Exclusive Interview with Jennifer Thym

Writer, director & producer of the exciting new webseries, LUMINA, Orientelle is fascinated with Jennifer Thym! We don't often see Asian American women in this field and we are eager to present you with a brief glimpse into what drives & inspires Jennifer!  We begin...

Tell us about your background! Have you always been in the film industry?
Far from it.  I was a lawyer and an investment banker in the US and in Europe before I moved to Hong Kong and started a new career as a filmmaker.  I've been doing it for less than a year and it's been so rewarding - even when it's mentally and physically grueling, I step back and just think to myself, "I'm making films!  Awesome!!" and get back to work.

Can you tell us about RockGinger and what inspired you to go into filming?
I always wanted to make films but it seemed like this horribly complex nebulous process.  So when I decided to leave banking and do the "creative" thing, I first started with a novel, and then branched out into a webcomic... then I thought to myself, what am I doing?  If I want to make films, I should make a plan, start doing it step by step.  I did a bit of research online, went to a few indie film meetups in Hong Kong, made some friends who know alot more about film than I do, and here I am!  You can learn so much online nowadays and just by talking to people who are interested in the same field as you.

What is your favorite film ever and why?
This changes day to day, I'm a fickle film lover, but the current (and recurring favorite) is Ridley Scott's Bladerunner.  The atmosphere in the film is incredible, it has this world that you totally want to spend time in, and haunting music that to this day, if I hear a few bars, takes me right back to certain moments in the film.

What aspect of Lumina's story is your favorite? The suspense, the drama, the romance?
Definitely the suspense.  I'm addicted to convoluted storylines.  There's a delicate balance between tantalizing a viewer and just outright confusing them, and I'm hoping that we can indulge in a higher level of complexity in a web series story simply because viewers have a little bit of time to digest between each webisode, and they can also theorize about what's happening in the forums.  Part of the interesting part should be filling in all the details that I did not make explicitly clear in the series - there are entire substories and mythologies that I haven't had a chance to dig into in the first season!

Your cast and crew has a large pool of Asian American and Asian Canadian talent, do you think this unique cultural mix reflects in Lumina?
There's a great independent spirit among us, as well as a bittersweet sense of belonging and not belonging.  In the US and Canada, we may not be white and mainstream, but in Hong Kong, we aren't Cantonese and mainstream either.  That discordance can either depress you or make you work harder to achieve what you want to achieve, to push against the boundaries and limits.   At some point, you realize you have to forge your own way and make friends with people for who they are, and not what face or nationality they wear.  Our cast and crew came from everywhere - so we had Asians from Europe, America, and Asia, plus Eurasians and European Asians - and that created an amazing creative chemistry that gave LUMINA a unique look and feel.

What's next for RockGinger?
I have an action film in development, as well as a comedy - and, of course, a sequel to LUMINA.  I want more time and investors, I have so many stories I want to tell!

For many Asian women in North America, it's difficult to go into film writing/directing/producing like you have with Lumina, for the most part, due to lack of family support and having similar models in the industry... what is your advice to those aspiring to do what you're doing?
Reach out in person or online and connect with others who have similar goals and understand you.  If you're like me and you didn't go to film school or have any film training, go volunteer on some indie sets - use whatever skills you have creatively and make yourself useful.  If you've got an art background, help with art department or set design; if you're super organized, help with props and wardrobe.  I wouldn't sweat things like titles - what's important is the impression you make on the others around you, and the connections you make to people who can help you get your project made when you're ready.

With regard to family support - if you are lucky to have the support of your family, great - if not, then you have to decide how dedicated you are to filmmaking.  If you want to do it, make a clear concrete plan as to how you are going to get experience doing it (applying to film school, working on film projects, writing a script and marketing it to investors), and see if that helps them understand you.  Be clearminded and realistic about your career plan; if you're the kind of person that works better under pressure (I am), then put a deadline on yourself (one, two, three years to achieve Goals A, B, and C).  Work hard and be honest, no matter what you do.

Finally, I see that you love mangas in your bio, which one is your favorite? ( Mine is Naruto!!!! )
Kaori Yuki's Angel Sanctuary, for the gorgeous artwork and the absolutely crazy story arcs!

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You can follow Jennifer on Twitter @JenThym.  Next week, we'll be interviewing JuJu Chan ... so be sure to keep checking us out!