1. 4 days ago 

   The Road to San Francisco :: 2009 UCLA CMF (Pt. 1)

   Here it was again. The final time I’d get to come as a contestant this event that two years ago became a defining part of my journey in becoming (hopefully one day soon) a successful feature film director.

   The first time Campus MovieFest (CMF) was here in 2007, a bunch of my old and new-found friends made a little film called, “say something.” For us, it was the little film that could. Not only did it get to the UCLA finale that year, it went on to screen at Grauman’s Egyptian Theater in Hollywood and 35,000 miles in the sky on Virgin America Airlines for a year, and win us over $1,000 in prizes. All of that aside, that experience gave me a chance to test out my newly-learned knowledge of film and work with an actual cast and crew. It was just a fantastic experience that I’ll continue to treasure with me for the years to come.

   

   The second time CMF was at UCLA was in 2008. The year before, I directed a story that I wrote but the script was written by good friend, Ashley Sizemore. This particular year it’d be a little different; everything is written/ directed by Kelly Li. The movie took things back a bit. Things became for intimate; story, cast, crew, everything and everyone. The final product turned out to be a short film entitled, “Sometime After Midnight.” (To this day, the soundtrack to that film is my favorite of all the ones I’ve done.)

   

   For the third and final time, we’ve come back to the present. October 29, 2009. It’s 7:40pm, official start time was supposed to be ten minutes prior. The anticipation is destroying me since I was nauseated to begin with. You see, they never tell anyone what films they show at the finale. They only pick 16 films every year. This year, there were 130 teams. All these thoughts always fly into my mind. Everyone around me tries to calm me down. “Why are you worrying?” “Of course you’ll make it!” But for me, until it’s certain, nothing’s certain. Finally, a few minutes later, the lights start to dim, and we begin my very last UCLA finale for CMF.

   

   The way they structure the finale is that they show the 16 films in groups of 4. The first group passed by. Not in it. The Second group swung around. Not in it. The third group comes to a close. Nothing. Most of my friends whose films were submitted were shown. Awesome. Myself at that moment… Not feeling well. Oh and here we go, the start of the fourth and fnal group. Lights Dim. Screen goes from black to… not my film. AHHHH. I can feel my group around me thinking, “What do we say to Kelly if the film actually doesn’t make it this year?” I was asking myself the same question…

   

   Film 1 from Group 4 comes to a close. My heart’s pounding; BOOM BOOM BOOM. Screen back to black… goes to… KELLY LI PRODUCTIONS!!! AHH yessss. Normally, around this time, I would sigh a sigh of relief and watch the audience watching my film. That’s my favorite part, but this year, I, myself, got engrossed into the story. And then there’s an applause. For five minutes, I had them, and it’s the best feeling in the world.

   

2. 1 week ago 

   2009 UCLA Campus Movie Fest Award for Best Drama :: Life (in V Minutes)

   (Accompanying blog coming very soon!)

3. 2 weeks ago 
   Press Segment for the new film - CLICK HERE : )
4. 2 weeks ago 

   72 Hours of Pure Chaos :: CMF 2009

   

   I’m on the sitting on the floor on the second level of Ackerman right now in a little, secluded area with the MacBook Pro that’s been a good friend this past week. Utterly exhausted, the film that I’ve been working on is finally done… well almost. I say that because it still needs to be turned into the Campus MovieFest folks. They’ll take back all the high-tech gear. Watch it, eventually. What they’ll see is a short story in five minutes. What they won’t though is the complete stress, chaos, and happiness involved in making this film.

   Film shoots never go as planned. That’s a given. There will always be chaos; a natural part of the process. However, the chaos, for anyway, has always been more spread out; little things here and there. This time around, things were going smoothly. But not just kind of smooth, it was as smooth as a newborn baby’s skin. The actors were ready and lined up (well 3/4 which is over 50%, so I was okay with it). They looked great in their wardrobe. Permits had a rough start but ended up working out just in the nick of time. Crew was ready and willing as were locations. It was a dream, but of course… it would not last.

