Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobby Yan.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a multifaceted artist – first and foremost a film and TV Director as well as writer, producer, editor and visual effects artist. Beyond that, I am an avid video gamer, tech nerd and singer. My first career choice was to be the first Asian American popstar. Honing my skills as a visualist with many years of music videos and commercials under my belt, my true calling has always been creating new worlds and characters with stories that resonate empathy and hope while reflecting the connectedness and oneness of each us of to each other.
My passion for storytelling began while growing up in New York City as a child of struggling Chinese immigrants, being born and raised in Washington Heights and then moving to Hollis Queens before eventually finding myself in New Orleans, LA. Each place provided me a unique tapestry of experiences and community that deeply shaped my sense of who I was and who I was to become.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Each of us are a reflection of who raised us and we inherit the thoughts and traits of our caretakers or parents as we grow up, both good and bad. For me, the concept of struggle reflects my parents, who came to this country with nothing – working overtime for scraps just to survive and raise the family. As a result, I barely ever saw my father growing up, who worked two jobs – one in the day and one overnight. I would see him only for a few hours around dinner time before he would leave again.
This hard work mentality was ingrained in me as a child and as a result, I equated survival and success with only hard work and pain. This reflected the longer road I took towards achieving my goals and success. I was never good enough. The result of this was many years of trial and error and some pretty bad choices.
Looking back, I would never take back any of the years I had spent in what I consider my “cocoon” phase and am grateful for all the lessons I’ve learned. It resulted in who I am now, a deeply grounded passionate and creative individual with a strong sense of self and a truly unique voice that I am proud to share to the world. I’ve barely scratched the surface of who I am and I am excited to continue this journey while living in intention.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a natural born leader that is highly creative and collaborative. This has served me well as a film and TV director, as I live and breath on set while working together with talent and crew to achieve our collective goal. Directing is my passion, and as I get wiser and older, I’ve come to grips with why I love it so much and why we are so important. As a creative, we hold great power in shaping the stories that reflect our lives, from cultural shifts to moral beliefs and values and most importantly, representation. What we create now will reflect and help shape the future for generations to come.
With this in mind, we have so much power in our hands to create a powerful shift in the world by not only displaying truth, empathy and authenticity in the characters we choose to portray and cast but to actually help heal and change this world for the better. It’s this intrinsic spiritual and emotional understanding of this that guides me in my path both professionally and personally.
I am so proud of all of the work I’ve done so far. Each one represents an extension of who I am at the moment, but it’s only the beginning. I have so much more stories to create and tell.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love LA. It feels free. It’s a vast canvass of imagination and freedom to explore and experiences to be had.
Ironically, my least favorite part of it is attributed to the same reason. It’s so physically sprawling and large. Everyone seems too far away from each other and it can feel quite isolating at times. Coming from New York City, it’s quite a contrast. You really need a tight-knit tribe of close friends here to remain sane and balanced.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bobbyyan.com
- Instagram: mrbobbyyan
- Twitter: bobbyyan
Image Credits:
Curts A. Damour Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival
