Keeping the creativity and inspiration alive during Corona

We can all agree that 2020 has been a pain in all aspects of our lives, especially our pockets and to us creatives, a little much on our ability to create. With Covid-19 restrictions being imposed and lifted every now and then, creating uncertainty in how we can manage our time with regards to creating, this itself has been very problematic in that it has restricted us in many ways. As a foreigner looking to explore my new found home, this has of course not been easy. I try and take my camera with me everywhere I go but when the movement is restricted in a country where you barely know anyone because corona doesn’t allow, you can’t help but explore the little that you’ve already been accustomed to, in a small city like this one, well there isn’t much. Even with these restrictions, however, I did manage to make at least three short fashion films since I’ve been here with a small crew of 2, the other half being my partner aka the voluntary slave of my creative endeavours.

With the limitations I’ve faced in creating videos, I managed to pick up a hobby in photography for which I am still searching and exploring to discover my style. I’ve recently started exploring minimalistic photography which has allowed me to cheat my landscape pictures by retaking them, only this time with little detail which has helped a lot for a person restricted of movement as I have been. If there are a few things I’ve learnt during this time is that it has pushed us beyond our limits and our comfort zones by allowing us to explore things that we might have never cared to explore, I mean photography is closely related to film but I don’t think I would’ve cared to explore that if not for a year of limitations such as 2020. Covid-19 has for an ironic year made me fall in love with something other than film, so thank you Covid-19 for this experience even though we aren’t that good of friends.

It is now a new year, a year filled with hope and unfortunately for some of us here, a year that still pretty much feels like the past year. Movement is still very restricted, the streets still feel like a master shot of a post-apocalyptic movie but we push on, we take our cameras and shoot what we can to keep the creative juices running and so should you. 2020 was a year where we were locked behind closed doors and for the few lucky ones like myself, we had the internet and youtube tutorials to help us master our craft. I took this opportunity to gather as much inspiration as I could in the hope that when we finally can go outside to play, I can make better content and become a better filmmaker and photographer. I hope that you have also been able to find something that you’re passionate about and honed that skill. Learning has been the best cure for my 2020 lockdown problems and I know you probably had something that helped you through the past year.

Why Yu So Yung?

The name Yu So Yung is a name that came out of a lot of trial and error trying to find the right brand name that embodies my idea of myself and the success that I’d like to accumulate making films. Yu So Yung is a slang version of 'you’re so young', the Yu was inspired by the Yung and the Yung was pretty much inspired by its use in hip hop artists names. The name is a way of me telling and reminding myself that I can write and direct my films as an independent filmmaker at a young age without first having to wait till I reach my late 40’s to be able to direct a film. So, in a nutshell, it is more so a motto than it is a company name and by having such a company, I hope that one day I’d be able to direct big-budget films like most established directors.