Life & Work with Saleen Lee of Central LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Saleen Lee

Hi Saleen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up during the beginning stages of the digital world, filmmaking was something that just came as a natural creative outlet to me. Inspired by the Nickelodeon show “iCarly”, I recall recording dozens of episodes in Elementary school with my little brother for our very own “web show”. We would use the built in video-recording application on our primitive early-2000s chunky family laptop to play out the scenarios that came to our heads. In middle school I followed this passion, recording and editing music videos and short films on my flip phone after school. Tapping into the storyteller that has always been in me, I adored writing stories, editing videos, and adding silly filters to bring my videos to life.

I finally got my first taste at professional filmmaking when I joined BAYCAT, a digital media program that is dedicated to helping underprivileged youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is where I won my first film festival award for my work on a short film called, “Painting SF”, which covered the rich culture of muralists in San Francisco, where I helped interview Sirron Norris, one of the creators of “Bob’s Burgers”.

I carried that love of storytelling and film throughout my education, and am now a recent graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Combining my love of film and my love of fashion that was bestowed on me by my glamorous mother, I am currently working towards an occupational skills certificate in Historical Costume Making at Pasadena City College. My ultimate goal is to be a successful costume designer in Hollywood and beyond.

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?
Film is a career that you only join if you are absolutely in love with. There are so many hurdles that many filmmakers have to overcome and it is only rewarding to the select few. The industry is already extremely over-saturated and competitive, and now with other obstacles such as AI, streaming, and unfair wages–it’s honestly a very uphill battle to create true cinema. All my mentors tell me it will take years (maybe even a decade) of hustling to achieve success in this business, and I am determined to keep going at it because quitting would mean giving up a dream that has been so ingrained in my upbringing since childhood.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I fell in love with the costume designer career at USC, where I discovered how good of a role it was for me. The first film I ever costume assisted on, I was tasked with sourcing, coordinating, prepping, dressing, and wrapping a dozen middle school boys’ catholic uniforms for a senior thesis. Through the chaos of the set, I found that being a department head and being a part of a larger team in a film-setting allowed me to be a leader as well as a creative. I am someone who is naturally drawn to the fashion industry and the appreciation of high-quality and innovative garments, and I channel this love into any film I design. I absolutely love historical research, and scouring the aisles of costume houses for the perfect fit. With no formal costume training from my undergrad, going back to school is essential for me to develop the skills needed to excel in this industry. I am currently learning the necessary skills it takes to excel in the costume and fashion world and I excited to develop my own personal style or niche.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I am quite terrified of the state of my industry. I hope that there is regulation sets on the use of AI, I hope audiences reject any AI-generated films and stay faithful to true artistic talent. I hope the monopolies that these studios and companies have on the industry is rejected for independent films from smaller studios. I hope streaming is restructured so that everyone gets paid and not just CEOs and execs. Right now we are bleeding film dry for every dollar, and I hope my generation is the one to save it (and the world).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://saleen.pb.online
• Instagram: greensaleen