[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: Jason what makes a good story?
Jason Park, Filmmaker: So this is different for every single person watching. I personally like fast-paced stories that move. I don’t like slowburns even though Always Smile I made is a slowburn because I had to answer a question within myself: Can I make a movie like that?
Then I made that movie. Stories, I think for human beings, what makes a good story is how much can they relate to the overall story or how can they relate to the characters within the story. The three-act structure may be the thing that for most people works because it’s worked for so long but for someone like myself I tend to do things very differently.
With Rhino King I follow the three-act structure. With Speed Faster there’s only two acts. There’s the group, everyone’s separated, there is no Oh, we come back together and save the day, no there is I’m as an audience member you’re invested into the story into what’s happened and when it ends you’re like No, no, no, no, no, no, I have all these questions that need to be answered. Well, then you’re going to have to watch the sequel. If the sequel happens I think there’s different ways to formulate a story.
I think what happens is it’s kind of like a math problem when you’re taught there’s only one way or two ways to make a story. You follow that structure, then that limits the creative, the creativity that you have as a creative. If you’re a writer and no one ever told you about structure and you just wrote, what would that story look like? What would it feel like? Would it be 90-pages of slowburn and then 10 pages of Oh, my goodness craziness just happened. Or would it be Oh, he didn’t find love until the last chapter. There were no arcs. He gradually found love. What would that look like? I think back to an original question that is…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
BIO:
Jason Park is an accomplished Director, Producer, Writer, Actor, and Cinematographer. Living in Atlanta, GA with a background in both acting and narrative filmmaking.
Jason was raised on the Big Island of Hawai’i. After finishing high school, he moved to Los Angeles California, where he found his passion for videography, acting, and filmmaking.
He began booking commercials and print work for companies like Apple, Samsung, McDonald’s, Subway, and the list goes on. He’s been in films with actors such as Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect), Ross Butler (Shazam) Christian Serratos (Selena), David Oyelowo (Gringo), and Evan Ross (The Hunger Games). After appearing in films, commercials, and print campaigns.
The actor decided to passionately work on breaking barriers for Asian-American actors, directors, writers, and creators in American Cinema. Leading him to create films with Asian leads in non Asian stereotypical roles.
WATCH ‘FOUR AMIGOS’
WATCH ‘REX PARK: Curse Of The Golden Buddha’
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Sunday, April 27, 2025 11am – 1pm PDT
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