Two journeyman with ethnic roots from the African continent to the Orient in entertainment come together for Cinema. Afro Asian fusion with a mix of Black and Yellow soul birthed the name of the newly formed Kiirokuro Productions, however both production heads held a secret. They both had a deep love for movies. Asua Han and Kelvin are dynamic duo with enormous endeavours underway and we had a chance to sit with the Tyrese Gibson of this Fast & Furious team, Kelvin Taylor.
What inspired you both to start Film Fu?
Were both nerds and apart of Cinema fandom! My brother Michael had VHS Towers to the ceilings, that turned into a DVD man cave. Asua and I were both 80’s born with 80’s & 1990’s raised. So we grew up in the cusp of Modern Day Americana! The world was a much more united place bc of the fundamentals of family and saving the planet. Sarah Conner didn’t save the planet because she was a feminist or a single mom, but she served a purpose for humankind. It’s amazing remembering the days pre-internet with a PlayStation 1, a pager and perhaps a Tamagochi.
Both do you navigate hard topics as an Actor or Director?
Oh it’s way more detrimental for me, bc it seems for actors there is so much exploitation and blackmail you can face. All art is political. You are either opening people’s eyes or helping close them. Any artists that says they do not like politics, is doing politics avoiding it. It’s hard for actors to be trained to seek truth with our humanity in our performance and then disassociate for the sake of hopes commercial success. In my case, I’m a descendant of trafficked Africans and I’m a parent, so seeing kids being blown up in 4K is not normal. If a producer from Film Threat asks me to pretend I don’t see what is happening in the world is unrealistic. Should I sing “Imagine” by John Lennon inside a mansion like entertainers doing the pandemic and be ton def? Should I say nothing at all make and call fans toxic for my silence? Social Media isn’t disappearing and this isn’t the 1990’s where I can bc Denzel, be in a Neverland Ranch batcave and expect to get booked.
Professionally, what’s the best approach to politics?
The only thing you have autonomy over as an artist is your perspective. For me, humans rights is not political or subjective. However, I do believe if you are booked on a project, productions should offer a fair contract to keep the marketing of the film separate from your own personal politics. Chris Gore alluded to this recently and that should be reasonable enough to keep investors satisfied. Media trained answers do not work and we just saw the embarrassment of Ice Cube when asked about P Diddy on PBD Podcast, lol. Having a podcast also affords me the ability to prove my heart, being intellectually astute. There are allot of rebels, with too many causes, that the Palestine cause got looped together with. But its key to shape you are not emotionally fragile or an unsustainable risk to investors.
How do you both find your way to YouTube?
Originally in 2013 with a music interview channel called LightItUpTV, then Dudes Brewing podcast which started as relationship coaching channel, then evolved into Pop Culture, Politics and more. But Film Fu came about over a bucket of chicken originally discussing movies in Queenstown New Zealand not far from the snow. Since the pandemic, people lost trust in the media for sharing series of disinformation on masks and vaccine effectiveness. Today governments are panicking bc we are able to form our own opinions without a 24 hours news anchor or their shareholder to buffer our critical thinking.
Do you watch TV Today?
Today, I can’t watch traditional media anymore bc I’ve had such a blast watching YouTube! I’ll fall asleep and hear X-Ray Girl or Critical Drinker chatting. There is quality of presentation that I’ve implemented with Dudes Brewing as well with Skits and more. The chemistry solo or in groups is rare today on TV, which would only be comparable to the days of Top Gear. That’s the key to a great podcast is making it feel for the viewer that you’ve joined the ultimate hangout session. It’s like a digital bar. With terrestrial Television, no one has time to be propagated when we have so much access to information or video platforms. Te be told a vision on “tell-a vision”, through “channels”, for programming” on someone’s “network” for their shareholders. These are all code words that translate to mind control. People want honesty, and the fake exploitation of reality TV isn’t cutting it anymore. I have a theater room in my place, and I’ll watch my favour YouTuber there because the authenticity is so apparent. You do not get that authenticity on Traditional Media. More often, rather watch the highlights of a Tell-a-vision, than watch the actual TV Show if it’s propagandising something that doesn’t feel real.
How has the market changed with TV?
A show “actually” has to be good now because for free, people can watch YouTube. No subscription based tier service and you can get more of an enjoyable presentation your their underwear. It’s wild! Viewers of Dudes Brewing or Asua’s channel developed a unconscious parasocial relationship with us. Your advice, humour, words, heart is all transparent for the world to see. If you are being disingenuous or contradictor, you get feedback in realtime. Hollywood used to be a one-stop shop for that type of entertainment and today It’s not even comparable. The hubris of blatantly ostracising their audience due to MeToo, Oscars So White & Donald Trump isn’t going so great as Sony is predicting more acquisitions, mergers and closures.
