Meet Xinyu Ciao” Zhao | Film Producer”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Xinyu “Ciao” Zhao and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ciao, what do you attribute your success to?
If I have to pick one word, it’d be perseverance. The birth of any successful project is filled with rejections and denials, and the first lesson I learnt is to never let myself get defeated. As a documentary producer, I used to send hundreds of emails and DMs a day, hoping to get just one or two people who’re willing to trust me with their stories. When I started producing my first narrative short, I once called fifteen auto-dismantlers all around LA in one day just to find the perfect filming location. Producing is a time- and energy-consuming process, and some of your works might even get misunderstood by others. However, it’s critical to maintain your unique creative voice and push through adversity knowing that there’s always going to be a silver lining.

Meanwhile, perseverance can also be interpreted as a yearning to become better. Filmmaking is a collaborative process, and it’s always rewarding to see your work reach the public and resonate with others. In order to achieve that, being able to absorb constructive criticism from others is important, even if the refining process sometimes would include denying your own decisions from before. I’m really glad to be surrounded by like-minded filmmaker friends who can provide honest advice and share my journey, so I never doubt that the clash between our ideas will eventually make the end product better than before. This is an uphill battle, but fortunately the scenery at the top of the hill will always be worth it.

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 started out as an in-house producer at a Chinese video brand DxChannel, where I produced short documentaries that provide insights into the pop culture and consumer trends among Gen Z. I filmed China’s biggest Murder Mystery Games convention and the most traditional wedding banquet in the suburbs. I even tracked a used down jacket to a remote village, so as to investigate the supply chain behind China’s second-hand clothing market. It’s amazing to look back on those works that have garnered a million views across platforms, and I really appreciate the opportunity to engage with these different communities and share various facets of our society with the rest of the world.

I’m always fascinated by the possibilities with fictional stories, so I pivoted to producing narrative shorts when I returned to LA. My first work, titled The Story of This Life, tells the story of a Chinese father who flies to America to collect the remains of his immigrant son who died of COVID-19 and his female translator who learns to share his grief during the short trip. Since then, most of my works have featured the AAPI experience through different lenses, and earned recognition from festivals including Canada Shorts, Berlin Short, Indie Short Fest and Austin Comedy Film Festival. I was lucky to have collaborated with many talented female and non-binary filmmakers and received support from various film non-profit organizations as well as independent investors. My next project– which hopefully will be completed in a month– is a music-heavy period piece called Dancing in a Forbidden World. It follows a dutiful Chinese-American woman in 1940s San Francisco who reluctantly joins the infamous Asian nightclub and soon finds herself liberated through the world of provocative dance. It’s vibrant, empowering and fun, marking my first attempt to work with more genre elements. While I’m always on the lookout for an interesting story, my next goal is to hopefully produce a female-centric sci-fi or crime film.

Filmmaking is never an easy path to take, especially for someone like myself who’s never received formal training at a film school, so I’ve learnt two tricks along the way. The first is to find a good mentor. During my time at DxChannel, the founder and Executive Producer of the company allowed me to share an office with her, so I got to sit in on all her pre-production meetings. I observed how she guided the conversations to help the interviewees open up, as well as how she negotiated with different vendors to get the best deal, and I carried a lot of her strategies into my own communication style. When I first dabbled into narrative storytelling, I also had co-producers who’re more experienced and learnt the ropes very quickly thanks to their pro-tips. Beyond looking for guidance, another suggestion I have is simply to keep practicing. To me, producing is exciting because it never repeats itself. From my first time having 60 extras on set to my first experience filming an intimate scene, there’re always new challenges that come with every new project, and you’ll just have to fake it until you make it. My own background has been hugely helpful in this journey: producing narrative shorts helps me hone in my organization and multitasking skills so as to ensure nothing goes off trail, while the uncertainties of documentary filmmaking teaches me how to deal with unexpected crises and perform under pressure.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ll definitely start off the Saturday morning by treating them to some awesome dim sum in San Gabriel. As a huge museum and art history fan myself, I would invite them to the Getty Museum, LACMA or Museum of Motion Pictures. The evening plan will have to be a double-feature at American Cinematheque; they never disappoint.

Sunday will be a nature day. I recently fell in love with hiking, so I would probably take them to Griffith or Northridge for an early morning hike, before going back to the city to find a good flea market. We’ll then go to Malibu for the iconic sunset, and maybe find a solid sushi or seafood restaurant in the area to wrap up the weekend.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My first shoutout will definitely go to my parents, who’re both cinephiles and first introduced me to the beauty of cinema. They’re always my go-to people whenever I’d like to watch a film at the theater, and their unconditional support has always been the safety net during my filmmaking journey.

I’ll also give a shout out to the mentors and fellow filmmakers who have faith in me and given me an opportunity to join their amazing projects. I’ve learnt so much from everyone around me, and it’s always nice to look around and find those who share the same passion and persistence.

Website: https://ciao-xinyu.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ciao_xinyu?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xinyu-ciao-zhao