Favorite Things, 2013 edition
Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve eve! I was feeling retrospective today and though I already made a retrospective photo post of my 2013 directing projects, I decided to write this thing because I write things when I have feels and today I was feeling some feels. I think I use the phrase “one of my favorite things” a whole lot (I blame Julie Andrews and an early exposure to The Sound of Music), so I now present a few of My Favorite Things of 2013.
1. Why We Broke Up, by Daniel Handler (book)
I’ve kind of always loved break up stories. Love stories and romcoms too, but there’s something about a good angsty break up story that gets me. The first short film I ever directed (which at some point I will upload to my personal channel and then run and hide) was a break up story, created in an attempt to eulogize a college relationship of mine that probably didn’t deserve such artistic treatment but whatever. 2013 was the year that I decided to put my LA Public Library Card to good use, as I’d stopped reading for fun in college and that made me pretty sad. My reading sensibilities experienced a kind of arrested development, so the books I really enjoy reading most are still Jane Austen novels and YA fiction. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler was just a joy to behold. The illustrations were stunning, the concept was wonderful, and the characters just made me so happy to meet them.
2. Populaire, dir. Régis Roinsard (film)
A throwback to romantic comedies of the 1960s, this French film set around a speed-typing championship was quite possibly the most delightful thing I’ve watched in a long, long time. Beautifully directed, from the writing to the acting to the music to the production design to the everythingallofitseriously, it was just lovely to experience. One of those movies that make me love movies and want to rush out and create more. Trailer here.
3. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, creators Bernie Su & Hank Green (webseries)
So around May 2012, a friend tipped me off that there was a vlog adaptation of Pride & Prejudice happening, and I was all, “Cool, I’ll check that out… later.” Cut to April 2013, when I had some time on my hands and had just discovered the VlogBrothers via my boyfriend. “You should watch The Lizzie Bennet Diaries,” he suggested. “It seems like something you’d enjoy.” And so I watched the first episode. And then the second. And then somehow the entire series, in the span of 48 hours. “Who is this Mary Kate Wiles girl who plays Lydia?” I wrote to everyone I sent the series to. “She’s crazy talented, this is the first adaptation that’s ever made Lydia a dimensional character. I really need to work with her.”
4. Kissing in the Rain, Shipwrecked Comedy (webseries/directing project)
See what I did there?I’ve already written a lot about this project on both my production blog and the official Shipwrecked tumblr, but a list of my favorite things of 2013 really wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Kissing in the Rain. It allowed me to play with so many things that Ilove (rain, period costumes, historical/modern juxtapositions, not-so-subtle Lily/James references) and honestly was the most fun I’ve had directing to date. I was also thrilled to have the chance to work with Mary Kate Wiles, whose work I’ve been a fan of since she gave the camera a “whaaaat” high five in the LBD pilot. Much thanks to Jon Kondrath of rekonproductions for playing the matchmaker there, as well as for all his help in every project I’ve ever shot in LA. Also major snaps to everyone on the Shipwrecked team – Sean, Sinead, Zack, Jen – these guys are amazing and talented like whoa and I’m so incredibly lucky to know them.5. A Tell Tale Vlog, Shipwrecked Comedy (fandom)
Okay, yes, that’s two favorite things in a row that I directed.
Hush, just let me have this.But more specifically, our A Tell Tale Vlog fandom. Though she be but little, she is fierce. We launched our channel on October 1st with zero subscribers and two promo videos, hoping against hope that some people would watch our little series and enjoy it. We’re going into 2014 with over 1,400 subscribers and some beautifully engaged fans who’ve created ATTV-inspired fanart and fanfiction and fan playlists and I just like… what. I credit the Harry Potter fandom with giving me the confidence to create in the first place, starting with some pretty terrible Lily/James fanfiction. To my 13-year-old self, the height of cool was to be the creator of something that inspired other people to creation. Cut to ten years later, checking the “shipsters ftw” tumblr tag and finding the glorious fanart and fanfic drabbles created by strangers who feel like friends. I honestly can’t even put that feeling into words.6. Edamame (food)
I didn’t know what edamame was this time last year. Now I order it every time I go for sushi. I should try new things more often. Things to keep in mind, going into 2014. #foodmetaphors
And that’s about it. I’ll see you guys in January!
Much love,
Yulin
youtube.com/ShipwreckedComedy
youtube.com/yulinisworking
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/71641965700.
