The Real Shaolin: An Interview with Project Involve Fellow Alexander Sebastian Lee
Jan 6, 2009
Q: What is your filmmaking background prior to making The Real Shaolin? What was your initial inspiration for the film?
I studied film production at USC and graduated at the end of 2002. Like many film students, I wasn’t sure what project I would make right after finishing school. I saw a documentary on TV about the Shaolin monks and their amazing Kung Fu. The name inspires images of a serene temple on a mountaintop with hundreds of monks being taught deadly secrets by an old monk with a long white beard. So I began researching about China and then packed and took off.
I trained in Kung Fu at Shaolin for almost 3 months. I used to train in a large hall with my school’s performance team, made up of mostly young boys who would perform Kung Fu shows for tourists. They were great subjects for a documentary that would show the lives of Kung Fu students at the modern day Shaolin Temple. The documentaries that I viewed before coming to Shaolin were not realistic at all, and only perpetuate the myth that we see in the movies. So I wanted to deconstruct the myth of Shaolin by putting a human face to the stories of the young boys who train there.
Q: Where did you shoot, when did production start, and how long was the shoot?
I began production at Shaolin in September 2003 and planned to stay for 6 months but ended up shooting for more than a year. It took time and effort to whittle down the story to only four characters that end up in the completed film.
Q: What format did you shoot on and how big was your crew?
I shot the film in 24p DV with the Panasonic DVX-100. The camera was pretty new at the time, which was exciting as I love cutting edge technology, but I felt like a guinea pig as most people did not have experience with that camera and its post-production workflow. The small form factor also allowed me to achieve an intimacy with my subjects that would be harder with a large shoulder mount camera. The DVX-100 was truly revolutionary. Because my film was low budget, I couldn’t afford to hire a cameraman so I ended up shooting the film myself.
Q: Were there any particularly challenging aspects to the shoot?
The most challenging part of filming was finding Chinese subjects who were comfortable with my camera. The Chinese generally are more reserved and not as talkative as Americans, so finding subjects who were not self-conscious while I filmed them was pretty difficult. Many Kung Fu students thought I would film some cool-looking forms like breaking bricks over their heads, as seen in majority of Shaolin documentaries. Instead, I would interview these kids and ask them very personal questions, like why their parents sent them to Shaolin. Most kids at Shaolin don’t want to admit that their parents are poor farmers who don’t want their kids to follow in their footsteps. I was lucky to find my two Chinese subjects, Zhu and Yuan Peng who were so open and graceful while filming.
Q: Did you have the bulk of your financing in place when you began, or were you piecing it together throughout the making of the film?
My film was financed through personal savings and the help of my family. I believe that documentaries can be shot cheaply, but post-production can become a very expensive process. As my film grew and the caliber of post-production technicians who worked on the film improved, I received funding from a Chinese production company, which helped a great deal. Funding a movie remains a mysterious process to me, but I’m glad that I didn’t wait two years searching for funding before going to China to shoot my movie. I would advise any young filmmaker if you’re hitting roadblocks with funding to just go out and shoot it, a la Robert Rodriguez. His book had a big influence on me.
Q: Did the film evolve a lot in the post-production process? Did the structure of the film change significantly from how you first envisioned it when you began the film?
While shooting the film, I had ideas for concepts and themes but did not have a concrete idea what the final film would turn out like. This was my first documentary, first feature, and I was improvising as I went along. Editing was the most difficult part of making this film as I had over 140 hours of footage, and there were so many ways to approach the story. I began working with an experienced editor who helped form the basic foundation of the four stories. I then worked with a young USC filmmaker named Michael Shu who did the bulk of the editing work. I have the deepest respect for Michael as he worked tirelessly on the film to realize my vision and did a fantastic job.
Q: The film premiered this past fall at the Toronto International Film Festival. What was that experience like for you?
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. After working on a film for five years, it’s the greatest high in the world when you have your world premiere in a 600 seat theater to loud applause. All three of our public screenings were completely sold out, and the audience reaction to the film was extremely positive. The Real to Reel Documentary Programmer Thom Powers arranged a Kung Fu performance at Yonge-Dundas Square, which is the Times Square of Toronto. Over 700 people showed up because of the buzz built around The Real Shaolin thanks to the TIFF programmers. I was thoroughly impressed by the kindness of the TIFF staff, the efficiency of the TIFF organization, and the passion for cinema by the Toronto audiences.
I’d like to also mention that without Project:Involve, I couldn't have taken The Real Shaolin to Toronto. Project:Involve provided me with an amazing mentor, Fenton Bailey, who is the president of World of Wonder Productions. I was fortunate that I was already in post-production on The Real Shaolin, so my monthly meetings with Fenton were very productive. Fenton liked my filmmaking so much that he hired me to direct an IFC program called Terror from Tokyo. I never expected to be hired by my mentor, but it definitely made my Project:Involve experience fulfilling!
Q: Are there release plans for the film now, or are you still working on the distribution front?
I’m currently taking The Real Shaolin on a worldwide film festival tour. My sales agent, Films Transit, has been handling the distribution end. Although no deals have been completed yet, I have faith as there is extreme interest in the martial arts and China. I’m very fortunate to have participated in TIFF, as being accepted into a top three film festival is the best calling card for a film. TIFF has given us the opportunity to be contacted by the top independent distributors out there.
Q: Now that you've been through production on your first feature, is there any advice you would give to a first time filmmaker just about to do his or her first feature?
Americans love catchphrases, so I would say you need the 3 P’s: Passion, Persistence, and People.
Passion: Filmmakers always talk about passion when making movies; so much that it’s become a cliché. In the end, once you’ve spent 5 years working on a film, do you still enjoy watching it? You want to make sure that the film you are about to embark on, you are ready to spend several years of your life working on.
Persistence: You cannot take “no” for an answer, as nothing is impossible. You also have to be tough enough to weather the storms of the critics and industry that might not like your film. Once you believe in yourself and your work, then other people will also believe in you.
People: You need good people to make good movies because film is a collaborative art. So being a good filmmaker also entails being a good leader who is determined enough to push forward with your vision, but sensitive enough to understand the human needs of cast and crew. I would tell an indie filmmaker who has trouble hiring “good” people because of money reasons to create a great script or documentary pitch, because these people are starving to find meaningful projects in this era of movie sequels and franchises.
Q: What else are you working on now? Do you have another film that you are planning to make in the near future?
I wrote a script while at USC called Paris Nights, a coming of age comedy about four exchange students in Paris who have a crazy night out on the town. I want to adapt the story to take place in Shanghai, as I love this city and feel that a part of my destiny lies in China. I’m looking for a talented writing partner to collaborate on the script.
Alexander Sebastien Lee is a 2006 Project:Involve alumnus. The Real Shaolin recently had its world premiere at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Alexander continues to develop film and TV projects that focus on China and its growing presence on the world stage.