   Three and a half hours before the shoot, I’m taking the bus back to my place (new tripod in hand). THe anxious/nervous/crazi(ness) of the impending shoot was getting to me. Maybe it would all work out. As the bus comes to a stop, “about a girl” starts blaring. It’s my phone, and this call was definitely “about a girl.” Her voice was a bit crackled, something wasn’t quite right. It’s Valerie, my lead actress. She was running an hour ago, tripped, and fell straight on the concrete, chipping her tooth. She’s freaking out. I’m worried about her health (and completely freaking out on the inside). Valerie’s in utter pain, and unless she can find an emergency dentist at 5:30pm on a Friday, she wouldn’t be able to make the shoot.

   Her health, my first priority. Second priority: damage control mixed with hyperventilation.

   Can we push the shoot back a day? Negative. Permits locked in as well as the cooperation of the UCPD.

   What did this mean? Find a potential new actress so we can get the film shot.

   Valerie was on the search for a dentist. I was on the search for a possible new “Kaitlin.” My excutive producer, Michelle, and I were calling everyone we could think of. Unfortunately, this actress couldn’t just be anyone, she needed to have certain characteristics. Many calls and texts later, my phone rings… it’s Valerie.

   She’s still in pain, but luckily was able to get a dentist for the next morning, thankfully. But that means for that night, I definitely need to find another actress. And after another 15-20 minutes of freaking out (director-side of me), the producer-side kicked in. One of the most amazing people in the world by name of Danielle Perrot came to the film’s rescue.

   From that point on, besides scurrying to find her an outfit and make her the new Kaitlin, the shoot overall went really well. Nicholas Tubbs, another one of the lead actors, just blew all of us away with his performance. I can honestly say he’s the most talented actor I’ve ever had the honor of working with. Danielle gave a stellar performance as well with a couple of hours of notice. The pieces just fell into place (and fit together relatively well). Day 1 ended around 2:40am for the cast/ crew and 6:00am for myself. Yet, until the film is locked, chaos still lingered… waiting for the next day. However, luckily for us Day 2 ran pretty smoothly (minus a minor setback in dealing with some police officers who were quite understanding).

   Editing took over my life for 24 hours (give or take a couple for sleep). Cut number 1 had all the pieces, but something felt off. Cut number 2 offered an unexpected twist due to a simplification of temporal space. However, sequence setting was a bit off. Cut 3… that was the money cut. It wasn’t to the tee of what it is now (Cut 4… which is for later use). Cut 3 was the CMF cut. There was no turning back. Number 3 is the one that could change everything.

5. 3 weeks ago 

   Ohio Weather in Southern California...

   Don’t like the rain. I understand its purpose, and I know how most people from SoCal love it when it rains but coming from Ohio, I don’t miss it… especially when I can’t find my umbrella. Where did that thing go? Hmm… oh well, what’s lost will be found in due time.

   Pre-Production for the next film is coming to a close, and we begin shooting in the days to come. Tonight we just finalized wardrobe/ makeup for all the actors. Camille, my amazing stylist for the film, did such a fantastic job and just completely transformed each actor into the character he/she played. Seriously, unbelievable.

   I ran into some old friends this week, each working on their own CMF film, and oddly enough it seems like this year, the films that we’re making are a bit different in that they’re much more personal to us. I know that’s how I feel. The story. The characters. Everything is a departure for me, but simultaneously, there are elements that I hope to have in all of my films. This year we’ve also been able to add some new members onto the CMF team; people who I find incredibly talented and definitely wanted to work with for a while now. Along with these changes and transitions, the 107 Productions banner has been put into retirement for the time being, and Kelly Li Productions is now in effect.

   I really miss my old 107 Productions cast/ crew, and although it would’ve been fantastic to have been able to do a final film together, I think there was a reason that things happen when they do. The group that I’m working with this year is a combination of the old and the new. I think it’s a sign of growth. Hopefully though, you’ll see a couple of familiar faces in the new film.

