We were lucky to catch up with Desmond Qi Hong Loh recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Desmond, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
The first time I walked into a production meeting in Los Angeles and realized I was the only Southeast Asian in the room, I felt both the pressure and the opportunity. At first, it was intimidating, like my accent, my background, my path into film weren’t the typical blueprint for “success” in Hollywood. But over time, I realized those differences were exactly my strength.
I learned to bridge cultures and perspectives. On set, that meant creating bilingual production notes, reworking budgets live when things shifted, and keeping teams calm and aligned when stress was high. That ability to adapt and connect made me the person people turned to, not in spite of being different, but because of it.
I first put that into practice at ReelShort, where I supported the operations and production workflows behind a global slate of vertical dramas. Because I was bilingual, I often acted as the go-between for cross-department teams and external vendors, from clarifying priorities, troubleshooting miscommunications, to keeping deliveries on track.
Today, as an Associate Producer at Voicing Change Media, I help shape projects like the Rich Roll Podcast, Soul Boom, Mentor Buffet, and The Proof, while continuing to build my slate of independent films that have screened at LA Shorts, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, Indie Short Fest, Austin International Art Festival, and more.
In every room I enter, I carry that lesson with me: being “the only one” doesn’t have to be isolating. It’s not just about representing myself, but opening doors for others who haven’t yet had a seat at the table.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I wear a few hats, but at the heart of it I’m a filmmaker and storyteller. Right now, I’m an Associate Producer at Voicing Change Media, where I work on projects like the Rich Roll Podcast, Soul Boom, Mentor Buffet, and The Proof. What excites me about this work is that every show has its own unique voice and audience, and I get to help shape conversations that reach people all over the world.
Before that, I was with ReelShort, a company producing scripted vertical dramas viewed by millions globally. My role there was a blend of operations and production support, such as managing cross-department workflows, coordinating with vendors, and making sure productions stayed on track. It gave me a foundation in balancing the creative with the logistical, which is something I bring into every project today.
Outside of those roles, I’ve been building my own slate of independent films. My work has been recognized at Academy Award–qualifying and BAFTA-qualifying festivals, such as LA Shorts, and Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival. Along the way, I was nominated for Best Producer at Indie Short Fest and went on to win Best Producer at the San Francisco International Film Awards. A few notable projects that I’ve worked on were GLODOK ’98 and Something Good Going On, where the latter was named a Gold House finalist in partnership with Seed&Spark, which was a huge milestone in championing Asian American stories.
Another part of my journey has been acting and voice work, where I recently had the chance to be part of Marvel’s Thunderbolts ADR team, which was surreal for someone who grew up halfway across the world watching those films. Acting gives me a different perspective that feeds back into how I produce and direct.
Looking ahead, I’m focused on continuing to bridge independent filmmaking with global media platforms. I see my “brand” as someone who can navigate both worlds — the indie set where you make magic with limited resources, and the professional studio or media environment where millions are watching. For me, the most exciting part is creating work that connects across cultures and hopefully opens doors for others who share a similar path.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three qualities stand out as the most impactful in my journey so far: resilience, cross-department communication, and adaptability.
Resilience has been essential, especially as someone who moved halfway across the world to pursue a career in film. Festivals say no, projects fall apart, budgets collapse, but the ability to get back up and keep pushing has been the difference between giving up and getting a film finished. My advice is to treat every setback as information, not failure. If you can shift your mindset to see rejections as redirections, you’ll last longer in this industry than talent alone ever could.
Cross-department communication has been another key skill. At ReelShort, I often found myself bridging gaps between creative teams, operations staff, and outside vendors. Later at Voicing Change Media, it became about aligning editorial visions with production workflows across multiple shows. My advice: learn how to “translate” between different departments, don’t just speak your own role’s language. Producers, directors, editors, vendors, marketers… they all have different priorities. If you can listen, clarify, and connect those dots, you become indispensable.
Finally, adaptability is what keeps me moving forward. On independent film sets, things rarely go according to plan. At one point I had to rework a budget live in front of a team just to keep us on schedule; other times I’ve had to switch from IT troubleshooting to creative producing in the same day. My advice: practice staying calm in chaos. Build a toolkit of problem-solving habits you can rely on when everything goes sideways, because in creative industries, it often will.
For those early in their journey: focus less on being perfect and more on being consistent, communicative, and resilient. Those three traits will carry you further than any one credit or accolade.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
One of the people who has been most helpful in my journey is Jocelyn Zhao, who is currently the Executive Producer at ReelShort. Jocelyn isn’t just like a mentor to me; she treats me like family, like her younger brother. Despite her senior role, she has consistently brought me under her own projects, including independent ones outside of work, giving me opportunities to grow as a producer in ways I never expected.
Jocelyn has personally taken me under her wing, not just under her projects at ReelShort, but also her own independent projects. By pulling me into her projects, she gave me a chance to apply what I knew in environments where the stakes were real and the expectations were high. Those experiences built my confidence and shifted my identity from someone supporting productions to someone capable of leading them.
That trust has carried over into everything I do now. Today, as an Associate Producer at Voicing Change Media, I help shape projects for notable individuals such as Rich Roll, Rainn Wilson, Alexi Pappas, and Simon Hill. And even now, when I take on new challenges, I think back to Jocelyn’s generosity — the way she believed in me enough to bring me along on her independent projects, and the way she treated me like family when she had no reason to.
My advice to others is to find mentors who don’t just tell you what to do, but who open doors and invite you into the room with them. Sometimes being given a seat at the table is the most powerful form of belief.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @desmondlohjuntian
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmondljt91/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DesmondJeffersonLoh
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
