We were lucky to catch up with Tammy Hua recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tammy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I actually didn’t consider pursuing film and photography until my second year of college. I had initially gotten into college as a business major, and was fairly certain I was gonna stick with that. I struggled a lot my first few years of undergrad. My grades were poor and at times I felt like the least intelligent student in my classes. I found myself dreading attending class and questioning if I’d even be able to get a diploma in time. I had developed an interest in the film industry because of a concentration under the business department that centered around entertainment. The more I thought about what I wanted to do the more I realized that I wasn’t in the right place. I was unhappy with what I was pursuing academically and felt no passion for it. I had done a lot of research online about how one goes trying to pursue a career in film, finding an interest specifically in production. So during the pandemic as we were in lockdown, I decided to switch majors. I also knew that I couldn’t completely depend on school to find success so I started networking and trying to find sets to help out on, trying to get my foot through the door best as I could.

Tammy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m currently pursuing a freelance career in film production and photography. On set I mainly work in what is called the art department, which deals with props, set decorating, and essentially handling anything inanimate that will be in the frame. I also like to do photography and typically shoot very artistic and creative concepts as well as events and live shows.

What draws me to the production side of film is being able to physically be on set and see the magic happen right before your eyes, as well as being a part of it. I especially love being in the art department because of how creative and artistic you get to be in how you contribute to the storytelling. Similarly with photography, I like being able to see my vision start off as a mood board and treatment and having it unfold on set during the actual shoot.

I think I’m most proud of the fact that I was actually able to make some money off of pursuing a creative field. Though money isn’t everything, there’s a lot of judgement towards artists and creatives for pursuing a career that isn’t “practical” or “stable.” And when I was able to earn my first dollar, it gave me so much hope that choosing this path was worth it. In addition to that, I’m most proud of the amazing projects I get to work on and the talented individuals I get to meet. It truly takes a village to do this line of work, and seeing the hard work of so many people pay off is really rewarding, especially when the projects come from a place of passion.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Since I’m still fairly green to the industry I wouldn’t say this is something I wish I knew earlier, but something that I need to remember to utilize, and something that I think gets overlooked a lot by people pursuing creative careers. There are A LOT of resources for creatives, especially in this day and age. Something that’s essential to the arts of any type is community. There are so many organizations and resources that specifically cater to individuals trying to pursue art, film, writing, you name it. From fellowships to mentorships to open calls for art, there are a ton of resources that could help a struggling creative find their big break. Many individuals that end up finding success in the industry utilize one of these resources at some point to get their name out or get their work recognized. I’d say it is so important to do your own research and see what resources are around you. With how we utilize the internet and technology today, it’s easier than ever to connect and share your work. Therefore, I would also say that social media is such a valuable resource as well. For a lot of us, our social medias are essentially our portfolios. And with how easy it is to find people online, it’s important to use that as a tool to make connections and reach out to individuals you may want to work with at some point. An Instagram DM or a cold email could turn into a collaboration or a client.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think there’s always concern or confusion from non-creatives about why we even bother pursuing our career paths. I don’t think many people realize that we’ve all been told that “it’s not gonna be stable” or that “oh that’s very competitive” multiple times already. Almost any doubt that’s been thrown our way we’ve heard before from many other people. Many creatives are aware that they might have to work day jobs to pay the bills or that they might be struggling artists for their whole lives. The honest truth is that for the majority of us, we wouldn’t be considering this line of work if we weren’t super passionate about it. Or that we pursue it because we’re willing to take on the risks. Creative people will come up with creative solutions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tammyhua.wixsite.com/my-site
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tama_lama_dingdong/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammy-hua/

Image Credits
Joshua Vazquez, Chris Luu, Yvette Gonzalez, Brandon Davis