In the city of West Covina, there is an aspiring filmmaker called Minh Tran, who graduated from California Polytechnic State University. The University Times Community News recently interviewed him about his filmmaking journey.

How did you become interested in filmmaking, and what inspired you to pursue it as a field of study? Are there specific artistic influences that are evident in your work?

I always had a thing for editing. It was my hobby to just mess around with editing. But after watching Bong Joon Ho’s film called Parasite, I fell in love and wanted to pursue this filmmaking path. My artistic influences are Billy Wilder, Wong Kar Wai, and Peter Chan.

What film projects have you worked on so far, and which one are you most proud of? Why?

I have worked on films like Psychopath (2019), The Letter (2022), Two Best Friends (2023), I’m Scared to Sleep (2023), Avalon (2023), and Red Braised Pork (2024). I love and am proud of them all equally because these films represent a specific period of my time.

Can you describe your role in these projects?

I have multiple roles of being the producer, writer, director, editor, and co-cinematographer or cinematographer for most of my films. 

How do you approach the creative process when developing a film idea?

I basically direct people to act, where the camera goes, edit the footage, and create sounds for the films to be cool. 

How do you collaborate with other members of a film crew? Can you share an example of successful collaboration?

A successful example of a collaboration would be when the team worked on Avalon. Everyone was tired, but they tried to push and motivate each other to work until 9 p.m. The main reason was that everyone believed in each other and the story.

Are there specific genres or themes that you are particularly drawn to in your work?

I’m not drawn specifically to any specific genres or themes. My two films, Psychopath and Avalon, are thrillers. The Letter and I’m Scared to Sleep are romance. Two Best Friends is somewhat comedic and experimental. Red Braised Pork is an indie drama. 

I do like to focus on exploring people’s emotions/mood a lot. I like to [showcase] people’s intentions, wants and needs, and internal struggles.”

Are there aspects of the film industry that you find particularly intriguing or challenging? 

I don’t find any aspects of the film industry challenging because at the end of the day, the game is the game. If I see it as a challenge then it will demotivate me. So I don’t really think too much about this. I just want to focus on doing my own thing. Another aspect is that I created Booth Entertainment for filmmakers in college to collaborate and work on films together.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in filmmaking?

My advice is to write the script, pick up your phone, and start filming.

This article was first published in the April 25 print edition of the University Times.