1.) How did you get involved with this project? 2 years ago, Ross pitch the Yellow Hill feature film via phone, and I liked the premise based on 2 sentences that truly peaked my interest and told Ross of the potential of the film if he decided to do it. He sent me the full script to read. I read it and truly liked it but I couldn't take on another project at the time because I was already in the middle of raising funds on another feature film. The Yellow Hill Feature Film script made me cry, and I don't think I've ever felt sad enough to cry over a script. Moments went by, Ross and I still wanted to do Yellow Hill somehow but didn't want to wait years until funding is in place, so we decided to do a short film version of it. It's a great tool to help raise funds for their feature. Together with producers Glen Popple, Bai Ling and Robert Parsons, we teamed up to co-produce a prequel to Yellow Hill". Hence, the birth of "Yellow Hill: The Stranger's Tale".
2.) How has the experience been working as a producer, writer or actor?
As with any production I get involve with, I wear many hats. Different people, different experiences. As an actress, I had a great time on set because I'm suddenly a Chinese saloon girl from the 1860's. The costume, setting and location was very inspiring. Working with a pool of talented actors truly raises the bar. Everyone had their A game on. Every actor I met on the set was extremely professional, friendly, nice and real. We became a family. I came up with all Chicago actors via van and we drove for 14 hours each way. Thank God we all liked it each other immediately. That was a long ass ride. It was fun though because we savored the moments by talking, joking, eating, lots of rest stops and restaurant stops. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. The Wisconsin Actors were just amazing. I love them and glad that we met and became friends. You can tell a veteran actor by their dedication to the project.
Bai Ling's dedication as a producer and actress was incredible and highly respectable. As a producer, taking an idea from conception to execution is very demanding but very rewarding. To get from A to Z, we do everything. Remembering how hard the cast and crew worked diligently in making it happen, with 2 days of shoot schedule, and 800 miles away from home, you can't help but love and appreciate all the good times and tense times. It's all worth it because the main goal is the Project.
3.) As an actor what was your approach to your character.
Ross originally cast me as "Venus" for the feature film project Yellow Hill. The short film version, he created a new character, "Mei", a similar character. Mei is a Chinese immigrant that moved here in search of a better life. It's pretty tumultuous to be a woman of ethnic descent especially in the 1860's. My approach to the character is taking my experiences as an immigrant, and completely immersing myself during the period, how I would feel working in a saloon, almost like a prostitute. The very thought appalls me and makes me resentful of men in general. I thought this is all there is for me in America, until a glimpse of hope came through the door when "The Stranger" came looking for her father. I took Mei's character as a younger sister of The Stranger. The very thought of looking up to someone strong, confident, experienced and can kick ass is all I need to be like her and get the f&*@ out of that God forsaken place. I took the small role and created this whole elaborate backstory, but too bad I didn't have enough time in this short film version.
4.) What is it about the story that you think will grab audiences?
People are pretty knowledgeable nowadays having access to any information via internet. Knowing the history of immigrants in this country, racism, gender gaps, and living during the 1860's, I think that the audience will relate to the story based upon their knowledge and past experiences. I think that the audience will focus on "The Stranger's " journey and they will want to know what happens next.
5.) Any fond memories from shooting on location?
Many fond and unforgettable moments were definitely made, but too many to mention. The ones that stood out the most are: When we kept leaving John Walski by accident whenever we would go to a rest stop. He sat in the back of the van, therefore, we didn't realize he wasn't in the van, because there were 8 of us facing forward. It was bad enough we did it once, but 4x. Hence, the birth of "Wherewalski.com". Another unforgettable moment was when we showed up at the GTO Cafe, 8 versatile looking strangers in search of food, in a rush to eat and leave. The regular patrons and staff just gave us a look of WTF did they come from. But the restaurant staff was extremely nice, accommodating though they were short staff to handle a large hungry crowd. We all pitched in and helped ourselves with getting coffee, and helping distribute the food from the kitchen to our table. Phylis was one of the women I will never forget. She loved us. She's always cheerful and friendly, and she loved Felix. I think the most uncomfortable moment was when the owner of The Original 1880's Town, Richard was standing outside the saloon with me, Robert and Kristine. We were discussing what the project and the production is all about. We both looked far away in a distance. Something was moving about on top of the train cars that caught his attention. He asked, what are those guys doing? Is this part of the script? I looked in aghast and saw John Walski and
Joshua Parks sparring or having a gun fight on top of his train museum. I had to react quickly and come up with something so that he won't get dismayed and possibly shut our production down if he's not cool. Just when I was thinking, Kristine Kruse sprinted 500 feet towards the two playing actors and told them to get down immediately. I told the owner, Richard, that these are two well trained stuntmen and they are just like kids in a candy store. That they're very inspired by the location and it's originality that they had to get photos doing something they've always wanted to do, which was the truth. Thank God he was a very cool and nice man. I definitely would like to come back there and let people know about his town.
Yellow Hill:The Stranger's Tale will have its World Premiere on Saturday, Nov 10th. Lubar Auditorium, Milwaukee Art Museum. 6:45pm