   Still much planning and storyboarding to be done before production begins! It’s been so long since I’ve been this excited about a project and a large part of it are the elements coming together. If you’re reading this, wish us luck on this adventure that we’re about to embark on. I know I always remain relatively secret, but hopefully the surprise will be well worth it.

   On a side note, I was able to go back to WB to have lunch with one of the directors/ creative producers of one of my favorite shows, CHUCK (which more people need to watch!). I wanted some honest advice from someone who was very successful in directing and still able to balance his personal and professional lives. The advice I got was amazing, and it just felt so great to be on set seeing a great group of people collaborate and enjoying doing their jobs. Absolutely fantastic.

   As the days of my senior year wind down, I only hope that I will be able to find success and happiness in what I’m passionate about. I hope I’ll be able to do so in perpetual California sunshine : D

6. 1 month ago 

   It begins for one last time::CMF

   It’s that time of the year again, Campus Movie Fest (CMF) will be upon us in a little less than a week. Every since the very first CMF at UCLA a couple of years ago, this time of the year has always been not only a chance for me to get to create a new film but to do so with a group of people that I really care about.

   School is a bit crazier than normal this quarter. Trying to do a lot in a shorter amount of time. Although there may be nights where I’m lack of sleep, it’s been an adventure. That’s what this year is about though. Another chapter of my life is in the beginning stages of its conclusion, I just realized that now is the time to really have no fear and just go for it. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.

   I’m currently in pre-production for the new film. Still so much to do, but I’m also quite excited. It’s been a little while since I’ve really felt such a surge of inspiration, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything falls into place. If you’re reading this, whomever you are, please send the crew and I super, awesome-luck vibes. I’ll be sure to keep this updated more than I have. Love and Life… two crazy and uncontrollable things. Awesome : )

   (P.S. This blog is dedicated to Miss Jane Sha. haha)

7. 1 month ago 

   It's crazy...

   …but inspiration just comes from the most random facets of life. Lately, I’ve felt, for lack of better words, uninspired. I hit one of those moments where I felt like I was kind of just drifting through the day-to-day motions. Even when I attempted to push myself into being creative and feel that mental invigoration, it just didn’t work. Then, somehow, I got inspired tonight. The moment was uncontrollable, and I don’t quite know how it happened but it did. Feeling inspired is one of the best feelings in the entire world. It’s priceless.

   The future’s coming faster than I can prepare. Hope this year will be a good one.

8. 2 months ago 

   Looking back on the things I've done...

   That’s something I always seem to do every now and then but especially when I come home to visit. When you’re in your daily routine, you’re just so engrossed in what you’re doing at that very moment that it’s usually a while before you get to take that step back to look at what’s actually going on in your life.

   I just finished a little over two months working at one of the most well-respected and well-reknowned studios in the world, Warner Bros. Now, I’m in the phase where I can’t believe it’s over but at the same time, I can. Just love parallels. I’ve been trying to think of how to describe working in a place that I’ve only dreamt about visiting. What words could I use to describe what’s inside those guarded gates… I really still don’t have those words figured out. I remember doing an interview about what I will miss most about my time at WB. After a moment to think about it, the thing I will miss most is being in-the-know. Everyday there are many people standing outside those gates of WB and wonder, “What goes on in there?” For those months, I was part of what went on in there. I was inside the gates that people drove or walked by with curiosity. My fellow interns were some very great and talented individuals and spent most of my lunches with two guys who are almost like brothers to me now. My bosses were fantastic and just amazing at their jobs. People think it’s an easy job to create what you see on TV, but I can honestly tell you no it is not. Of course, I got to meet some amazing people, learn many things that no school can really ever teach you, and experience moments that I will take with me for a long time to come. I don’t want to treat this with a goodbye but more of a “till we meet again.”

   

   Now, that I am back home for a bit, it dawns on me again how much more quickly time passes the older one gets. It sounds odd, but I honestly don’t remember what it’s like to be a student sitting in a lecture and studying for finals. This summer I’ve honestly felt like what you hear most adults do… wake up, eat breakfast, go to work for the next eight or nine hours, go home, go to bed, and do it all over again the next day. The fact that the cycle is done for the time being is messing with my system because I became so use to it.

