We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Samantha K. Tan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Samantha, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I honestly think I got my resilience from my parents. Although my parents were separated and were both living in 2 different places from each other, I still got to watch and learn how they dealt with situations. I learned what their values were and instilled it within my everyday life.
My father taught me how to be optimistic. He taught me no matter how terrible a situation is or how badly someone treats you, at the end of the day, you know who you are and what matters is that you’re happy with your decisions and inner self. I learned to give people the benefit of the doubt, to handle matters maturely and to be “the bigger person.” Although being so forgiving may bite me in the butt sometimes, it does come with peace in a way — not being so angry all the time or being so caught up in what everyone thinks of me.
My mother taught me to be stubborn — and I don’t mean that in a bad way. She taught me to be stubbornly honest with what I want and to work hard for what I want. Growing up and watching her take care of me as a single mother, I quickly learned how difficult and lonely that journey was. I truly admire and love how outspoken she is, how confident she is, how carefree and loving she is. Because of her stubbornness, I learned to be unapologetic of who I am and eventually used that skill to love myself for who I am — flaws and all. I learned how to stand up for what I want and for what I believe in. I carry her free-spirited heart and her boldness wherever I go.
With these traits, it has definitely helped me gain my resilience, especially working in the entertainment industry. Early in my career studies, I often faced with questions and comments like, “you’re going to be a starving artist,” “are you crazy? Film won’t support you – it’s not a stable career,” “it’s impossible to get your foot in the door!”
I remember people would enthusiastically ask me about my major, and as soon as I told them I was a film major, their smile would immediately disappear – just judgement on their faces.
I felt like the black sheep. I felt like film was too far to reach. But you know what? Who freakin’ cares? I’d rather try and fail than not try at all and wonder about all the “what ifs.”
All this judgement hit my self-esteem, but it also strangely motivated me to prove everyone else wrong. Of course I had moments of self-doubt and minor imposter syndrome, but all I had to do was tell myself, “I can do it.”
“I’ll show them they’re wrong.” Stubborn, am I right?
Years later, I’ve graduated from Temple University with a BA in Film and Media Arts in Spring 2020. I immediately moved to Los Angeles that Spring and eventually started PAing on commercials, music videos and features.
A year later, I started working for HBO Max as a Line Producer’s Assistant on The Flight Attendant Season 2 and Mindy Kaling’s The S*x Lives of College Girls Season 2.
Meanwhile, my 6 episode drama-comedy series, Ambitious, partnered with 3 Left Handed Women, LLC and El Ride Productions for production and distribution. In August 2022, the series got into the 2022 Sundance & TAAF Fellowship and was featured on major industry outlets such as Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Variety, and so forth. It also received a grant from another organization and is set to start production in February 2023.
I worked on Ambitious since 2018. This story about an impatient, bold Vietnamese-Cambodian-American girl navigating her new life as a college dropout despite her immigrant mother’s plans for her… This story deserves to be told. So much people – so much of our Philly and Asian community have put so much work into this project and it deserves to shine. They all deserve to shine. And I want to make that happen for them.
I had lots of jobs that I liked and lots of jobs that I didn’t like. I wasn’t afraid to say no to opportunities that didn’t fit with what I wanted to do in the long run. I wanted to learn and grow, and if that job didn’t do that for me, then it’s not worth it. Thanks to my parents, I knew I needed to be true to myself and to fight for myself in every aspect. All of my success so far did not come easily and it has not been pretty. I had to make a lot of tough decisions, but it has been super rewarding so far because I get to continue to tell Asian American stories. I get to embrace my Vietnamese and Chinese culture. I also don’t have to worry about all the “what ifs” if I hadn’t gone after my dreams. I’m doing this for me and all the other Asian kids out there, and I don’t regret it at all.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As a Vietnamese-Chinese-American producer and writer, I’m devoted to creating more opportunities for new, original voices on and off screen. Not only have I produced films that highlight people of color, female and LGBTQ voices, but I also guest speak at universities and mentor film students all across the United States. While guest speaking for these classes, I’ve also helped the students move to LA and get their first PA gig.
Listen, I know how hard and nerve racking it is to get your foot in the door. I know how lost one can feel sometimes when they don’t see anyone who looks like them in the room or on set. If I have the power to change that, I will do it. And I’ve done that.
My series Ambitious went back to my Alma Mater, Temple University, and recruited some interns to work with us on the series. Lots of these interns are POC and are incredibly interested in working in the industry. As the Executive Producer and Co-Creator of the series, I am always trying my best to gear them in departments or tasks they’re interested in learning or pursuing in the future. This project and internship is really special to me because Temple University is where it all started. To go back to my Alma Mater as a Sundance & TAAF Fellowship project, and to give back to the students feels so rewarding. Ambitious also has female/BIPOC directors and DPs. Our Writers Room also consists of AAPI and Black/LGBTQ writers. I am immensely proud of the team we’ve built.
As we are moving into production February 2023, we are also prepping for post this year. Ambitious is always looking for interns and crew, so please email [email protected] and follow us on Instagram @ambitious.series if interested!
As a lifestyle, brand and boudoir photographer, I also practice self-care, self-love and body positivity. No, I am not going to photoshop and make you look skinnier. Instead, I’m going to encourage you to embrace all your perfect imperfections and ask you to show me your own definition of happiness and beauty. If that means you’re sitting in your PJs and eating ice cream, then great let’s do that!!
Overall, I’m just super grateful that I get to spread love and positivity to my clients, and that I get to build and work with a community that believes in telling AAPI stories as much as I do.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Be Your Own Cheerleader. I always say this, especially to students. You’re going to work super long hours. You’re going to go through stages of self-doubt. You may even want to quit on your dreams. You are going to meet a lot of people who are going to say “no” to you, but you can NOT be one of them. That’s when you lose.
2) Don’t compare yourself to other people. Easier said than done right? This industry is really unique. There’s no 1 way to do things — to get to where you want to be. There are so many different types of paths that can lead you to your goal. Everyone has their own path and everyone’s experiences are different. You don’t have to have a gig lined up right away just like your peers. If you want to take a break, re-evaluate, and have a mini vacation after a long shoot, then go for it! Self-care and a work-life balance is important too!
3) Don’t be afraid to say “no.” Once you got the hang of things and built your network, it’s ok to say “no” to jobs you genuinely don’t want. I’ve interviewed for jobs or have said “no” to jobs I didn’t want because I knew I wouldn’t learn anything or grow as a filmmaker. I wanted to stop taking jobs just for the money and I was tired of being constant. In 2021, I said “no” to a few long-term job offers, and what do you know? Two months later, I started working as a Line Producer’s Assistant at HBO Max. I just had to be patient and honest with myself and what I wanted.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
As someone who wants to transition from production to the Writers’ Room, I’d love to partner/collaborate with writers, producers and directors!
The dream is to become a Showrunner one day. I’m pretty new to screenwriting, and I’d love to connect and get any tips if possible – or even just to bounce ideas off of each other. Writing sessions would be so fun!
I already have a few pilot ideas and am hoping to finish them by Fall 2023. Would love to connect with producers and directors in LA to work together and possibly bring these pilots to life!
Always trying to meet more AAPI creatives. You can contact me at [email protected] or my Instagram @samanthaktan
Contact Info:
- Website: samanthaktan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthaktan
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthaktan/
- Other: Ambitious Official Soundtrack / Pitch Video: https://vimeo.com/400459765?embedded=true&source=video_title&owner=56030675 Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/samanthaktan
Image Credits
Photo Credits to Jenny Choi, We Bring the Rain, Kakuri, and Robert Mojica for My Monster & I.
