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

Xueqing, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My Mom’s Best Friend 我妈妈最好的朋友

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist lies in the opportunity to engage with a breadth of creativity and curiosity, both in my own projects and those of others. Through the meticulous process of filmmaking and the incremental progress it entails, I’ve gained profound insights into the dedication required to produce captivating visual narratives. Collaborating on meaningful projects has afforded me the privilege of working alongside individuals driven by boundless ambition and artistic vision. The culmination of these endeavors is most evident when we breathe life into a story, where every element harmonizes to evoke a profound impact.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Yes, a recent example is during the post-production phase of my film “My Mom’s Best Friend.” We filmed it with my team in Nanchang, my hometown, in June 2023. However, upon returning to Los Angeles, it took me quite some time to streamline the process effectively. By the end of 2023, I found myself juggling between various short film productions and vertical shorts, resulting in a flexible yet exhausting schedule. Collaborating with my editor, Ace, who is studying at the American Film Institute, meant coordinating between her class schedule and my work commitments.

Despite encountering technical challenges such as focus loss and noise in our footage, we persevered. We made the significant decision to edit out an entire character and sequence to improve the overall flow and emotion of the film. It was a challenging time, as there was little else to cut from a 15-minute film. While Ace attempted to fill in the gaps with other footage and voiceover, I began considering animation.

I’ve always appreciated the blend of animation with live-action film, but integrating it was not part of the original plan. This required close collaboration between my editor and an animator, possibly leading to a complete re-editing of the film. Conducting extensive research online by watching numerous animated short films, I compiled a selection as visual references and created a presentation deck to introduce my film. After reaching out to several talented animators and holding meetings with some, I realized the challenges of integrating a 6-minute animation into our project at this stage.

One day, I came back to the Sony building and told Ace. We might not be able to use animation because I quoted over the weekend. It was extremely expensive and did not fit into our timeline to finish this project. And she said to me if you already worked hard this far. Why don’t you push for the best? Then she went back to editing on screen.

Despite my exhaustion, the following day, as I reflected on the challenges of filming in China and completing post-production in Los Angeles, I renewed my search with determination. Fortunately, luck was on my side, and I was able to find not just one, but two exceptional animators from my alma mater, the School of Visual Arts. Through a combination of enjoyable collaboration and hard work, we successfully brought the project to life together!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.xueqingyin.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callingyin_art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-yin-9a600017a/
• Other: https://mubi.com/en/cast/xueqing-yin