Everyone has to start somewhere. I gathered a few people I’d met during undergrad and took my shot. That’s when I learned just how hard filmmaking really is—and how much you have to be willing to push through. Did I know what I was doing? Not really. I had the basics from school, but honestly, I was winging it. The script was too long, my planning was shaky, and I didn’t always have the right people in place. But none of that mattered as much as actually trying. I didn’t have big expectations—I just wanted to finish something.

I’d taken writing classes with a professor who had worked in the industry and with some well-known directors. Her approach was simple and practical, and it gave me a starting point. I wasn’t trying to make anything huge—just a small, contained Korean-American gangster short I could shoot over a couple of nights in my apartment’s game room. The characters were loosely based on people I grew up with, and the story just started to take shape.

One of my favorite crime films is Heat, especially that iconic diner scene with De Niro and Pacino. Two people, one location—it sounds simple, but it’s not. That scene inspired me. I cast two incredible actors, Hayden Won (Boss Park) and Kang Kim (Boss James), and that decision shaped everything that came after. I didn’t know it at the time, but making this short would change the course of my life.

The film was rough, but it taught me more than any class could: surround yourself with the right people, trust is earned, and collaboration is everything. What I gained—friendships, lessons, growth—meant more than the final product.

This project will always hold a special place for me, not just as a filmmaker but personally. I wrote the main character with my best friend James Kang in mind—he passed away in 2006 under tragic circumstances. I didn’t tell Kang Kim (our lead) this until after we wrapped. When I showed him a picture of James, he was shocked—he actually knew him through other channels. Somehow, years later, we crossed paths and made this film together. Life will always be crazier than anything you can write.