hollywood rat race and challenged myself to create on my own terms.
I started producing with the goal of nurturing stories that challenge and inspire, with a commitment to social advocacy and education through film. My first project world premiered at Tribeca and won the 2018 AIVA Communicator Award and 2019 Telly Award of Excellence for Film Production. I am currently in production on my third self-produced feature film, which is slated to release this winter.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
The process of film production is always a challenge. What makes my journey unique is that I choose to embrace limitations as a creative catalyst. Telling a good story despite extreme budgetary constraints means being inventive, flexible and willing to do most of the jobs yourself. We basically took stock of the things we had on hand and started writing movies that we could make ourselves. By taking away all the bells and whistles, it forces a filmmaker to think only about the essential elements needed to tell the story. Our goal is ultimately to produce creatively frightening films that rise above their budgetary limitations.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
On both of my latest projects, Stay and Ghosts of Hiroshima, we embraced a low-tech/vlogger style format that allowed us to use smartphones rather than expensive cinema cameras. This literally put the fate of the project in our hands as we tried to extract the best results from a common device. I actually taught myself how to edit in order to complete our first film.
At the end of the day, no one will believe in your project as much as you do. If you can’t afford to hire the talent, it’s important that you’re willing to teach yourself how to do the things needed to achieve your goal. I don’t think that I am uniquely qualified to do this kind of work or have any special advantages. I am, however, willing to look silly and admit that I don’t always have the answers. That just means figuring out a way to do what often seems too hard or unpleasant. To create from nothing means putting faith in an outcome that is far from certain. Our projects are very lean, and it demands a certain kind of tenacity to see them through.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ashleyraepark
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/williamscreative
- Other: imdb.me/ashleyraepark
Image Credits
Dana Patrick