THE CONCEPT

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Google's 'Asian-Owned Business' label was a powerful new tool for visibility. Our mission, in collaboration with Hook Agency, was to illuminate the rich, human stories behind it.

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The project was conceived as an exploration of six distinct businesses across Los Angeles, each a vibrant world unto itself. Authenticity was the unwavering priority. This meant our commitment had to extend beyond the screen. The project was led by director Lukas Dong, whose personal connection to the material allowed him to build a deep, immediate trust with each business owner. This principle of authenticity guided our entire crewing philosophy, from our DP to our editor, ensuring the story was told with a shared, intrinsic understanding from the inside out.

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THE CRAFT

The creative approach was adaptive, designed to honor the unique world of each business. The camera language, for instance, had to be fluid: The intimate, controlled movements for a chef at Jitlada were completely different from the sweeping shots that captured the grace of a dancer at Bollypop.

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This required a process that was both meticulously planned and fluid enough to capture candid, natural moments. Our team choreographed complex company moves and tight schedules, but on set, the focus was always on creating space for the story to breathe. Even in the close quarters of Jitlada’s kitchen, the goal remained the same: to allow the authentic energy of the talent’s craft to emerge, no matter the constraint.

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DP Jeremy Snell and Lukas chose a combination of Sony Venice II and BlackWing X-Tuned lenses, often shooting with a very shallow depth of field. This was a deliberate choice to create a profound sense of intimacy, drawing the viewer directly into the world and focus of each talent.

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This same dedication to focus and intimacy guided the photography. Still photographer Sean Hazen worked in a seamless dance with our motion team, creating authentic portraits that felt like a natural extension of the film's world.

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THE RESULT

The final step was bringing these worlds together. From her remote suite in NYC, editor Kat Yi and Forager wove the vignettes into a single, vibrant tapestry. Her fast-paced style and masterful use of match cuts created a seamless flow, moving the viewer from one story to the next while ensuring each one retained its unique identity.

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We are deeply proud of the final piece Kat crafted. The film is a celebration of the breadth and diversity of culture that lives within the "Asian-Owned" community. It is a testament to a process built on intentionality and a core belief that the most powerful stories are told when the team behind the camera shares a deep, personal connection to the one in front of it.

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BTS

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DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT

Q: What does this shoot mean to you?

LUKAS: From the very beginning one of the main goals for this project was to showcase the breadth of cultures that make up the “Asian” label. Spending much of my childhood in Asia, when I came to America it was surprising to see how often Asia as a whole was condensed to such a simplified version of itself. I hope this project leaves Asian business owners with a sense of pride and non-Asian audiences who are not as familiar with the cultures with a sense of sparked curiosity to look a bit deeper.

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Q: What creative influences did you pull into this shoot?

LUKAS: A lot of the “creative influences” actually came from the characters themselves. I knew that I wanted each character and their business to feel like a unique world; smoothly transitioning from one scene to the next, but never blending in with each other. Each character offered their own creative perspective on their work, and by spending some time with them in their spaces I leaned into the details that caught my heart within each story. For example, the natural flow from Aakansha’s Kalbeliya dancing (Bollypop). As we followed her beautiful dance moves, a unique camera movement language was created for that scene.

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Q: What was your main goal on set?

LUKAS: My main goal on set was to stay fluid and prioritize capturing natural moments. In a 60-second spot like this, everything is pretty locked in before the shoot - each shot is boarded, pre-lit, and dressed. I bring this level of preparation to all my projects, but on the day I tried to make sure I was fluid enough to see which moments are working and which are not. This is especially key when working with real people and real locations. I would observe the talent and keep an eye out for candid moments that presented themselves.

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Q: How were you inspired by your own Asian heritage?

LUKAS: This project was an equal part dive into my own background as well as the backgrounds of the characters we featured. I grew up in a mix of different Asian and American cultures and for me this project is about telling people they can be the nuance

they are and still be a part of a larger community. That is what so much of the Asian American experience is about. Although each business owner and I had different upbringings we were all unified by the fact that it’s not just one thing that defines our culture, it’s a mix of our Asian cultures, American culture, and what we add to that as individuals.

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Q: What was the most difficult aspect of this project?

LUKAS: A key part of this project was getting to know each individual character and making sure the piece accurately conveyed the little details and nuances that make their business unique. I really enjoyed finding and shooting these details, but with such a fast paced piece, it was difficult to show everything I had originally wanted to. The stories and details of each character were so rich I felt like we could have cut together a five minute film on each of them alone.

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