Meet Yasong Wang | Yasong Wang | Filmmaker, director & producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yasong Wang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yasong, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I graduated with a degree of BFA (Cum Laude) in Film & TV Production, College of Arts & Media, University of Colorado Denver (UCD) and currently am a graduate student of the MFA in cinema program at San Francisco State University. I have been enthusiastic about arts since childhood. To add more color to my school life I participated in a series of art competitions and won several awards in middle school. I am really proud of being a member of our junior school band of Beijing No. 57 Middle School which won many awards, including the Championship for the 3rd Asian Marching Band & Baton Twirling in Japan. The individual art awards that I won include those for animation, painting, and outstanding marching band performance. My passion for arts is very conducive to my studies in film and TV production. I have systematically learned and practiced the knowledge and skills of filmmaking, including scriptwriting, product design, directing, photographing and editing. I have independently written and directed five short films and a full-length documentary on the Pony Express which is under editing, four of which won finalists and awards at international film festivals in the US, UK, Singapore, India, Mexico and Turkey. I became a member of ICC (International Cinema Community) in Oct. 2021 and have been serving as a Jury of the Gladiator Film Festival since Oct. 2021. My career goal is to become a film director and producer. I will strive for developing my own unique artistic style in directing and filmmaking.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The film theories and techniques that I have learned in the US so far have been informing my work as a filmmaker. Integration of the Chinese and western cultures constitutes one of the major elements of my filmmaking style and advantages.

My short fiction film titled “Where To Hide” is based on some true stories about corrupt Chinese officials and their family members, especially those living or hiding abroad. It was created for FITV 3050 Production III – Junior film Project of University of Colorado Denver in April 2020, and was selected as finalist in Lift-Up Film Festival Global Network in July 2020. I am the writer, director, editor and co-producer.

The film titled “Daydreamer” that was written by Hailey Russell and directed by me tells about the story of a poor young girl who yearns for attending an ideal college. Cassandra Anne (Cass), an 18-year-old music lover who hopes to attend a Recording Arts school in New York, the yearly tuition fee of which is as high as $50,000. Her mother Susan, a pessimist in her 50s, is seriously sick and hospitalized, complains that the tuition is too high to afford and questions why Cass does not apply for a state College which costs less. Susan dies without leaving any real estate or other major assets before long, which makes Cass’ life more difficult. Cass has to make a living by working as a librarian in a library where she encounters a student who is as poor as her. Cass also plays with other young adults who often waste much time in entertainments and think big which is unrealistic. Cass finally realizes that her mother’s advice of pursuing an affordable college is realistic and right. The logline of the film is that dreamers need to be realistic. As the director, co-editor, co-producer and major fundraiser of this film, I gained much experience and learned some lessons from the making of it. It won awards for the best actress, audience choice and nomination for best supporting actress, Cinefest of University of Colorado Denver, May 2021; finalist at the Gofobo Fast Forward Film Festival (GFF); Outstanding Achievement Award, World Film Carnival – Singapore, August 2021; Jury Special Award, Andromeda Film Festival, September 2021; Best Drama, Golden Wheat Awards, Turkey; and Phenomenal Attainment Award, Krimson Horyzon International Film Festival, India, November 2021;

In the summer of 2021, I, together with five schoolmates of mine, spent one month in shooting a full-length documentary on the Pony Express, covering its history, all the major sections and facilities. I acted as the director and co-producer. We drove along the Pony Express route from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento and then San Francisco, California. We overcame the high temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, breaking down of one jeep in a no-man’s land, and even bison attacks. We are working on its post-production.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
4. I recommend the itinerary of One- Week Trip in Colorado as follows:

Day 1: Colorado Springs.

Downtown Springs has a lot of buildings with beautiful architecture. In the city center, there are a lot of stores and restaurants. One of the most famous places in Springs is the Garden of the Gods, a public park with many pretty things to see. Besides a lot of trees, there are red rock formations that have all kinds of different shapes. Another beautiful place in Springs is Pikes Peak, a very tall summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Day 2: Denver, the capital and the largest city of the state of Colorado. I recommend spending about 2 days in Denver. There are a lot of buildings and trees in Denver. City Park is a public park that you can find close to Downtown Denver. What’s great is that you can see the skyline of the city of Denver from here. It is amazing that you can see both nature and the city from here. Downtown Denver is where you find most of the activity in the city. For that reason, it’s great to go here when you’re 7 days in Colorado. There are lots of streets with stores, restaurants, bars, museums and more. The Larimer Square is a historic square that played a large role in the history of Denver. It’s where the city of Denver began and one of the oldest places in the city. You find here all kinds of historic houses and a great atmosphere. The Denver Art Museum is the largest museum in the state with more than 70,000 objects from all around the world. One of the best collections of the museum is the Asian art collection. Here you find lots of objects from India, Japan, China, and more Asian countries. A great way to end your day in Denver is watch a performance at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. There are here several theaters. Each of these theaters has regular performances with live theater.

Day 3: Denver. See the Daniels and Fisher Tower, one of the best landmarks in the city of Denver. The tower is a replica of The Campanile in the city of Venice, Italy. The tower features clocks on all four of its sides. Furthermore, there is a large bell at the top of the tower. From the observation deck inside the tower, you have a beautiful view of the city of Denver. The Denver Botanic Gardens is one of the most beautiful places in the city of Denver with the largest US collection of plants that grow in cold temperatures. Denver Pavilions is a shopping mall on the 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver.There are many restaurants and other entertainment venues at Denver Pavilions. There are a lot of events at Red Rocks Amphitheatre which is part of a rock structure.

Day 4: Boulder, a lovely university city with a great city center and beautiful nature nearby. The Flatirons are rock formations with lots of hiking trails near it. Downtown Boulder is a very charming even though Boulder is a small city. There are a lot of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The best street in Downtown Boulder is Pearl Street where you find most of the activity of the city and most of the shops. This makes it the perfect place in Boulder for shopping.

Day 5: Fort Collins, a must-see in Colorado. The first thing to do in Fort Collins is exploring downtown Fort Collins where you find a lot of historic buildings from when the city started. The architecture of these buildings, including the Old Town Square is great to see and makes roaming around here a fun activity.

Exploring the campus of the Colorado State University is a great experience.You find the Oval in the middle of the campus of the university. This is a large green area with lots of large trees that is lovely for a relaxing walk. The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins is a great place to visit as well. You find here art galleries that are great to see. Horsetooth Reservoir, an artificial lake, is one of the most beautiful places in the state. It is a lovely place for hiking, picnicking, swimming, and more outdoor activities.

Days 6 -7: Rocky Mountains National Park, where you can see the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. There are lots of different hikes, each of which leads you to another aspect of the park and all places here are very beautiful. One of the best hikes at Rocky Mountains National Park is the Sprague Lake Loop. You can drive along the Trail Ridge Road, an incredible scenic ride. During this ride, you’ll cross the park from one side to the other. Along the way, you can see very high peaks, amazing landscapes, and wonderful views. You can stop at a lot of places and have a good look at all there is. What’s also great about the road is that it is one of the highest roads in the United States. This makes driving here even more unique!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My achievements and success result from dedicated mentorships, encouragements and supports from a lot of people, including my parents, Prof. Andrew Bateman, Prof. Hans Rosenwinkel, Prof. Eric Jewett at University of Colorado Denver (UCD) and Prof. Weimin Zhang and Prof. Julian Hoxter at San Francisco State University (SFSU), in addition to my own endeavours. I thank them a lot.

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