We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gorby Mufan Shih a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gorby Mufan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I earned my first paycheck as an artist when I was 16. I was background (an extra) for the Taiwanese feature film “Au Revoir Taipei” which later got into Berlin International Film Festival. I spent 12 hours with a high school pal pretending to take the MRT (Taiwan subway) while the lead actors danced past us. I wasn’t a very good extra. I mugged the camera and acted like an alien chest-burster exploded out of my button-up on every take. Hey, I was a bored teen! Rightfully, I did not make the final cut. I was paid a whopping $16. I spent it entirely on fried chicken since I was famished after wrap. At the time, I was considering pursuing neuroscience, acting, or filmmaking in college. That experience gave me a reality check of how tough a film set can be, but it also deepened my interest in the craft. The world could’ve had a horrible neuroscientist join its ranks, but instead I majored in film. You all have “Au Revoir Taipei” to thank for that.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a filmmaker who writes, directs, and produces, but most of my 10+ years career has been focused on working as a hired gun director. This means I’m often hired by a studio/producer to develop and direct a project they already have on hand. Maybe they think my writing sucks? Or maybe I’m great at taking orders? Who knows. Producing is a recent addition to my repertoire. I went back to grad school for creative producing during the pandemic.

My specialty is two-fold. One, I’m a third culture kid so I’m neither Asian or American. I’m smack dab in the middle. This means I don’t 100% fit in with Asian Americans or actual Asians from the East. I’m bilingual and bicultural. This has lead to amazing opportunities where I was hired because an employer needed someone to be a cultural bridge between the East and the West. I get employed the most when relationships between the East and West are healthy. So, I’m always selfishly praying for world peace.

My other specialty is genre filmmaking. As a kid, my dad -a cinephile- forced me to watch a lot of art cinema DVDs. Think of poor ol’ 8 year old Gorby having to sit through “400 Blows” or “Taxi Driver” and then getting a stern talking to if I dozed off. Perhaps in a subconscious act of rebellion, as a filmmaker and viewer, I now gravitate towards wacky and zany genre films. I always catch the newest B movies. I love genre film history and I keep an eye on how genres combine, twist together, and evolve like a fascinating strand of DNA to keep people excited. My favorite genre film is John Carpenter’s “The Thing” (1982). Oh, and here’s a B-movie that’s really out there: “Mutant Girls Squad” (2010).

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

My favorite part of being a filmmaker is working with other artists. I don’t know much about costumes, hair, make-up, production design, lighting, or VFX. Actually, I don’t know much about anything. Working with heads of department, I love using a guiding visual guide, say “Cinderella in the city”, and see how they use their life experiences to paint-within-the-lines. I say, “Uh, can it be more fairytale-ish?” Then, boom, the costume designer comes up with a crazy three-piece outfit oozing with style. My best projects have been with collaborators who are proactive with their creative choices. I heard more visionary directors work well giving orders, but I really cannot imagine it for myself. I would suck at micromanaging artists. I prefer the adage, “Two heads are better than one.”

However, the most rewarding aspect of being a filmmaker is working with actors. There’s an indescribable thrill when actors surprise you during a take. They always do! Each actor is inspired differently and the fun is figuring out how to inspire them to give their best shot. Sometimes you give notes. Sometimes you let them play. And, other times you just bolster their confidence. I’m always weary of saying too much. It gets actors stuck in their head instead of living in the moment. It’s a real adventure and honor to work with actors. When cameras are rolling, they are more present than any other human being. It is electric to watch.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

If you want to be a producer, read “Producer to Producer” by Maureen A. Ryan. Editor? “In the Blink of an Eye” by Walter Murch. Screenwriter? “Essentials of Screenwriting” by Richard Walter. Working with actors? “Directing Actors” by Judith Weston. My signed copy of “Directing Actors” is literally falling apart because of how much I review it. Despairing about not getting a shot? Read “A Ten Year Dream: The Ang Lee Story” or “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” by Stephen King. Those guys took years to make it. Finally, you’re on set, but everything is falling apart and up in flames. Read “Notes on the Cinematograph” by Robert Bresson. It’s therapeutic filmmaking poetry. For the cinephile, Sydney Lumet and John Waters’ autobiographies are fun reads to bring on an airplane. Enjoy!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gorbyshih.com
• Instagram: gorbachevmofoshih
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gorby-shih-287962271/