Today we’d like to introduce you to Anlan Tao.
Hi Anlan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
There is a Chinese proverb, “A wily rabbit has three burrows.” I am that rabbit. Although I don’t view myself as wily per se, I did have at least three burrows, which became my main inspiration for creating stories.
My parents separated when I was three. My first burrow, my mother’s home in Hangzhou, was decorated like a Buddhist temple since she was so sad that she devoted herself to Buddhism. At first, my mom was too busy with her work to care for me, so I was sent to my second burrow: a poor but beautiful village. I lived with my maternal grandmother as a left-behind child, and much of my entertainment came from playing make-believe with other children. We had much fun playing in the open field!
When I was around seven years old, my mom reached an agreement with my dad to quit her job and took me back to the big city, Hangzhou. However, she became an overprotective homemaker and wanted to control everything in my life. Say like forced me to recite sutras. When I lost patience to do as she asked, she became angry and sent me to my third burrow, heaven of freedom and money but also a battlefield—my grandmother’s house. I watched many films and television and played games, which was not allowed in my first burrow. My dad and aunt came here to meet me: my dad is a money believer; my aunt is a Christian, and they often argued. Living in these different worlds allowed me to become familiar with many different perspectives and religions. It makes me focus on distinctions between people’s classes or opinions while creating stories.
Maybe these differences made me full of questions. I turned to the outside world to find out answers. I began to write poems with my classmates and directed short radio plays. At the same time, my dad discovered my interest in art, so he encouraged me to learn how to play the guqin, a traditional Chinese instrument, the konghou. I also took time out to learn more about tea ceremonies and calligraphy. After I went to high school, I joined the movie club, and I found that I could combine these Chinese arts to make short films. I made my first short film with my club members when I was 17 years old, which motivated me to be major in directing in college.
After entering college, I found that the program mainly focused on drama directing, which is different from the film because the performance and format are much more external. Therefore, it is hard to show audiences about the character’s tiny expressions. However, the film can capture details and show the character’s slight emotional changes. It encouraged me to write and direct short films even though I had no academic training in film at that time.
The inspiration came from a dramatic move in my life: one day, my father sat in the car and asked me what I would think if he found another woman? I told him I respected his decision, so the car led us to my fourth burrow, and I met a woman that had lived with my father for 18 years unbeknownst to me. Then I found that all my family members except my mom and me already knew that. This event inspired me to shoot a short film about a left-behind boy discovering his father’s sweet lies. I put my heart into this short, but I felt it wasn’t effective in delivering my story after editing. Therefore, I asked many professors to give me suggestions. Then, I gathered the same crew to re-shoot it after two years of self-learning. I shot two versions of this story at different times, and I found I did improve myself, so I chose the shorter version as part of my application film to USC.
My application to USC was successful, and I’m now completed three short films as part of my USC journey: “She & He” “Diamond Heist” and “Kingdom of Songs,” both of which draw inspiration from my personal experiences above.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No one in my family has ever worked in the entertainment industry, and no one initially wanted to support me because they thought it would lead to a tough and irregular lifestyle. However, I was determined to pursue a career in filmmaking, and eventually, I convinced my dad to support me in my journey.
The transition from theater to film, moving across the ocean to come to the US, and learning the art of filmmaking were significant challenges I faced in my life. My English was terrible at that point, and no one believed I could pass the TOEFL test and gain admission to USC. So, I had to teach myself everything and dedicated countless hours to improving my English late into the night while also working on my filmmaking skills.
I remember during my college years, I worked on a short film called “Ten Thousand Poems” with the hope of telling the story of a left-behind child without shedding tears. However, my inexperienced attempt two years ago was not successful, and after editing, we realized that the story didn’t feel as genuine as we had hoped. After two years of studying and rethinking the concept, I rewrote the script in two versions, gathered the same cast and crew, and embarked on the filming process once again.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have a deep passion for storytelling, particularly focusing on themes centered around children, animals, and Asian culture. My goal is to convey universal emotions and conflicts through a combination of visual and auditory elements that resonate with audiences. I enjoy blending different art forms, including theater and cutting-edge technology like virtual production, into my work. My storytelling interests primarily lie in drama, comedy, and fantasy genres.
One of my notable short films, “Steel Forest,” explores the journey of a Chinese boy as he uncovers his father’s secrets through poetry. At USC, I have completed two more short films: “She & He,” which delves into the parting of two theater cleaners on their final day of co-working, and “Kingdom of Songs,” which tells the story of a boy seeking his imaginary Papa’s help to awaken his drunk mother. Additionally, I’ve created dramatic short films that tackle various subjects, including the challenges faced by a young girl majoring in Beijing Opera and a sci-fi story about rival spies whose desire for possession leads to tragedy. I’ve even explored the rom-com genre with a story about a cactus learning a new way to express love while trying to kiss a frog. All of these narratives draw inspiration from my personal experiences and life.
I’m proud to mention that several of my short films have received recognition at film festivals. For instance, “Ten Thousand Poems” won the Award of Outstanding Short Film at the Vancouver Chinese Film Festival, “Steel Forest” received the Award for Best Narrative Short Film at the Chinese Dream Online Competition, and “She & He” was screened and nominated for “Best Director Short Film,” “Best Original Script Short Film,” and “Best Acting Short Film” at The Poppy Jasper International Film Festival.
Any big plans?
I’m currently planning my thesis film at USC, and I hope to tell a story about two kids from different backgrounds, races, and social classes. Discrimination and stereotypes are significant issues in today’s world, often leading to conflicts and even wars.
I’m also in the process of planning another project that combines virtual production and AI, as this is a prominent trend shaping the future of the industry.
Regarding my personal goals, I aspire to remain in Los Angeles and continue pursuing my filmmaking dreams, if possible.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taoanlan/?img_index=1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Anlan-Tao/100019524937689/?paipv=0&eav=AfZRXCyG22WJ4COYj8Wrs-8wWv_Jj0YibJZ67GlAA5xXqBT6_drBYi7lEJoZhg5PlWk&_rdr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anlan-tao-897512187/
Image Credits
All images are the posters of my short films that we originally made.
