Interview with Filmmaker Siu Lung LEE (HELLO BABY)

HELLO BABY was the winner of BEST STUDENT FILM at the June 2020 Experimental Film Festival.

Mathew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Ans. : Fear. I’m living in a city facing new threats every day.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you
to make this short?

Ans. : Screenwriting was the most difficult part. I’ve taken it for around 3 months. Shooting for 3 days. And around 1.5 months for post-production. So, it took me around 5 months in total.

3. How would you describe your short film in two words!?

Ans. : Three words – Could be better :p

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Ans. : Story and funding, always. Luckily, I had a great crew and amazing actors.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking
about your film in the feedback video?

Ans. : Unbelievable! On another side of the world, people watched my short film and made sincere feedbacks for it. I was deeply touched by their detailed descriptions. Also, it was very encouraging when I heard several times they said the short film looks like a part of a feature film.

Indeed, the short film is not perfect. Those feedbacks motivated me to keep improving in the next films.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

6. How did you come up with the idea for this short film?

Ans. : What is the deepest fear for a human? I kept asking this question when I raised the idea to write a horror story.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Ans. : Trois couleurs: Bleu – by Krzysztof Kieslowski. My all time favor.

8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway, what are you feelings
of the submission platform from a filmmaker’s perspective?

Ans. : It’s a great platform that independent filmmakers need. Convenient and helping a lot to promote films.

9. What song have you listened to the most times in your life?

Ans. : A good question. So many great songs I’ve heard in my life. I don’t have a specific one but grew up with the songs of Suede, Depeche Mode, Blur and Michael Jackson.

10. What is next for you? A new film?

Ans. : I’ve finished 2 feature scripts in the UCLA Professional Programs Screenwriting course. One is a sci-fi action and another one is a fantasy comedy. Hope 1 of them could be visualized on the screen. Planning to move to LA after the coronavirus pandemic.