   I can’t believe that I graduated high school more than three years ago. I got my license almost six years ago. In less than a year, I’m scheduled to be a college graduate. I keep thinking to myself, “That days a long day away.” But, it really isn’t. It’s right around the corner whether I’m okay with it or not. It’s time for me to realize that this time isn’t going to last forever. As many plans as I make and goals that I will try my best to achieve for the future, right now is the time to go for what I want because I’m not going to be sixteen again. I’m not going to be twentyone again. NOW is my time to really live life, so that I won’t regret it next time I’m looking back on the things I’ve done.

9. 2 months ago 

   1st Cut of my Demo Reel.

   (P.S. Finishing at Warner Bros. soon. Expect final thoughts in a few days!)

   Thanks for reading/ watching!

10. 3 months ago 

    Gentlemen Don't Kiss and Tell

    It’s been a little while since I’ve last wrote anything. I’m honestly not really sure why that is. Life lately has been both repetitive and not simultaneously. I’m in the 5th week of working at Warner Bros, and I can honestly say that I’m learning from pretty much everything that I do there. The lessons that I do learn don’t necessarily pertain to the career field but all aspects of life. It all interconnects. The other perks are that I randomly have the opportunity to see and/or speak to people that I either never thought I would or would have to wait an extended period of time to do so. These people include JJ Abrams, McG, Todd Phillips, Paul Reiser, Lindsay Price, Dylan McDermott, and so forth. I get to travel around a studio that has so much history ingrained within every inch of those gates. Sometimes I get home completely exhausted, but I hope a few weeks from now I look back on this experience quite fondly with new friendships and future teammates.

    This summer has been a big push for me in the evolution of who I am. With each day I’m changing from less and less of a young adult into an actual adult. Part of it freaks me out, but the other part is amazed. This past week for me has been one of reminiscing. I watched some old short films that I made over five years ago, pictures with old friends in middle school, and journal entries that captured a time I wish I could go revisit even if only for a day. All I can say is that, I really do wish I knew then what I know now.

    Yes, it’s cliche to think that way, but it’s so true. My first blog was from June of 2005. I never would’ve thought that so much would change in a little over four years. The older you get, the more… complex life becomes. When I was younger, I (and I think everyone can relate) thought the smallest things were so complicated and looking back I realize how insignificant they really were. Friendships become more complex. Tastes in food change. The opposite sex definitely gets more confusing I must say. Although certain opinions of mine have altered since I was even younger, I found this blog from way back in July of 2005 that expresses one opinion that I still absolutely believe very strongly. That blog read (pardon my grammar):

    “I’ve been sittin here, workin on some scholarship stuff, and then it totally hit me. These past few days, I’ve heard so many different things from girls bout their past luck w/ guys. Each convo was different but their main frustration was the same. The guys were idiots. It’s so sad to think that there are so many guys out there who only care bout getting some action, bein a “playa”, and etc. It’s so messed up. I’m not that kind of guy, and I’ve never been that kind of guy. I’m not sayin all girls are innocent of bein cheaters or anything like that, but there are so many amazing girls out there, that need to be treated right. They need a guy who can be a real man, treat them with the respect and dedication that they deserve. Bein in a relationship means being dedicated to that one person u’ve committed too. It doesn’t mean u can’t hav a life of ur own, but it does mean that u stick w/ that person through thick and thin, and NOT bail on them when the times get rough. So, to the guys out there, let’s stop bein idiots and makin all of us good guys look bad. Let’s jus be grown-ass men. Is that too hard to ask?”

    Since the day I chased (and got chased) around the playground, I’ve been raised to be a gentleman. That’s who I was then. That’s who I am now. That’s who I will be in the future. My name is Kelly Li. I’m many things; filmmaker, son, brother, friend, but most importantly, I am a gentleman.

The Official Blog of filmmaker, Kelly Li.

Official Website at:
http://www.KellyLi.com

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