Today we’d like to introduce you to Daeil Kim and Melanie Sudyn. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Daeil Kim and Melanie Sudyn have been life partners and film partners for several years. Over time they’ve cultivated a healthy work-life balance in the household that they continue to improve on.
From South Korea, Daeil moved to the United States at the age of 18 to attend SUNY, where he met Melanie. While she was going to school for Public Relations, he was going to school for film, and on each film he made, Melanie found her place on set.
They began making short films, music videos, commercials, and not long after, created a production company called Xylograph Films. While living in South Korea together, they eloped and began developing a feature film. After moving back to New York, they made their first feature film in 9 days with an extremely low budget and found its distribution with GRAVITAS VENTURES.
Though their time in New York was so valuable, they knew it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ they would be going to California. Once Daeil gained his acceptance to the University of Southern California, they made the cross-country trip to begin their journey in this new city of California.
As Daeil and Melanie’s one-year arrival anniversary approaches, they continue to tell stories they are passionate about. They are meeting great people in this city and finding a place for themselves here.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Never has our journey been easy or smooth. We have faced many rejections to get where we are now. What we do after a rejection is proof of the passion we have for something.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Daeil and Melanie co-founded a production company called Xylograph Films. We create narrative films, commercials, and music videos. Much of the work we create tells a story. Whether it is a commercial or a music video, there is a story to be told – and we want to tell it.
As independent filmmakers, telling these stories with excellence stems from excellent leadership. The relationships cultivated with our team members is important in executing a good vision. We allow our leaders freedom to lead and encourage creativity. You don’t get the culture you want, you get the culture you build.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
In our experience, we have never denied the opportunity to learn from anyone. Many of our leaders were people outside of our field – and though they wouldn’t understand filmmaking the way we did, they still offered us such wisdom that we use today. Much of our growth has come from learning how to be better leaders.
Now, as we have a network of people from the school that Daeil attends, we reach out and connect to students and faculty. We attend live events with other filmmakers and share our vision. Los Angeles has a plethora of individuals who are passionate and happy to connect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.xylographfilms.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xylograph.films/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xylograph.films/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQYs3Ehr4IL6raXYa0GnBPQ
- Other: https://vimeo.com/daeilkim
Image Credits
Kyle Licht Sandeep Annam Howie Wang
