Meet Pengyifan Lou | Film Producer, Casting Director, Filmmaker

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

Hi Pengyifan, why did you pursue a creative career?
Mostly because film has always been a part of my life, and it affects me tremendously. I didn’t have a lot of family time when I was younger. The most time we spent together was when we went to the theater and watched films. It was the most precious time for me as a kid, and it became the thing I spent most of my spare time doing when I was a teenager. I sometimes used to go to the theater alone to enjoy time watching a movie. That made me think that making movies might be an interesting thing to do before I went to college. I’ve learned filmmaking in China, England, and LA, but then I still felt like I had so much more to learn. That allows me to be determined to learn more in this creative industry. It’s always exciting to create something from nothing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m now a producer and a casting director. I’ve been working on films, documentaries, and commercials for years. This industry is competitive, and I’m always learning and prepared to give my best shot anytime.

I’ve learned film and tv in China, then I went to England to learn film and media, and after that, I came to Los Angeles to study film and tv producing. It’s a long and interesting journey about films, and it’s never easy, but that’s what makes me become me. This journey allows me be able to learn and know different people, their cultures, and their different stories. So many of their life stories are even more interesting than fiction. Some people are too unique to have a normal life, and some cultures are just different and should be known and told. And guess what, we’re the best storytellers and “dream makers”.

As an international producer and filmmaker, I’m always willing to help directors bring their ideas to life. I think the story is the core of the film and also what we try to deliver to the audience. I love to produce films based on true stories, and films about unique people and their cultures. I just love to work on bringing a whole different world to an audience. For the past few years, I’ve been working on short films and indie films. Westerns, mom and daughter, gangsters, posthumous marriage, love between human and AI… they’re all so interesting to work on and to watch. We actually got selected and nominated by film festivals with a few more to come. As a producer, the best moment of filmmaking is to see the process of the small idea becoming a film.

At the same time, I work as a casting director. I’ve worked with a talent agency and a few casting directors that taught me casting systems and process here. I find it’s so much fun to discover the “best” person to help bring characters to life, and I enjoy working with a lot of passionate and professional talents. Casting brings me different joys and perspectives to work in this industry, and it also helps me when I work as a producer.

I’m so proud to be a caring and easy-to-work-with producer and I continue to keep learning from all the great filmmakers around me. This journey is never easy, but I’m learning and thriving everyday.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting LA, I would bring them to Universal City Overlook! That’s the place I love and always go to see the night views. Just feeling the breeze on the mountain and talking about the time you haven’t spent together, this place cannot go wrong.

In the morning, I would bring them to one of my favorite brunch restaurants called République. They offer amazing coffee and a lot of eye-catching pastries. The restaurant is in a historic building which was originally erected by Charlie Chaplin.

Like all the visitors here, most people would want to go to see the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Walk of Fame. After these, I will bring them to an amazing record store called Amoeba Music, which is located in Hollywood. You can find vinyl, videos, and CDs there. Then, going to Hollywood Pantages Theatre to watch a great musical is something you should try.

Another thing that you cannot miss is the museums in LA. My favorites are The Getty, The Broad, LACMA, and The Grammy Museum. They are all good to go to! Also, the beach is always on the list. Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, Hermosa Beach are all good choices. As a coffee lover, I will also recommend some coffee shops to go to like Tilt Coffee Bar, Maru Coffee, Nothing but coffee, and Verve Coffee Roasters.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Of course, my parents. They’re the people who respect my decisions to keep chasing my dream in the industry and they supported me going to multiple countries to enlarge my eyesight. They encourage me to dream bigger and pursue the life I want. Without them, I couldn’t be an independent person and move to the other side of the world to study and work. Also, my sister, Aria, is the one who always believes in me and supports me even though she’s still young. She understands my dream, although I cannot be with her. My special, Geter, who always supports and encourages me during my entire journey in America. He is the one who believes in me when I don’t even believe in myself. He also helps me find the balance between my work and life. My friends, Mengning, Siyuan, Yi, and Yiwen, who have been with me from the very beginning of my filmmaking dreams and always encourage me to go further.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinlouuu_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pengyifan-erin-l-2895511b6/

Image Credits
Bixi Li, Zach Goodwin, Tiancong Zheng, Jiaying Jing