We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yaocheng Yang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yaocheng, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

The inspiration for my storytelling often comes from my experiences and the people and events I’ve witnessed. Whenever I feel deeply about something, an image forms in my mind. Soon after, the characters within that image, along with their stories, begin to unfold and expand ceaselessly. At that point, I find myself unable to stop contemplating, and that’s how a story comes to life. For instance, during my undergraduate years, with the thesis film “Follow the Current,” I initially only had the idea of depicting a story about a son coming to terms with and accepting his father’s passing. However, I hadn’t figured out the specific events.

One day, while walking with friends beside Lake Ontario, we came across a small stream that flowed into the lake. That accidental encounter sparked an image in my mind: a person standing at the shore, realizing that all life in this world eventually merges into the sea. This reminded me of those sunny days by the river, where I often saw fathers fishing with their children. Those moments held a sense of beauty and the childhood I wished for, and thus, I incorporated them into my story, giving rise to the film “Follow the Current.”

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?

Filmmaking has been a cherished pursuit of mine since my high school years, especially in the realm of films exploring familial relationships. Films like “YI YI” by Edward Yang, “To Live” by Yimou Zhang, and Robert Redford’s “A River Runs Through It” have profoundly influenced my filmmaking journey. Creating a feature-length film that showcases my unique voice on the global stage has always been my enduring aspiration.

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Film Production from Syracuse University in New York State. Currently, I am pursuing my master’s degree in Film & TV Production at the University of Southern California. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I garnered a wealth of experience in the realms of film directing and cinematography. Films I worked as director/writer have been honored with the Gold Remi Award at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival and the Best Short Film accolade at the Oniros Film Awards in New York. Simultaneously, they have secured placements as finalists in numerous international film festivals. Additionally, projects for which I assumed the role of Director of Photography have received selections at festivals such as the Big Apple Film Festival, the Around Films International Film Festival Berlin, and a semi-finalist at the Oscar, BAFTA, and Canadian Screen Awards qualifying Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Since relocating to Los Angeles, I hold deep gratitude for encountering a community of like-minded individuals who provide mutual assistance and foster an environment of continuous learning. I earnestly anticipate the prospect of collaborating with these fellow creatives to produce an array of superior and impactful works in the future.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want to shoot a feature film about my family in the future. At the beginning of the movie “A River Runs Through It,” Norman’s father says to him, “Someday, when you are ready, you might tell our family story. Only then will you understand what happened and why.”

I have had countless conflicts and disagreements with my parents. I used to think they couldn’t keep up with the trends of the times, their thinking was outdated, and they couldn’t understand me. They couldn’t love their children like other parents, and I used to envy other families. Over the years, both I and they have undergone significant changes. I’ve gradually come to understand how different their upbringing environment was from mine, and I’m starting to comprehend their past choices. As their child, I hope to express the feelings I’ve had for so many years through the medium of film.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it’s when the audience resonates emotionally with my work. The stories, visuals, and characters in my movies all embody my perspectives and feelings about the world. I hope to receive responses from the viewers to these so that every effort put into creating films becomes worthwhile for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yaochengyang.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/yaochengism?igshid=MjEwN2IyYWYwYw==

Image Credits
Li Chen