Asian A.V. Club newsletter #15

It's our biggest issue yet as we talk comedy with Shruti Ganguly on her feature debut Tripped Up and to Academy Award winning Jessica Yu on collaborating with Sandra Oh & Awkwafina in Quiz Lady!

Directors Shruti Ganguly and Jessica Yu have alot in common. Over the years, both directors have found their path behind the camera by working through diverse roles in filmmaking. Ganguly and Yu have produced or directed documentaries and narrative features that illuminate their distinctive backgrounds and communities. They’ve also found ways to break through stereotypes to not only develop strong personal voices, but also navigate into the mainstream by working on projects with strong commercial appeal. This month, we get to see another aspect of their talents as they present us with two vibrant broad comedies that feel like they’re arriving at the perfect time.

Let’s kick off with Shruti Ganguly!

Asian A.V. Club: I find it totally fascinating that you kind of decided to become a director through a bit of happenstance.

Shruti Ganguly: It’s true, when I came to college in the US, I went to Northwestern. And I was studying economics and painting, and I thought I would become an investment banker who painted on weekends. (laughs) But then, my cousin who had made the arts her career, was unfortunately killed in a car accident in Delhi. And she was like, India's rising star. I then started to ask, is this really what I want to be doing with the rest of my life.

I took classes that just sounded interesting, and one was called Women in Indian Cinema. And the first movie we watched was a Satyajit Ray film, Pather Pachali and that's when I was like, this is what I'm going to do. What I loved about the movie was that it made me believe that film could be more than just entertainment. Here was this black and white movie about an impoverished Bengali family and it’s from the perspective of this young boy who just like, trying to survive in the midst of caste and class struggles. I was so inspired that there could be incredible meaning and impact that could come out of this beautiful film.

Asian A.V. Club: Can you talk about your initial foray in directing through the digital content space.

Shruti Ganguly: Well, I was directing spoof music videos for friends that were going viral on AOL and Yahoo. Then I ended up making things in the digital space and went to Nylon as their video person. Digital was a really exciting space at the time and because I had done that before, there was an opportunity at MTV to focus on the South Asian market. And so, I took this job to run this platform, and in the meantime, I was producing independent films on the side.

Conde Nast entertainment got me in to rethink the content for Vogue, which led to ‘73 questions’, which is a series that never ends. (laughs) I will say, while I was in these creative corporate places, I was still actively working on independent films. Because I had worked with actors and came from this training as a filmmaker, I think that really contributed to how I worked as an executive as well. I'm super grateful for that experience, because I think it was like, having those work opportunities made me much more conscious of how to connect with an audience in a profound way.

Asian A.V. Club: You’ve had such success as an indie producer, what made you want to direct a broad comedy like Tripped Up?

Shruti Ganguly: I was producing acclaimed, independent films that went to Venice, Sundance, and Berlin, but they had a really limited audience. I’m proud of all of these movies and I work with a lot of those filmmakers still as their producer, but I think, I wanted to make something that was like fun and funny and broader. I remember when I first pitched to direct this movie, I was like, if you took the pages of Nylon and put them on screen, that's the vibe and energy. So, my experience as a digital content creator came full circle. (laughs)

Asian A.V. Club: How did being a producer advise you on your directing?

Shruti Ganguly:  Here you have a feature script that you have to make happen as an ensemble comedy, shoot a road trip, and throw in a food festival, in about 20/21 days. It's quite significant. So, I think the armor of, being a screenwriter, being a producer came in handy. Before even arriving on set, I've done enough prep with my department heads and rehearsals with my actors and communicated in a way that's clear. I understand that things are going to change and evolve. For this shoot it was a heatwave, thunderstorms, COVID. I like to show up on set with the awareness that things could change, and you have to be really nimble and quick.

I try to make sure that everyone feels heard on set from whether it's from me to the production assistant. Before we start production, we go through basic safety guidelines and talk about what we're going to accomplish in the day. I have each person introduce themselves, from the talent to every person who's on set, and it creates a space and playing field that I think really acknowledges each person that contributes to making a project happen.

As a director I stay very calm and present, especially for my actors. And at that point, I'm focusing on performance, and want to give my actors the space, to be able to really bring these characters to life in a way that feels like fruitful and expansive. And I can totally understand that sometimes you can have a mad, manic independent film production. I mean, on day seven, one of my ensemble leads got COVID, and couldn't be on set for 10 days. Rather than shutting the production down, I asked the crew, ‘remember those script notes I gave, now those things have to happen.’ And we do that. And we're going to Tetris a schedule. For the rest of the shoot, we had to make it look like these four friends were in almost every scene together at the same time, which was not the case.

So, my skills as a producer comes in handy, because you're thinking about the big picture and moving forward. And I definitely think those contribute to my directing.

Asian A.V. Club: How hard was it to find your 4 leads Leah Lewis, Ashley Moore, Ariel Winter, and Sasha Fox? They really had wonderful chemistry on screen.

Shruti Ganguly: I love the combination of actors who have a lot of experience and some discoveries. My casting director (Pat) McCorkle and her team was so good at putting together this group. I was already a big fan of Leah Lewis after seeing The Half of It. And when I knew that Leah was a possibility, I was like, we HAVE to have her as the lead. And Sasha Fox, even though her mom (Vanessa Williams) is in the movie and an exec producer, she had to audition as well.