What do you feel is the biggest issue in a Hollywood?
The demonisation of men since MeToo. Power disparage as can happen in any environment for inclusion, so not implying anything nefarious by one group. Men are naturally physically aggressive but we obviously can’t abuse that. This is the same with women being mentally aggressive and they also shouldn’t abuse that. However, Larry David revealed and was scolded for his November 4, 2017 SNL monologue highlighting most of the MeToo cases were from the Jewish Community. Despite the issue being covered in the Jerusalem Post and Haartz, there was a lack of honesty about it. Cinephiles understand the history of Hollywood with 5 Studio executives. Sadly, the MeToo crisis was quickly reframed as it being a problem with “Toxic White Males” and naturally Anglo-Saxon Americans were outraged. I’ve heard conversations alluding to Caucasian Jews blending in and out of racial topics, big White Dudes for Kamala on day, then Jews in oppression solidarity with Blacks the next. I don’t use 1779 racial color coding anymore as it was institutionalised to decide. “Identity” with race, sexuality is being used as a weapon yearly with no progress for any group. Ethnicity humanises people and makes us more historically astute and mindful how we deal with each other. Today, all men are loosely framed as inherently “toxic” which is untrue, benefits no one and it’s bankrupting great IP’s. Unless the intent is to socially engineer society away from biology, what purpose does this serve?
Is there a culture war at play?
Yes, I believe so to be honest! When most of the audience that attends theatres is males & families, things then turned into a “socially engineered” culture war. DEI became an oppression Olympics being gate kept by the community that doesn’t have to ask for inclusion. Feminism and LGBTQ which were always niche audiences were given prominence and its it hasn’t paid off from a business sense. European folk tales have been race-swapped, allowing African actors to do second best impressions of European stories, simultaneously being told it’s progress. However, the irony is that studio heads at Disney created original IP for Polynesians with “Moana”, but refused to do the same for Africans. So the divisiveness feels intentional, as if they want to keep African American’s in a constant state of victimhood.
How do you feel about niche Disney fans clashing with YouTubers?
There is a twofold situation that is happening with fans. I believe Hollywood has long understood its power to propagandise and the CIA took notice with Operation Mockingbird. In 2012, Barack Obama signed H.R. 4310 which allowed propaganda to be used on US citizens by its’ own government legally. This essentially repealed the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 which banned the use of domestic Propaganda. Fans of cinema are upset seeing stories they love being repurposed. Fans know the show, they know the business fiscally, but not really understanding the purpose the show serves as a vehicle to global governance. There is an ability to socially engineer minds for war propaganda but if it lacks biology, you can’t fool your audience to suspend reality. If we see a 5ft 1inch blonde lady flipping over a 6ft 4 bodybuilder, it’s exceptional but repeating this in 8 films in a rinse and repeat of John Wick clones becomes bogus. I’m not buying into Charlize Theron.
What’s can improve the film Industry?
Stop competing against your own audience, it is asinine. Fans are your paying customer. Traditional media, the entertainment industry as a whole has had an incredibly hard time competing with social media. It’s a hubris truth but film studios never had to deal with customer feedback other than ticket sales. The hard reality is that Hollywood can’t influence popular culture in a fraudulent manner. YouTubers and the audience can talk to multiple platforms, listen to real people, not a news anchor with a teleprompter and a suit. When Geeks & Gamers, RK Outpost Ryan Kinel or Gary from Nerdrotic speak it’s from a loving place that resonates with fans and they are hero’s to myself and many. Paramount pictures making adjustments when fans did not like the Sonic: The Hedgehog design served them invaluable rewards. However when Sony was hacked in 2014 behind the film The Interview, there is a government component that I feel does not want to back away from entertainment.
What’s next on the Horizon for Film Fu?
Haha, well it’s kind of on pause at the moment. We had 3-4 episodes in and our company started taking off and Asua is all over Asia at the moment with treatments. So many great things happening today on the business side of Kiirokuro Productions we’ve had to step back on the podcast. We’re just immensely innovative to produce and our business initiative is truly game changing but we can’t disclose much. It’ll be the 1st ever in the film industry and not everyone will be happy about it but it’s a sign of then times. Myself and Asua Han are just grateful to be at the forefront of this evolution of events. Get in touch with us, wether your in Asia-Pacific or not!
Asua Han is represented by: Caviar Madrid, Paranoid Studio, Playhouse Pictures & Baliprod Films.
Kelvin Taylor is represented by: Robert Bruce Agency, NZ Action Talent, 62 Management & BMP Beverly Hills.
Website: www.kiirokuroproductions.com
