Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Oh, Eljin Yoo, and Rebekah Chun.
Hi Joshua Oh, Eljin Yoo, and Rebekah Chun, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Josh – Writer
I was born to two Korean immigrants who wanted me to pursue a safe, “professional” career path. It’s a story that’s been told many times, but for me, this notion felt especially burdensome being the only child. As a result, I never seriously pursued this “pipe dream” of working in the entertainment industry. That was until quarantine, when all of my APs and extracurriculars shut down indefinitely. With all this spare time, I did only two things: watch movies/TV and write. I Googled “How to write a screenplay” my junior year of high school, and I immediately fell in love. I applied to the screenwriting program at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, and to my surprise, I was 1 of 30 students who got accepted. Now, as an incoming junior, I’ve been doing everything I can to tell as many meaningful stories as possible. Currently, I’m the Writer and Associate Producer of the upcoming Korean-American short film Sonata, a musically driven, coming-of-age narrative that focuses on familial hardships. While making this project proves to be a herculean effort, Eljin (Director), Rebekah (Producer), and I are incredibly excited for everyone to see it.
Eljin – Director
I was born in Los Angeles to Korean-American parents, before moving to Dubai, UAE at age five. I started my journey in classical music, and amidst all of my competition accolades and orchestral performances, one particular sentiment stuck with me: classical music has given me an expressive output for my passions, emotions, and creativity. This led to a passion for film music, and back in 2011, I arranged and performed the soundtracks from some of my favorite films and media on my violin. When I uploaded these covers to YouTube, they garnered hundreds of thousands of views, and conveyed what I loved most about the storytelling from my favorite films/media. As I got more interested in the filmmaking aspect of my pursuits, I filmed and edited various classical music videos for the chamber group that I founded in Dubai. My musicality kindled a penchant for abstract, imaginative, and subtle storytelling, which has now become an inseparable aspect of my own creative identity, informing my cinematic ethos as a filmmaker. Upon being shortlisted as a director for USC’s senior thesis film workshop, I read Josh’s shortlisted script, Sonata, a film surrounding Korean-American sisters and musicians who must grapple with diverging ambitions amidst the strain of caring for their ailing mother, and immediately knew that my background and identity would lend itself perfectly to the task of directing this classical music-centered narrative.
Rebekah – Producer
Born in South Korea and raised in the DC Metropolitan Area, I was raised by two nurses (and my older sister is currently in med school)! As my parents worked sacrificially day and night, I spent a lot of my childhood drawing, writing stories, and recording videos to entertain myself. During college application season, I only applied to my state school. However, when the pandemic hit I saw the toil it took on my parents who worked in the frontlines of the pandemic. That was a season of stillness my workaholic-self really wrestled with. Feeling frustrated with my path as an English teacher, I had desired to pursue the arts but didn’t know what that looked like. I stumbled upon the USC campus on a LA trip in my second year of college. With no prior film experience, I felt a strong urge to apply as a transfer, worked on my application intensely, and got accepted into the program later that year. Flash forward, I feel like I’ve lived a lifetime here. I had many expectations and disappointments, including “Sonata” which was originally rejected as a USC senior thesis pitch. That could’ve been the end of our story, but we saw something special in it that we couldn’t shake. As the producer, I had to grant that final “yes, let’s do it” despite not fully knowing how it would come together.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Josh – Writer
It has definitely not been an easy road. As I said, my parents were very unsupportive of my career decisions at first. When I was applying to USC film school, I actually lied and told them I applied to the business school instead; it took weeks of convincing them to even let me attend. Even coming into college, I was immediately met with the struggle of being only 1 of 2 Asians in my entire cohort. The silver lining, however, is that my background as a Korean-American filmmaker/screenwriter has enabled me to find like-minded communities outside of my classes that bolster my creative voice. Meeting other talented, hard-working Korean creatives like Eljin and Rebekah has shown me that we are a group of people who cannot and should not keep our voices to ourselves. While the road was, is, and probably never will be easy, I hope that films like Sonata can show both non-Asian and Asian filmmakers (and their parents) that we have the creativity and capability to succeed in this industry, too.
