Three University students use their filmmaking background and taekwondo to create action films that increase the representation of Asian Americans in media. Daniel Zhang, senior in Media, David Shim, junior in Engineering and Matthew Im, senior in LAS, work together to produce these films.

“Together, we make films that are based on martial arts, stunt choreography and dance performance,” Zhang said.

When Zhang first started dabbling in filmmaking, he said he never had a clear idea of what path he wanted to take. However, through his experience, he realized that film had the power to bring representation to a group of people and culture that are often overlooked in the media.

“What started mattering to me a lot more is the representation of Asian Americans and Asian culture on screen,” Zhang said.

As the director, Zhang develops film ideas and writes screenplays for RSOs on campus or interest projects. Zhang started producing these action films in January 2022 and has worked on several films for various RSOs. 

The most frequent organization that Zhang produces films for is the Asian American Association. AAA puts on a yearly fashion show event every year where Zhang’s films are displayed. 

“It’s primarily a dance performance show, but they also have a bunch of other aspects of showcasing art and culture such as filmmaking and fashion runway,” Zhang said.

As a member of AAA’s media team, Zhang transformed the films shown during intermissions from “bathroom break material” to more artistic performance displays.

“I wanted to incorporate the dance performance and also the martial arts and to get connected with others around campus, and basically to bring a vision to life and to use the show to showcase that,” Zhang said.

Once Zhang creates the screenplay, he turns to his network of choreographers to make his vision come to life. Shim and Im are choreographers who use their extensive taekwondo experience to create realistic-looking stunts.

After Shim and Im review Zhang’s screenplay and storyboard, they produce a previsualization video. In this video, Shim and Im create and perform the choreography they want the actors to recreate. However, many of the actors do not have the same level of taekwondo experience that Shim and Im have, which can create some difficulties during the teaching process, they said.

When the previsualization is complete, the team can move forward with production. Shim and Im work with the actors to teach them the choreography, often on the same day as filming. As actors get into their costumes and memorize their lines, Shim and Im teach them to replicate their martial arts stunts to produce Zhang’s vision.

Once actors are prepped, the team starts their intensive filming schedule. Zhang, Shim and Im expressed that their film work would often precede their schoolwork, especially when filming late at night.

“I’m still very involved in school,” Zhang said. “I still go to lectures and stuff, but I do think that in terms of actual passion, this really is where my actual passion is, and school is just sort of a side thing that I did in the meantime.”

Throughout the entire production process, Zhang can rely on an extensive network of students who share his passion for filmmaking. He feels lucky to pursue his interests in a setting where people are willing to lend their equipment and help in the production.

Aside from AAA, Zhang and his team also work with Chinese Language and International Development, Competitive Taekwondo Club, Champaign-Urbana Trickers and Illini World Taekwondo.

Through these projects, Zhang has created a community of students devoted to bringing a story to life. While filming “Wuxing Warriors 2,” Im was introduced to this community.

“I think it was the only reason why I got to know pretty much everybody, like in the post-production, like behind the scenes and on set people,” Im said. “I think the majority of my friend group is from there.”  

Currently, Zhang has several films in post-production. This consists of Zhang editing, adding special effects and recording the score. According to him, one project can take up to a year to complete. 

Despite this tedious work, Zhang can produce final products that he is proud of, create a strong community of student filmmakers and contribute to Asian American and Asian cultural representation.

“I’m lucky because of what I’m connected to,” Zhang said. “I think that the reason why I started making these films is super dependent on who I’m surrounded by, and who I was surrounded by at that time is people in a dance scene and people in the martial arts scene on campus.”

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