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8FILMSaigonElectricOwlandtheSparrowSaigonElectricFormoreinformationvisitsaigonelectric.comDirectorStephaneGaugerTheHoustonreleaseofthismonthwillintroduceaudiencestotheelectrifyinghiphopdancesubculturethatisthrivinginVietnam.WeinterviewedStephaneGaugerwhowroteanddirectedthemoviewhichwasfilmedentirelyinVietnamwithanentirelyVietamesecast.StephaneexplainsthatthefilmsemphasisismoreonthestorylinethanonthedancingandthathebelievesthatithisjobistoexposeaudiencestocurrentsocialtrendsinVietnamofwhichtheymaynotbeaware.opensinselecttheatersOctober72011SaigonElectricSaigonElectricOctober2011PluggingIntoVietnamsHipHopSubculturebyItsasimplestoryaboutacountrygirlinVietnamwhoarrivesinSaigontotryoutforthedanceacademy.Shesaribbondancerwhobefriendsastreetdancerandtheyrebothjustdreamingofabetterlife.Itsateendramafirstandadancemoviesecond.IwantedtoshowayoungVietnamnotthecountrysidebutthecolorfulcitywithneon.Iwantedthefilmtobeenergetic.Vietnamhasagrowingpopulationandtheyoutharechangingdramaticallywiththesocialdynamicsandtheinternet.IthoughtthatsincehiphopcultureisfairlynewinVietnamitwouldbeinterestingtoshowthataspect.AllthetalentwasfromVietnam.Wedidnthavemuchtimeforcastingsowedidoneopencallforprofessionalactorsandanothercallfordancers.Weauditioned150dancerstofillinforthetworivalcrewsandweendedupwith8membersoneachofthosetwocrews.AllthedancerswerefirsttimeactorswhichwasgoodformesinceIliketodiscovernewtalent.VietnameseAmericanactorstendonlytoactonceinawhileandtheyhaveregularjobswhichisunderstandablesincetherearenttoomanyfilmrolesforAsianactorsinAmerica.ActorswholiveinVietnamnowareprofessionaltothepointofworkingallthetimesincethereisagrowingindustrythere.ForadirectorfromAmericathemaindifferencecansometimesbethatVietnameseAmericansgrowupwithAmericanfilmssotheyrecognizeAmericanstyleactingwhereasactorsinVietnamtendtobeverytheatricalbecauseofbeingraisedonlocalsoapoperas.Thenmyjobbecomesmakingtheirperformancesmorenatural.Hopefullyyoucastpeoplewhoaresmart.Withfirsttimeactorstheyneedtounderstandwhotheircharactersare.Iftheyunderstandthefundamentalsoftheircharactertheywillinhabitthatspacethenadirectorwilljustguidethemthroughthestory.ThestandoutperformanceofthefilmwasQuynhHoawhoplaystherebelliousKim.Inrealityshesacollegestudentwhosbeendancinginacrewforthreeyearsandcomesfromashelteredfamily.ThereweresomanysceneswefilmedwhereshebroughtouttruerawemotiontothepointoftearsandIaskedherwhereshewaspullingthepainfrombutshecouldntanswerthatherself.Kimwasapolaroppositeofwhoshewasasapersonsothatwasrawtalentondisplay.IvehadalotofexperienceworkinginVietnamsoIsetupaprojecttomakeitaneasyprocess.WeshootinthecitysotheresneverashortageofgoodfoodforthecrewandIkeeptheenergyhealthyforcastandcrewbykeepingtheworkdayto10hourswhichisveryveryshortforafilmshoot.AbigbenefitofcourseofshootinginVietnamisthatcostsarelow.Icanhagglelocalvendorsforlocationfeesandactorwagesarealotcheaper.Ifyouhaveagoodproductionstaffaroundyouandhavetheproperpermitsyoucanavoiddifficulties.TheonlythingyoucannotavoidinVietnamishowhotitistofilmthere.JustlikeanAmericandancefilmyouwantrivalcrewsfromtworegionssuchasbetweentheEastcoastandWestcoast.InVietnamitsNorthandSouththereisnopoliticalstatement.ThebesthiphopcrewinVietnamisactuallyBigToefromHanoisoIdecidedtomaketheSaigoncrewtheunderdogs.PeoplelaughwhentheyhearthenameNorthKillaz.IntheoriginalscripttheywerenamedNorthBoyzbuttherewerethreegirlsonthecrewsotheydecidedtorenamethemselvesNorthKillaz.Imtotallyfinewithclichsorwhatwecallarchetypes.Thesamewaythatsportsmoviesboxingmoviesorheistmovieshavetheirclichsyoucantescapetheformulaofdancemovies.WhatItrytodoistogiveitafreshspinoldwineinanewbottleastheysay.ItriedtoaddressthemodernizationofVietnamin.SowhiletheideaofacommunitycenterbeingshutdownhasbeenseenbeforeinotherdancefilmsinVietnamitisactuallyarelevantproblembecauseofmodernization.ThestorylineisthebiggestimportanceformesinceIwantaudiencestorelatetothecharacters.ThedancingIwantedtobeenergeticbutsinceitwasmyfirstattemptatfilmingdanceIthinkIcouldhaveimproveduponthis.ThereareaudiencememberswhodlikewidershotstoseetheexpanseofdancebutIwantedtotaketheviewerinsidethedance.Sohopefullyourfilmingwasalittlemorevisceral.Audiencesenjoyedit.IdontthinktheywereexpectingthedeepcharacterizationthatthefilmhadsowemighthavemademoreattheboxofficeifitwasahiphopcomedysincecomedyrulesinVietnam.Ithinkthecinematographyisnaturalisticandgrittywithlotsofcolor.Mylastfeaturefilmwasshotdocumentarystyleandsomepeoplehadcomplainedabouttheshakycam.waspurposelyshotmoreslickanditcomplimentsthesoundtrackwhichhasnewtalentfromVietnamaswellasVietnameseAmericanartists.Suboideliveredastandoutperformancesheisa19yearoldrappertheonlytrueVietnamesefemalerapperIbelieve.IthinkitsalreadybeenasuccessinmyeyesbecauseitshardtomakeagoodfilmandintheendIthinkaudiencesenjoyit.ItsplayedinalotoffilmfestivalsandpeopleinAmericanowareawareofahiphopsubcultureinVietnam.IthinkImdoingmyjobasaVietnamesefilmmakerifIcanshowthatVietnamisnotacountryofwar.Monetarysuccesswillbedeterminedbyhowmuchpeoplewillsupportitinthetheaters.Ihopeso.InthestorylinethenextstepthecrewwouldtakeistocompeteinSouthKoreawhichwouldbephenomenal.JustlikewithHollywoodstudiofilmsifthisfilmdoeswellintheaterswellhaveabetterchancetogreenlightasequel.SaigonElectricHENRIMERCERONSaigonElectricSaigonElectricSaigonElectricSaigonElectric2TellusaboutyournewfilmIsthereameaningbehindthenameofthemovieWhatinspiredyoutowriteascreenplayaboutthehiphopcultureinVietnamWereallyouractorsVietnameseorVietnameseAmericansWastherealargeturnoutfortheauditionsHowdoesworkingwithVietnameseactorsdifferfromworkingwithVietnameseAmericanactorsHowchallengingwasittoteachdancerstoactWhatweretheexpectedandunexpectedbenefitsanddifficultiesoffilmingamovieinVietnamAnysignificancethatthetwodancecrewscompetingtorepresentVietnamintheKoreancompetitionaretheNorthKillazandtheSouthFreshSomehavestatedthattherearecertainclichaspectsofthefilmthataresimilartootherpopularfilmsthathavecoming-of-ageandhiphopdancethemes.HowdoyourespondtothatobservationDidyouemphasizemoreonthestorylineorthedancinginthefilmWasthereamessagethatyouwantedtoconveytotheaudiencewasreleasedinVietnamthispastApril.HowwasitreceivedReviewsofthefilmhaveparticularlypraisedthecinematographyandhiphopsoundtrack.WhatwasitaboutthesetwoelementsthatimpressedsomanyWhatarethemeasuresbywhichyouwilldeterminewhetherornotthemovieisasuccessWilltherebeainthefutureItriedtoaddressthemodernizationofVietnamin.