Kevin Vu on set
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
KEVIN VU IS CURRENTLY A 2ND YEAR STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HIM A FEW QUESTIONS AND HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY:
Where are you from and what is it like there?
I’m from Anaheim, California, which is about an hour from L.A. It’s mostly a commercialized mecca (i.e. Disneyland) for kids and adults to worship an animated, anthropomorphic mouse. But, you know, in an endearing kind of way. Otherwise, Anaheim is a sunny, suburban sprawl with outdoor malls, skate parks, In N Out burgers, and bad drivers.
I have an interesting relationship with Southern California. It can be beautiful and amazing but you get the sense of something a little eerie beneath its exterior. I think that influences the kind of films I want to make.
What or who is inspiring you right now and why?
So I’m developing my thesis and these guys probably have something to do with it: Kraftwerk. Ingmar Bergman. Kenneth Anger. Catherine Breillat. Random ‘80s music videos. Dadaism. Leontine Sagan’s “Madchen in Uniform”.
I've also been turning to photography from Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, and Guy Bourdin for inspiration. I love how their images are so exaggerated and otherworldly. Finally, I’m writing a film set in an artsy boarding school and have been researching institutes with avant-garde philosophies like Bauhaus and Black Mountain College. I’m trying to get an idea of how an insular world can make students go insane. But then again, I think film school has that effect on its students… And I mean that in a good way.
What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
Besides having the opportunity to meet and collaborate with some of my favorite people and classmates, I think the whole Tisch experience is like having a weird lucid dream. It’s so engrossing that you just want to see where it goes and how much weirder it can get. Just the community and atmosphere can alter your perception a bit, so that's beautiful feeling.
Visit Kevin's Vimeo Page.