Ashley Moore has never done a comedy, but I knew she could do it. And then with Ariel Winter (Modern Family), she was actually the first person I wanted to cast because I've known her since she was eight years old. Plus, Ariel just connected with the material. And I just felt like the experience between her, and Leah would really ground this film.

I really encouraged them to workshop and collaborate with their colleagues. In the process, they were so invested in each other’s success that their friendship really translates into the screen. They’re all incredible actors and I’m really proud of the work that they did.

Asian A.V. Club: With Tripped Up under your belt and you’re still producing films, what kind of projects do you see yourself working on next?   

Shruti Ganguly: There's a film that I've written to direct with my friend Hari Kondabolu (comedian) which is a comedy that we had to move to the spring because of the strikes. I’m really excited about that because honestly, considering what’s going on in the world, I am very happy to make movies that are fun and funny, because we need them right now.

Asian A.V. Club: I agree wholeheartedly! Thank you again.

Shruti Ganguly: Thank you!

Tripped Up is available on VOD and Digital HD from Amazon Video and iTunes now.

We’re still not done! Jessica Yu has been on our radar ever since she won the Academy Award for her documentary short Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien back in 1996. Ever since, Yu has been working steadily as not only one of the most reliable episodic directors in the industry (Greys Anatomy, The West Wing, The Rookie, American Horror Story), but also one who can take on everything from drama to action.

Now we can add comedy to her mix!

Asian A.V. Club: It’s so nice to see a comedy with two Asian actresses playing siblings as leads. Was that one of the draws for you when you got the script?  

Jessica Yu: Absolutely. I have a sister, who’s named Jenny and when I read the really funny script [by Jen D’Angelo], AND knew Sandra Oh and Awkwafina were already attached, it was definitely something where I felt, this is the one.  

Asian A.V. Club: When you work with people like Sandra and Awkwafina, what did they bring to the characters that weren’t in the script?  

Jessica Yu: With Sandra, I loved that she really wanted to push Jenny Yum. Part of that was just fashioning the layers of what does she look like. Things like, how long are her eyelashes? What about her tattoos? How many does she have? How tall are her shoes? Seeing her build her character that way, there was just so much specificity.

Asian A.V. Club: I'm weirdly obsessed with Sandra's outfits. Should we all be getting one sided shoulder pad jackets with tassels at the end? I think it's gonna be a fashion movement,

Jessica Yu: (laughs) I totally agree!

Asian A.V. Club: And what about with Awkwafina?

Jessica Yu: With Awkwafina it was the physicality of her wanting to be small and hunched. (Anne Yum) is a character who doesn't want to be seen. With both of them, the physical transformations are something that is not necessarily written into the script.

Asian A.V. Club: You've been working director for almost three decades. What did the opportunities look like when you were first starting out as an Asian American female director?

Jessica Yu: I think anyone starting off in this industry, the first opportunity is usually something that you make on your own. I started in documentary filmmaking and what was great about that, is it's like sweat equity, you're basically the one who's propelling your own projects. And there’s a certain independence that comes from that. When I started getting into scripted work, I would just say yes to any opportunity that came by that could pay my bills. It was less about selection and more about, ‘Oh good, this is a project that I can do.’ (laughs) Those early jobs were also just trying to find those stepping stones and learn something with each one. Now it's come to a point where I feel like, there is a lot of opportunities and great work out there.

But to get back to your question about being an Asian American woman in this business, when I started out in episodic directing, there weren't any Asian American women that I knew were doing that. I was really fortunate that John Wells productions, they had a show called The West Wing that invited me in and said, ‘Hey, you can come in and learn here. We guarantee that you'll have a slot to direct.’ I don't know how I would have learned what I needed to learn if that hadn't happened. But there was the added pressure of, I can't screw this up, or they might not ever let another Asian American woman do this. I know that the math doesn't quite add up, but that's what you feel.

Asian A.V. Club: What I also find fascinating is that you pivot between television and film, how do the two experiences inform each other when you’re directing?

Jessica Yu: So, I would say, in episodic, you definitely have to have a certain agility and you kind of have to dive right in. It can be very intense, and you really have to carve out rehearsal time. What was lovely about this film was having the time before we started shooting. We had basically a year to have those conversations and those workshops that you need to go over the script to come up with ideas. That's such a productive time that you wish you could have on every project. I think it really makes everything better and it's just such a satisfying creative experience.

Asian A.V. Club: Do you remember the project that you did where you could finally turn around and be like, I'm a director?

Jessica Yu: You know, that's a good question. I would say that I didn’t feel this way when I finished it, but it was when the documentary short [Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien] got the Academy Award. You don't make a documentary thinking I'm gonna be standing at the podium with an Academy Award.

Asian A.V. Club: I’m sure it was the moment where your family could finally admit you were a director too. (laughs)

Jessica Yu: Totally! Before, everybody in my family wondered what creating thing I was doing with the cameras and stuff.  But after that, it was like, Oh, she's a director. (laughs) So that was a nice moment where I felt like, see, this is what I do.

Asian A.V. Club: We’ve been longtime fans of what you do whether you have an Oscar or not. Thanks again for talking to us.

Jessica Yu: Thank you!

Quiz Lady is available to stream on Hulu.

Can you tell that we are giddy getting the chance to talk to these amazing filmmakers? If you enjoyed it, please take a look at some of our previous interviews and also remember to subscribe so you’ll get future issues directly in your inbox. Also if you have friends who you think will also enjoy these profiles, please forward to them! Thanks again!