Hey, Ryan, how's it going?

Hi.

Thanks for having me.

Bow is an amazing short.

I love it.

It's really cool because it tells the story of, ah, parent child relationship.

You know, the ups and downs of that.

But it does it through this rich and colorful and tasty lens of the Chinese immigrant community.

So I would just love to know what connected you to this short.

Yeah.

So for me with about it, really, the connecting point was this emotional one.

I immigrated to the U.

S.

With my mom when I was 10, you know, a 10.

We were attached, the hips.

And then as I became a teenager, you know, I became more Westernized.

My my mom was more Eastern.

And this this kind of struggle of being independent and yet still a dutiful Chinese daughter It was a tricky time when I got hired a Pixar Domi when she had the idea for Bow, we were just talking about what can we do?

And how can we make a special short film that really honors the Asian experience?

And I felt like that was what about was all about That's fascinating because it's like it's very specific to your life.

But yet it's something that a lot of us can relate.

Thio.

What is it like to be a production designer, specifically in animation?

As a production designer?

My role is to oversee the whole look of the entire film.

I work with a director to make sure that we are in sync with her vision on.

Then I would work with all of the other departments and make sure that vision is carried out and that it becomes a reality.

It's a huge collaboration, and I think that's what makes it so like fruitful at the end.

Well, one thing that looks really good in the short is the food on is such a key element in this short.

Can you tell us about the significance of food in the Chinese community and with your family?

I think when it comes to food and my family and I think a lot of families, it's the way that you show each other that you love them, you know, instead of saying How are you doing is usually have you eaten?

I really actually don't think this is just a Chinese culture thing.

I feel like it's really universal, Like cooking for someone feeding someone is just truly the way you show them that you care that you loved.

Hm e totally agree.

Like every time I go visit, my parents are like, Let's get you some down home cooking E, which is That was great.

I mean, that's what you love to see is like, let me tell you this part of my story but someone else is like, Wait, I live a different background, but yet I completely relate to that.

Just shows how some things that just universally, But I know I cannot make about I saw how it's done in the short a little bit, and it seems like it's a very delicate, intimate process.

So what did you do to research?

How to make that look right in the movie?

So Dome er, director, she actually brought in her mom.

She flew her mom in from Canada, and we had this whole afternoon where the team got to make dumplings with her and she was teaching us how she makes bows.

So we ate a lot on.

And, um, that's how we knew what to make researches.

Research right?

when you were working on it, Were there any challenges that you face?

Or are there any scenes that you're very proud of?

The moment where Mom eats dumpling?

To me, that was always the most rewarding.

Seen most like Oh, my gosh, we really went there type of scene and the way that the lighting and the color and the music all came together that was such a a risk that we took And I felt like the emotional payoff was so awesome.

Oh, it waas I remember seeing it then when that moment happened Silence.

Everyone was just like, uh, in addition to celebrating this this amazing short Tomorrow we're celebrating an amazing holiday, Lunar New Year.

So can you tell us about that for those who may not know?

So for me, E, I know there's a huge, like historical context to this celebration and to this festival for me and like my family, it's really about the family coming together.

And it's a time thio, you know, honor your elders and to, like, watch the young ones grow up.

So it's always this, like, very joyful and this very warm feeling ever since my mom and I came to the U.

S.

Every year.

She has this tradition of making it's called Tung Yuen, and it's sticky rice dumplings and their little balls with sesame or peanut filling.

I always remember them, and I always love eating them because it symbolizes, like the roundness, the wholeness, the completeness of the family.

So it has a very special meaning, and I always loved it.

Well, maybe we'll get a short about that.

Every food item coming Well, happy little New Year.

Happy Year of the Ox We love about great job.

Definitely want to see more of your work.

Is there anything that you're working on right now?

Yeah, so it's a project called Turning Red.

It's a full length feature directed by Dummy She who is the director of Bow.

We're Coming Together again and collaborating on this really exciting project.

The story is about ah, 13 year old girl.

She's Chinese Canadian girl living in Toronto, and she sometimes turns into this red, fluffy giant red panda.

It's really cute.

It's also really wild, and I'm just so excited and I can't wait for all of you to see it.

In 2022 That's really awesome that you work together on this short bow and now you're coming back together to work on a feature.

It's a dream come true.

Well, thank you so much, Ronna.

It was such a pleasure to talk to you about.

How about turning Grant about all the project I worked on his well is all this wonderful food and culture that you were able to share with us today.

Thank you so much for having me.

It was super fun.