Ang Lee: A Never-Ending Dream
“In 1978, as I applied to study film at the University of Illinois, my father vehemently objected. He quoted me a statistic: ‘Every year, 50,000 performers compete for 200 available roles on Broadway.’ Against his advice, I boarded a flight to the U.S. This strained our relationship. In the two decades following, we exchanged less than a hundred phrases in conversation.
Some years later, when I graduated film school, I came to comprehend my father’s concern. It was nearly unheard of for a Chinese newcomer to make it in the American film industry. Beginning in 1983, I struggled through six years of agonizing, hopeless uncertainty. Much of the time, I was helping film crews with their equipment or working as editor’s assistant, among other miscellaneous duties. My most painful experience involved shopping a screenplay at more than thirty different production companies, and being met with harsh rejection each time.
That year, I turned 30. There’s an old Chinese saying: ‘At 30, one stands firm.’ Yet, I couldn’t even support myself. What could I do? Keep waiting, or give up my movie-making dream? My wife gave me invaluable support.
My wife was my college classmate. She was a biology major, and after graduation, went to work for a small pharmaceutical research lab. Her income was terribly modest. At the time, we already had our elder son, Haan, to raise. To appease my own feelings of guilt, I took on all housework – cooking, cleaning, taking care of our son – in addition to reading, reviewing films and writing scripts. Every evening after preparing dinner, I would sit on the front steps with Haan, telling him stories as we waited for his mother – the heroic huntress – to come home with our sustenance (income).
This kind of life felt rather undignified for a man. At one point, my in-laws gave their daughter (my wife) a sum of money, intended as start-up capital for me to open a Chinese restaurant – hoping that a business would help support my family. But my wife refused the money. When I found out about this exchange, I stayed up several nights and finally decided: This dream of mine is not meant to be. I must face reality.
Afterward (and with a heavy heart), I enrolled in a computer course at a nearby community college. At a time when employment trumped all other considerations, it seemed that only a knowledge of computers could quickly make me employable. For the days that followed, I descended into malaise. My wife, noticing my unusual demeanor, discovered a schedule of classes tucked in my bag. She made no comment that night.
The next morning, right before she got in her car to head off to work, my wife turned back and – standing there on our front steps – said, ‘Ang, don’t forget your dream.’
And that dream of mine – drowned by demands of reality – came back to life. As my wife drove off, I took the class schedule out of my bag and slowly, deliberately tore it to pieces. And tossed it in the trash.
Sometime after, I obtained funding for my screenplay, and began to shoot my own films. And after that, a few of my films started to win international awards. Recalling earlier times, my wife confessed, ‘I’ve always believed that you only need one gift. Your gift is making films. There are so many people studying computers already, they don’t need an Ang Lee to do that. If you want that golden statue, you have to commit to the dream.’
And today, I’ve finally won that golden statue. I think my own perseverance and my wife’s immeasurable sacrifice have finally met their reward. And I am now more assured than ever before: I must continue making films.
You see, I have this never-ending dream.”
(Following Ang Lee’s second Best Directing win at the Academy Awards last night, this beautiful essay resurfaced. Here is my translation of Ang Lee’s words, written in 2006 (post-Oscar win). Please credit the translation to Irene Shih (and to this blog), thank you!)
Source: Quaximodo WYe via Facebook
“Since 1987, John Hughes has led Rhythm & Hues Studios, widely recognized as one of the world’s leading producers of computer-generated animation and visual effects for entertainment and advertising. As the company’s president and founder, John is committed to providing a collaborative and supportive work environment for the hundreds of digital artists and staff who work in the studio’s facilities in Los Angeles, India and Malaysia.
After graduating from the University of Minnesota, where he received Bachelors and Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering, as well as a Bachelors in Economics – John was working at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, when he was invited by a friend to venture westward to Los Angeles to join the pioneering motion graphics firm Robert Abel and Associates. There, he designed and developed motion control camera systems, paving the way for some of the first use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) in feature films and commercials.
Anticipating the wide acceptance of digitally created media, John and a small group of former Abel employees founded Rhythm & Hues Studios in 1987 in Los Angeles. They developed proprietary software that quickly established a high standard for both photo-real and stylized character animation and visual effects. Today, the studio is in its 24th year of continuous operation, with two Academy Awards for Achievement in Visual Effects (for “Babe,” 1995 and “The Golden Compass,” 2007). R& H has also received four Scientific and Technical Academy Awards.
In addition to his role at Rhythm & Hues, John is committed to improving education for California students. He currently serves as Chairman of the Education Committee for the Digital Coast Roundtable, and Chair of the Digital Coast Foundation. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for the Entertainment Economy Institute, a ten-year old initiative to respond to the current and future workforce needs of all segments of the entertainment industry, and the Workforce Investment Board, collaboration between government and private industry, which oversees all federal and state training funding for the City of Los Angeles. Previously, John was a member of the California Superintendent of School’s Task Force for the Visual and Performing Arts, and a Board Member of the California Alliance for Arts Education.
Under John’s guidance, Rhythm & Hues encourages future generations of artists, through apprenticeships to promising students and tours of the studio’s facilities, open to visitors from around the world.”
Rhythm and Hues Studios
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Rhythm & Hues Studios was established in Los Angeles, California in 1987 by former employees of Robert Abel and Associates (John Hughes, Pauline Ts’o, Keith Goldfarb, Cliff Boule, Frank Wuts and Charles Gibson). The company uses its own proprietary software for its photo-realistic character animation/visual effects—as well as for those that are more stylized. Rhythm & Hues Studios is a visual effects company whose corporate headquarters is in El Segundo, California. It has additional production facilities in India (the Mumbai suburb of Malad and HITEC City which is a part of Hyderabad), Malaysia (Cyberjaya just outside of Kuala Lumpur), Canada (Vancouver), and Taiwan (Kaohsiung).”
Visual Effects Oscar went to Rhythm & Hues for ‘Life of Pi,’ even though they recently filed for bankruptcy
Brian Watt | February 25th, 2013
One of the four Oscars won by director Ang Lee’s fantasy adventure film “Life of Pi” at Sunday’s Academy Awards show was for best visual effects. Turns out that much of the credit for the award goes to a visual effects company that filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. “Life of Pi” was the third Academy Award-winning film featuring visual effects work by El Segundo-based Rhythm and Hues Studios. The company has provided Hollywood filmmakers with visual effects since 1987 and had more than 700 employees in Southern California. Two weeks ago, Rhythm and Hues filed for bankruptcy protection. More than 200 employees were laid off, many of whom worked for more than a year on “Life of Pi.”