Meet Victor Zheng | Actor & Filmmaker

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

Hi Victor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I founded “Team Avatar Films”, my main focus was on the idea of being able to create content in a safe and tolerant environment. We did our first film in a time when the film industry was still learning how to manage itself during the midst of a pandemic. It was also at a time when there was not much going on in Los Angeles, Atlanta, or any of the other hubs of filming. I had an itch to create something but needed the correct and safe platform to do it. Team Avatar Films became that answer as it allowed me to connect with other artists and creators whom were determined to participate in meaningful story telling while taking the relevant health and safety precautions.

As an Asian-American actor, I understand the difficulty and frustration of visibility in our demographic. My goal with Team Avatar Films is to make our presence a bit more profound in such a chaotic and challenging industry. As of today, we have published five short films and am working on a feature film titled, “A Tale of Earth and Fire” which is planned to be released before the end of the year.

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 appreciate and enjoy all aspects of film making, including the preproduction, production, and postproduction process. I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work in all three dimensions of the process at various points in the past four years. I’ve used the culmination of these different acting, production, and editing experiences to focus on my studio, “Team Avatar Films“. We are still in the midst of editing and putting together our next film, “A Tale of Earth and Fire” which involves the creative hands of over 50 people including actors, production assistants, sound engineers, composers, and more. I want the world to know that the creative and performing arts is always a team effort. It takes a strong, determined, and passionate group of people to tell a meaningful story. Without that cohesive and profound cooperation, it is nearly impossible to create anything profound or something that other people would be willing to consume. The importance of the breadth of experience that it takes to lead a project thoroughly and the critical aspect of collaboration with artists of all backgrounds is something that I truly learned to value throughout my career in the filmmaking orbit.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a simple person when it comes to this! I would take them for a walk in Santa Monica to explore the beaches and nearby shops. I would be happy to take them downtown to try all the different food options. I would also want to show them the various studios where I’ve had the privilege to work at and where some of my first couple of experiences working in film occurred. I am personally have a strong affinity for the past and museums so I would always take my guests to the museum of natural history and The Museum of Tolerance as a way to reflect on some of the events that have transpired in our time.

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?
I’ve been very fortunate and lucky with the people who I manage to surround myself with during my career in film. The overwhelming majority of people have been generous and encouraging of the endeavors that I am pursuing. I am really thankful for the casting directors and productions that were willing to take a chance on me when casting me for some of the projects that I’ve taken a minor part in. I am not entirely sure on how this journey will end but I will always appreciate the experiences that I’ve accumulated during my time on sets in China and the United States. It’s been unforgettable and I would have never been able to have had this experience without the trust and support of the casting directors who’ve believed in me even when I was not entirely confident in my abilities to contribute to these projects.

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0SRZJdesdPTa_tgkm1rvZQ

Image Credits
Breann Allen (Graphic Design for posters)