We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Danny Lau. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Danny below.

Danny, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I started as a passionate student in the “Acting for Film & Television Program” at Humber College. My family and friends strongly disapproved of my choice to pursue this career path. Frankly, they were justified. I had no connections in this industry or any formal training in this craft whatsoever. But I knew I had an affinity for storytelling and I loved films. Films helped me through a tough childhood. I wanted to prove that I could do it, but I just didn’t know at what capacity. Acting was my first attempt. After I finished the program, I was ready to sign with an agency and launch my career. But as I sat across of that agent, I couldn’t get myself to sign. Something didn’t feel right. Although it had potential to kickstart a career in film, I couldn’t forgive myself for feeling the way that I did. I beat myself up constantly for not taking that risk. This was the biggest lesson of my entire career.

Shortly after, I quit the industry and started working regular jobs. I was a cashier, a warehouse worker, a retail store worker and eventually landed at UPS as a driver’s assistant. I fell into a depression. I had gained 40 lbs in a year, stopped taking care of myself and became addicted to video games and food. This spiraled downwards for years until I met my ex-girlfriend around the age of 28. She encouraged me to start getting healthy and working out everyday. I got into the best shape of my life! When I hit 30, I felt the itch to pursue my dreams again and give it one more shot. My girlfriend, at the time, pushed me to take that leap of faith despite my anxieties about being “too old” to start. I also wasn’t in a great financial space and I knew I would need her to support me in every way possible. She assured me that she loved me and she would always have my back. The next day, I showed up to work and I announced to my driver that I quit. Nobody knew this, but I only had $7 left in my bank account. I was living paycheque to paycheque. But it didn’t matter to me anymore, I truly felt like I had nothing left to lose. I kept reminding myself: “I quit once, I know what it’s like. I will not let it happen again.” This was going to be the biggest risk of my life! The journey scared me, but the regret of not even trying scared me more.

Since then, it has come at the cost of lot of hardship in both my personal and business life. But even if I could go back, I wouldn’t change my decision and I would do it all over again. It’s the risk that makes me feel alive. To know that I am being courageous everyday for a cause that is so true to my heart. And that I am truly making the best out of my life despite all the obstacles that stood in my way. That is something that nobody can ever take away from me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a founder of a production company: Faction. We are a commercial production company that aims to empower digital agencies to bring their best ideas to life. Simply put, we produce high-end commercials. I started as a freelance cinematographer and editor in the Television Broadcast Industry all around the globe. Lots of my early work has been featured in over 180 countries around the world. For over 3 years, I specialized in the combat sports niche and worked on shows that took place in stadiums with over 30,000 spectators. I have travelled to all different regions within Europe, America and Asia throughout my tenure.

But then the pandemic hit. I wasn’t able to travel, so I lost it all. As I mentioned in my previous answer about “taking a risk”, I had quit once before and I had promised myself that I would never let it happen again. So, I decided to dedicate my time to mastering the craft of Cinematography. I studied every day obsessively until I felt comfortable starting my new journey in the local market. I met my business partner, Anthony, during this time. We immediately connected as friends! We would gather all our resources together to create projects as case studies. This helped me find my footing again both financially and mentally. 3 years later, we found ourselves working together on each and every project I was on and come December 2022, we launched Faction!

Since the birth of our company, we have merged seamlessly into the community of Toronto Commercial Filmmakers. We started our own podcast in January 2023, The Apple Box Podcast, which has helped us connect with some of the most well-known names in our industry. Getting to know them has led us to working with them on a multitude of projects and has opened up the horizons on what’s possible in the world of commercial filmmaking. We want to bring that excitement back to the commercial world and start making filmmaking fun again!

I believe the visual impact that we bring as a production company, is more than just a pretty image, but a pretty image that is deeply rooted in the message that you want to tell as an individual or a company. Our process involves a deep dive into helping others discover what that message is and how it can translate onto the screen. This is not only what makes us unique, but it is what makes you unique and the entire experience unique! We cover every step of the way from pre to post-production and of course, final delivery.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

There is a saying that somebody told me at the very beginning of my career that I will never forget:

“The people at the top of the industry are not necessarily the most talented people in the industry. They are just the ones that never quit.”

Until this day, I live by that quote! As I mentioned previously, when the pandemic hit, I lost my business. Times got rough and I had to start selling some gear just to stay afloat. Additionally, my personal life wasn’t fairing any better: My 5 1/2 year girlfriend left me, one of my best friends suddenly passed away at a young age, another friend took his own life, and family members were starting to pass away. On top of all this, I was also in middle of experiencing burnout. I didn’t sleep well, faced unhealthy levels of anxiety and was feeling absolutely defeated everyday. I wasn’t equip to face all that was about to hit me, but those were the cards that I was dealt.

During this time, I kept reminding myself of that quote. I couldn’t quit. No matter what. No matter how hard rock bottom felt. There is always action you can take to keep progressing, even if it’s small. A business mentor once told me, “For the times when the bigger picture seems too overwhelming, focus on the small objectives. When the small objectives feel like it’s not moving the needle, focus on the bigger picture.” I knew I had the talent, I just needed to focus on it. It was during this time, that I discovered what I really loved: Image making. I studied relentlessly; one day at time, one YouTube video at a time, one article at a time. More importantly, I took my camera with a few lights and just made content. I created images. I just focused on one project at a time. This was more than just filmmaking for me, it was what I needed to keep my mind from creating my own demise.

“Your purpose comes from your pain.”

I learned this from a client I worked with for a couple of years. This quote has helped me evolve both as an artist and as a human. To give my pain a purpose has made me more than just resilient, it has made me feel unstoppable.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I spent most of my early career with a negative environment. Nobody believed in me except for my ex-girlfriend (who I eventually lost along the way). My family spent everyday deep in concern hoping that I’d change my mind. They waited on the sidelines to say “I told you so”. This isn’t surprising to me as they are a traditional Asian family who immigrated to Canada for a chance for me and my sister to become doctors or lawyers. A career in filmmaking wasn’t something that they had in mind to say the least. My choice to enter college for Acting was met with heavy resistance and left a trail of scars that unfortunately will never be mended.

Naturally, this led me to seek positive reinforcement elsewhere. I knew nobody would take my seriously until I proved that I can provide a good body of work. So I worked hard to develop my skills as a filmmaker by diving into as many projects as I could. I always had aspirations to one day win an Oscar, but experience has taught me not to set goals, but to set an example of a life you want to live. Goals have an end point and I don’t want this pursuit to end. So I made it my mission to spend the rest of my life working with people I like. Positive people. People who support one another in taking their journeys to next level. If I am still doing this when I’m 80 years old, I’ve won. I’ve made it.     

Contact Info:

• Website: www.factionmedia.tv
• Instagram: dannywsl.dp
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@appleboxpodcast

Image Credits
All shots by Me. Productions are all produced by Faction.