Welcome to the The Hot Seat.
Every month we will feature a filmmaker who is redefining West Coast filmmaking. It's time we start shining that ever elusive spotlight onto those in our community who are at the forefront of the BC Indie Revolution.
Each featured filmmaker will answer the same 10 questions, giving insight into their minds, inspirations, aspirations and dreams. The first five questions are rapid fire. Quick. Juicy. Intriguing. The last 5 are more profound, insightful, all about filmmaking.
This month, we're inviting local camera guru Lauren Yim to brave the Hot Seat. Let's dive in!
Lauren Yim is a queer Chinese-Canadian filmmaker from Vancouver, British Columbia. She graduated from Capilano’s film program, MOPA, in 2021. Over the past four years, Lauren has worked as a camera assistant on a wide range of independent projects, from documentaries, commercials, and music videos, to short and feature-length narrative projects. Many of these projects have been screened at recognized film festivals and platforms, including Vancouver International Film Festival, Whistler Film Festival, Hot Docs, ESPN’s 30 for 30, TELUS and CBC Gem. She’s committed to supporting the success of diverse voices in the film industry, bringing good vibes to set, and helping to bring meaningful stories to life on screen through hands-on collaboration behind the camera.
1st AC - Lauren Yim
1. What is the first film you can remember having an effect on you?
Honestly, the first film that really had an impact on me was High School Musical. Especially High School Musical 2. That was my jam. I’ve always secretly loved a good school musical. What can I say? I’m a gleek at heart. Other than that, it’d have to be Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson. My teenage self was immediately hooked by his strong visual storytelling and distinct style.
2. If you could work with one filmmaker, dead or alive, who would it be?
Without a doubt, cinematographer Rina Yang. She’s someone I really look up to. She's an incredibly talented Asian and queer boss making waves in major projects for female technicians like us and absolutely killing it. The first time I encountered her work was on the music video for Lil Simz’s “Woman”, and it blew me away. To this day, it's still one of my favorite music videos.
3. If you could remake any film, what would it be and what would you change?
This one is tough, but I think I’d go with Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an almost perfect film, but if I had it my way? Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s characters would have definitely ended up together, because I’m a sucker for a good happy ending.
4. What is your biggest passion outside of being a filmmaker?
Lauren making it look effortless!
I would have to say film photography, which is still film-adjacent. I shoot a lot of street photography. I like to walk around new and old neighborhoods with my lil’ olympus point and shoot, capturing whatever stands out to me. I started doing this during COVID and it really made me slow down, stay present, and pay attention to my surroundings.
5. What are you working on now?
I just finished working on an indie feature that is being shot on 35mm. It’s been two years since I’ve worked with film so it’s nice to get back into it. This month, I will be working on a 5 day music video being shot on 16mm. Shooting on film brings a completely different rhythm and workflow compared to working with digital, and I love the intentionality it requires on set. I'm also especially looking forward to working on Hayley Gray and Kaayla Whachell’s feature Send The Rain in August!
6. Creatively, what inspires you to continue your journey in filmmaking?
When I first started working in film, there were only a handful of female technicians in the indie scene. Four years later, I’m constantly inspired by the growing number of talented women entering the industry — especially in camera, grip, and lighting. Watching my friends thrive and seeing more female film students aspiring to become technicians motivates me every day. It makes me want to keep pushing forward and give back, just like the amazing women who mentored me (you know who you are) and gave me the insight and tools I needed to navigate this tough industry when I was first starting out.
7. Who are your frequent collaborators and what do they bring to your projects?
Frame from Muzizi - Directed by Jamila Pomeroy
I’m super grateful I get to work with my friends and get paid while doing so! Shout out to my DOPs – Karina Jesson, Diana Parry, Peter Planta, Kate Smith and Kaayla Whachell who bring me out when they can. When you work with your friends you know it’s going to be a positive experience and good vibes! Also shout out to Sydney Bunning, PJ Nijjar and Steve Nguyen for being the best 2nd ACs. They have all really helped me on some tough shoots and I know they’ll always have my back. Don’t forget to give your 2nd ACs the love that they deserve!
8. What is the most rewarding part about being a BC filmmaker? What is the most challenging?
One of the most fulfilling parts of what I do is seeing the projects I’ve worked on succeed at festivals. There’s something really beautiful and deeply rewarding about contributing to someone’s passion project or personal story and then watching it thrive. That’s what I love about being part of the indie film community. Though, it’s not without its challenges. Indie projects often come with tight budgets, and it can be tough trying to make sure both myself and my team are fairly compensated while still working within the limitations of the production.
9. Tell us about a time that you failed and how it helped you.
Last summer, I was on a shoot and I ran into some issues with my gear. During prep, I noticed that the focus unit I was given might not have been able to handle what was needed for the shoot. However, rather than saying something, I decided I would try to make it work instead. I regret not advocating for a different unit earlier, because my instinct was correct, and the faulty gear ended up causing delays and costing us more time in the long run, especially since I ended up getting a new focus unit a couple of days later. If you notice an issue during prep, trust yourself and flag it, because that issue will probably come up during the shoot and cause you worse problems later on. That is why we gear prep!
10. How do you measure success?
Lauren and 2nd AC Sydney Bunning
Success to me is when I’m proud of a project after working on it. Being part of creating someone’s vision is a really cool feeling, especially if it’s a story that gives a voice to underrepresented communities. Sure it may have been tiring or tough at times, but in the end it’ll be like “Hey we DID that!” and that makes it all worth it. Bonus points if I got to collaborate with my friends along the way.