Rebekah – Producer
Suddenly moving from suburban Maryland to LA was a huge culture shock for me. At the start of my time at film school, I was timid and overwhelmed. Yet semester after semester, I’ve grown in confidence, my own voice, and I don’t take “no” for an answer. At many stages, making a short film can feel impossible. I wondered if I could do it justice, as the switch from a student film to an independent one was the scariest leap to take as the producer. Producing requires such tenacity, grit, and soul. You’re the bridge between the writer and director, the department heads, and the past and present versions of the film you are making. You set the pace of your crew and team environment based on how you choose to show up everyday. I’ve encountered many struggles of “how do I deal with this?” or “how do we do that?” as things are constantly being reshaped over time. My producing team, Matt Oflas and Melanie An, have been such huge champions of the process and are genuinely the most kind and hardworking people I know. Our writer Joshua Oh and director Eljin Yoo amaze me with their artistry as they always bring differing perspectives to the table. There have been struggles, but I have also learned the true power of collaboration throughout “Sonata.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Eljin – Director
Back in my hometown of Dubai, I specialized in cultivating and raising awareness for classical music. I founded First Key Initiative (firstkey.org), an organization dedicated to spreading classical music to underprivileged communities across the Emirates, as well as the Gulf Youth Chamber Music Society (gulfyouthchamber.org) which specialized in performing classical music arrangements of popular film/media soundtracks. Alongside annual live concerts held in various venues across Dubai, I directed, filmed, and edited several classical music videos for the group, which kickstarted my penchant and interest in filmmaking going into university.
At USC’s Film School, I utilized my background to refine my unique identity and style, primarily focusing on writing and directing in film, whilst also furthering my extensive experience and knowledge in cinematography. My adept sense of rhythm and harmony also forged an aptitude and interest in film editing, which I explored while editing one of the four selected senior thesis films called Traingazing (a film that Josh also wrote). Furthermore, my desire to reconnect with and raise awareness for my Korean heritage led to me becoming the Executive Director and Co-President of USC’s Korean Culture Night (KCN), where I oversaw and directed a Cultural Show/Festival that involved the creation of an original music-video/short-film, and hosted guest performances from other Korean culture organizations. I also wrote, produced, directed, and edited a 5 episode miniseries for KCN.
Josh – Writer
As I’ve mentioned, much of my work focuses on APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American)-driven storytelling. I’m currently the Co-President of the Asian Pacific Cinema Association and Senior Advisor of Korean American Leaders in Hollywood, two student organizations at USC that uplift Asian voices in the entertainment industry. I’m primarily a drama screenwriter, but I also direct, DP, edit, and generally involve myself in most other aspects of the filmmaking process – as it’s far less enjoyable if my job ends right after rewrites. For Sonata, our team of USC students and post-grads have been working tirelessly for months, as we’re currently in the peak of pre-production. Sonata is a huge passion project of ours, as it tells a story that’s very intrinsic to growing up as a Korean-American, a perspective that we haven’t really seen much in film/television. I hope that through this film, we can pave the way for even more Korean creatives to unapologetically tell their stories.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Josh – Writer
Something most people don’t know about me is that I was very much a STEM-focused student up until my senior year of highschool. I took AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Calculus BC, and numerous other math/science courses, which I hated but excelled at. I thought for years that I would end up pursuing a STEM career in either medicine or engineering, but that all changed the moment I discovered screenwriting.While I did technically “waste” a lot of time undergoing those rigorous courses, all of those experiences were valuable in the long-run, as they made me a more well-rounded storyteller and person. My perspective and background is unique because I wasn’t always a creative; in fact, for most of my life, I never even thought about that as an option. Part of this life experience even inspired me to write Sonata, as the main character undergoes a similar dilemma about her path in life. Should you choose the path you think you’re “destined” for (which you may not enjoy) or pursue something else entirely? I’m glad I chose the latter.
Eljin – Director
When I was living in Dubai, I founded an organization titled First Key Initiative (mentioned earlier on), and part of our work brought us to collaborate with other organizations, such as the 4-get-me-not Alzheimer’s Organization, to spread awareness regarding the regenerative effects of classical music on the brain.
Within our film, Sonata, the protagonist’s mother suffers from early-onset dementia, and classical music is used to interweave familial relationships with forgiveness and reconciliation. Working on First Key Initiative showed me how music can truly heal those who find themselves in adverse circumstances. As we all battle with internal dilemmas and issues—similar to the characters within Sonata—I would like to portray the power music holds in mending bonds and rediscovering one’s ardor.
Rebekah – Producer
I think what might surprise people is how much of a family we have become. Though our production consists of mostly Asian American filmmakers both in front, and behind the camera, we all come from different backgrounds and walks of life. Creating a film from start to finish takes a lot of time and sacrifice which creates a bond like no other. I’ve learned so much from working with each department hone in their individual crafts. Lastly, I think it might surprise people how much work our team members have put into this project (and continue to do so) every day for the past several months. Good things take time, and we’re excited for what’s to come!
Contact Info:
- Website: Josh: https://joshoh.myportfolio.com/home. Eljin: https://eljin2002.wixsite.com/yooniquefilms
- Instagram: Josh: https://www.instagram.com/josh.ohh/?next=%2F. Eljin: https://www.instagram.com/j.e.yoo/. Rebekah: https://www.instagram.com/rebekahyeunchun/
- Youtube: Eljin: https://www.youtube.com/@yooniquefilms
