Meet Catherine Chen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Chen.

Hi Catherine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am an animation writer, creator, and filmmaker. Recently, I graduated from USC, where I wrote/directed/produced an award-winning short film, Yuan Yuan and the Hollow Monster. Since then, I’ve been pitching a TV version of the film to studios and networks.

Originally, I’m from South Florida, a culturally and politically diverse area. But my family was one of the few Asians around. People are open-minded, but that didn’t solve the national problem that there was a lack of diversity onscreen, in books, and in media. My six-year-old self knew this and deeply wanted that to change. So, I ended up consuming a lot of international content, which helps inform my work today: Japanese anime through the decades, Chinese dramas and cartoons, Taiwanese talk shows, Korean music and TV, lots of British comedy, Russian animation, and of course, American animation and film.

It was my high school who made me who I am today. Dreyfoos School of the Arts encouraged me to find my individual voice. So, I became a stickler to finding it. We wore our art on the outside like our skin. We experimented and played with identity. People’s art was a reflection of their personality, and it was cherished by others. It was this rare experience where everyone’s goal was to discover themselves instead of being someone else, and that was truly amazing.

It is hard to be an artist while trying to pursue an industry job. Animation/entertainment is an industry. In order to acquire a job, we put labels on ourselves to fit a role. For the sake of survival, we are pressured to decide on who we are. But human beings do not work that way. So now, I just follow my own path and make what I wish to make. If I don’t, then I die a little on the inside.

Because why else am I here, if not to discover what is me? It is through self-discovery that I discover what I could contribute to society.

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?
Identity in the context of race and ethnicity was a struggle. As much as I love films, there is a lack of films that I felt represented me. And my mission was to fill that hole. For a long time, I tried to discover what is Asian American and how I fit inside it. Then I discovered that it is not defined. And trying to be an “Asian American artist” is suppressing. I just need to be myself.

Trying to get people to see me as more than one thing has been a struggle. It is still a struggle. Most of the time, people don’t expect that someone could take on so many roles at once and do it well. But the skills are all interconnected, and that’s how I get better.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a writer-director. Recently, I was a Semifinalist for the Student Academy Awards for Yuan Yuan and the Hollow Monster. I’m most proud of that film, and I’m ready to make the next one.

My work is about the people I know, my family, ghosts of friends from periods of my life. There is a realism to my stories and the way I animate. People have said that my art style is a mix of Asian and Western influences. Like Glenn Keane meets Tale of Princess Kaguya.

What sets me apart is that I’m an interdisciplinary filmmaker. I’ve made video games. I’m an entrepreneur and started an animation studio called Yuan Yuan Animation. If I hit a block, I take an interdisciplinary approach. If I have trouble writing dialogue, I act it out and look at actors for inspiration. When I’m designing my film, I always look at art history. For storyboards, I look at live-action. And to write a better plot, I think through the lens of designing a video game. It’s all connected.

I’m always looking at the broad picture because I have many dreams. I want to be a showrunner, to grow my studio, and to create popular IPs. I want to direct features. I want to make people laugh, cry, shudder, and love all in one film. It’s all possible, but at significant costs.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I’ve learned that the more ambitious a project, the longer it’s going to take. And it’s going to cost many years, tens of thousands of dollars, and the help of many people.

While in school, I had this idea of creating a spy chase that you could play anywhere. I wanted to create a multiplayer sports game but using the phone to track the player’s locations. So I ended up directing and co-producing a location-based mobile game called Domain. It was a social distance game of tag, where buildings in real life became the arena. The night we showcased the game, we saw adults run around and laugh like kids. Teenagers would duck and hide while playing the game. Someone came up to me and told us that we made their night. And that’s why I create.

This required two years: one year of individual work and another year of creating it in a 12+ person team. And still, it would need a bit of funding before release. But that’s a project I’ll come back to when I have more money, resources, and experience.

A long time ago, American animator Tom Sito took me to lunch with Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura during their tour for Mary and the Witch’s Flower. They told stories about working with Hayao Miyazaki. I asked Nishimura how he started Studio Ponoc. “It’s easy,” he said, “anyone can do it. You can do it too.” Years later, I asked other studio creators, and they said the same thing. “I would do it again and again. You can also start now. Why wouldn’t you?”

Contact Info:

• Email: yuananim@gmail.com
• Website: Yuanimation.com
• Instagram: @yywriter
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/yuananim

Image Credits
The Yuan Yuan turtle logo (last photo) was created by graphic designer, Diego Yanez.