Meet Lesley Yang

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

Hi Lesley, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Come to think of it, there probably isn’t a single defining moment in my life that made me realize filmmaking is my purpose. It’s rather something I found myself gravitating towards over the years. I mean, I’ve always known I had a passion for films. It started out with the almost weekly family ritual of going to the movies when I was a kid. As I got older, I started to take an interest in finding out how movies are made—rummaging through obscure and suspicious websites for creative materials and behind-the-scenes footage. I wanted to know what it’s like behind the cameras. I found myself enjoying the process of breaking down the story, the mise-en-scène, the directing, the performance, the lighting, and so on—essentially deconstructing everything I watched. I had been doing that as a hobby for a long time, but it didn’t occur to me that I could turn it into a career until the end of my first year at NYU, a place that, fortunately enough, allowed me to explore my academic interests freely. Up until then, I always thought I would become a doctor or a banker or something like that. You know, something more “serious” or “grounded” or “practical”. But when I decided to commit to filmmaking, everything clicked. My life started to make sense, and it felt just right. It’s a magical and rare feeling. I think of it as a blessing—one that I’m deeply grateful for.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I work as an independent filmmaker now in New York, focusing on producing. I think producing is an organic mix of creativity and logistics, and I try to strike a happy balance between the two. I love bringing my own creative vision to life, but I also enjoy helping other filmmakers realize theirs by providing strong logistical support. Some people think that producing is the toughest job on set, as you have to keep the big picture in mind while constantly getting down to the grueling nitty-gritty—there’s always so much to juggle. But I think at the end of the day producing is really about having a practical mindset. It’s about doing your best to provide a legit answer to the question “how to get the film made?” without overspending on resources you don’t have.

My most recent personal project is a 25-minute short film that I wrote, produced, and directed called A Friend Apart. Right now it’s in post-production and is expected to be completed later this year. The style is partially inspired by the raw, bold, yet groundbreaking filmmaking techniques of the French New Wave, while the story itself reflects on the post-pandemic collective psychological trauma and the current state of human existence. It focuses on a family struggling in post-epidemic Southern China in 2003, a period that I think, in many ways, has parallels to today. The film also touches on how media consumption shapes our relationships with those around us, exploring the psychological complexity of characters trapped in that time and place, echoing themes of isolation, connection, generational gaps, and the process of grief and healing. All of this is externalized through the main character’s intense emotional journey of finding a sense of self while wrestling with the intertwined realities and illusions.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Creativity. I think that’s the most essential quality for anyone working in the film industry. I’m not just talking about creativity on camera, but also creativity off camera—the creativity in the day-to-day problem-solving process. When the conventional and formulaic methods cease to take effect, a drop of creativity might be exactly what you need to solve the problems and get the film made. I feel like this is particularly true for independent filmmaking, where you are often working with limited time and resources but still striving for the best possible visual result. It’s all about being versatile and flexible.

Embrace freshness and originality. This goes hand in hand with staying creative. I think the film industry has perpetually located itself at the forefront of the progression of ideas and humanity. That’s why keeping an open mind and giving all the novelties the benefit of the doubt should be a daily practice for all filmmakers. In an age of mass production, a sense of novelty and uniqueness is simply the most valued trait of any heartfelt story.

Learning is another key—learn a lot, learn fast, and keep learning. Over the past few years, I’ve made it my business to learn from everyone I come into contact with. I’ve benefited a great deal from it. I also learned by watching a lot of films and reading a lot of books—those are simply the cheapest ways to learn from the greatest. Working in conjunction with embracing freshness and originality, it allows you to develop a growth mindset that keeps creativity flowing.

If there’s a spot for a fourth, it would be this: have fun! Imbue your work with that sense of playfulness. Enjoy what you do and do what you enjoy. Life is too short to be wasted on things you have zero passion for.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

I think the palpable transformation that media production and consumption is currently undergoing presents a big challenge not only for me but for many other filmmakers out there as well. The pandemic has definitely changed people’s viewing habits, which has greatly impacted the traditional cinema experience. And as streaming platforms and AI are joining the game one after another, it’s only getting more complicated and competitive. As cheaper and more accessible alternatives to “movies in theaters” are introduced, the question becomes: will cinema survive?

Being a big supporter of the theater experience, I certainly hope that it can be preserved. But I’m also aware that cinema can no longer be confined to its traditional role. I think it’s been evolving and will continue to take on new forms. The transformation can be quite confusing and unnerving to think about at times, and I think that’s fine too. For me I have always been excited by new changes and possibilities. I just happen to have an appetite for novelty and variety. I believe cinema will keep adapting and changing, as it has been for the past century. The many possibilities of this transformation have given me plenty to sink my teeth into. I think cinema will survive, maybe in a different form, but it will still be here. As the famous quote from Jurassic Park goes, “Life finds a way.” I believe cinema is the life form that will find its own way out.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: lesley.zip
• Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9098895
  Email: lesleyzyang@gmail.com