We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Park recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ashley, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
What some people consider risk, I consider an investment. By challenging myself and trying new things, I am able to grow both personally and professionally. As an independent film producer, I’ve chosen to take calculated risks rather than wait for the ideal circumstances to start a project.
At our small company, we take a ‘no excuses’ approach to nano-budget film production. It often requires resourcefulness, adaptability, and finding a way to make the most out of what we have. This means getting creative and thinking outside of the box, even if there is a chance of facing failure or looking silly along the way. With this approach, you have to be willing to do most of the jobs yourself and to learn as you go.
In my experience, the only movie guaranteed to fail is the one you never finish, so while I try to make purposeful decisions, I also believe that the greater risk is not going for it at all. Taking a risk means being prepared for potential setbacks or failures, but I think it’s important to learn from these experiences and use them as stepping stones for future projects. There will never be a “perfect” time to start something new, so I lean toward taking action.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m an actress and producer in Los Angeles, and have worked on shows for FOX, NBC and Netflix, to name a few. The industry can be very challenging, and has taught me to savor every experience of working in film and television.
From a young age, my parents instilled the value of perseverance, and shortly after arriving in LA, I was fortunate to win the title of Miss Asia USA. In addition to the crown, I was awarded a full scholarship that allowed me to earn an MBA in Marketing. I became interested in combining my marketing background with my passion for the entertainment industry. As a fledgling entrepreneur, I challenged myself to create on my own terms.
My first project world premiered at Tribeca and won the 2018 AIVA Communicator Award and 2019 Telly Award of Excellence for Film Production. I am currently in production on my third self-produced feature film, Himalaya, with more features slated for 2024 and beyond. Himalaya will release on multiple major streaming platforms this winter.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Don’t be afraid to continue learning and growing, even if it means taking risks or making mistakes. This is the only way to truly advance in any field, and every experience, whether successful or not, will teach you something valuable. As A.T. Mercier stated, persistent, intelligent, hard work is necessary for reaching the top of your chosen path. This mindset is essential for success in any industry, not just Hollywood.
I’ve learned, especially in the entertainment industry, that there really is no such thing as an overnight success. It takes dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to constantly learn and improve. Even the most talented and successful individuals must continuously work hard to stay relevant.
Success also looks different for everyone. It’s easy to compare ourselves to others in our field, but each individual has their own unique journey. Focus on your own progress and improvement, rather than comparing yourself to others.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Making a film with available resources is never easy. What makes my journey unique as a filmmaker is that I choose to embrace limitations as a creative catalyst. Limitations require us to think outside the box and to come up with creative solutions, pushing us to use our resources in a different way and allowing us to see things from a new perspective. By taking away the embellishments and trying to tell a good story despite budgetary limitations, it forces a filmmaker to think only about the necessary elements.
On both of my latest projects, Stay (Prime/Apple TV/Plex) and Ghosts of Hiroshima (Tubi/Prime/Plex), we embraced a low-tech approach that allowed us to use smartphones rather than expensive cinema cameras. This put the fate of the projects in our hands as we tried to extract the best results from a common device. I also taught myself how to edit in order to complete our first film.
No one will believe in your project as much as you do. If you can’t afford to hire the talent, you have to be willing to teach yourself how to do the things needed to achieve your goal. Instead of waiting for someone to say yes, I’ve found purpose in looking for creative ways to get our stories from script to screen.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ashleyraepark
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/williamscreative
- Other: imdb.me/ashleyraepark
Image Credits
Brian Parillo Photography Misha Urubkov Photography Huy Khiem Photography
