Guest Post: Embrace Your Journey with Episodic Fellow Van Nguyen
We asked 2020 Episodic Lab Fellow Van Nguyen to share her experience in the Film Independent Episodic Lab developing her series project Descent, about a Vietnamese cop torn between the duty to her family and her oath to protect and serve.
Applications for next year’s Episodic Lab are currently open, with the regular deadline of February 2.
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I was sitting in my apartment during covid lockdown, wondering what the future held, when I received an email that changed the course of my life path. “Your project is in consideration for the 2020 Film Independent Episodic Lab, and we’d love to schedule an online interview.”
As the youngest and only American born in my family, I had a great fascination with film and TV as a kid. This was partially due to the fact my older siblings babysat me, and (as any good babysitter would do) they let their kid sister watch tons of films and TV shows that were not catered to my age group. But, that was the beginning of my journey as a storyteller. I learned about character. I learned about visual language. I learned about story. And I was always deeply invested. One day, I discovered another story, one I didn’t watch on a screen, but only learned about by asking: my parents’ harrowing journey to America. When my mom shared their story, I felt every emotion, envisioned the entire journey, and saw my parents through a different lens. This was the power of storytelling, and I knew in that moment, it was my jam. Hollywood, here I come.
Not so fast. I had no clue how or where to start, but I did know this: writing is accessible. You can do it when you can, where you can, and do it as often as you can if that’s the path you want to pursue. However, there’s no set path to this life. The only person who can direct you on this path – is you.
For years, I applied to every program, lab, contest, and film festival I could reasonably afford. I placed in a few contests and festivals, but never a program or lab. It didn’t stop me from continuing to try. It didn’t stop me from continuing to write. Those trying years of writing in my spare time outside of working in different careers to pay the bills were some of the best years of my life. It allowed me to further hone my voice on the page and develop my craft as a writer and as a person.
CUT TO: 2020
I had just finished my most personal pilot yet, one that revolved around a Vietnamese-American family in my hometown of Houston. It’s not a story we see often on our TV screens, but one that is close to heart. I wasn’t sure if anything would come of it, until I received that wonderful email from Film Independent.
Receiving this at the height of a pandemic where everyone was reevaluating things in their life was monumental. Film Independent is a leading organization that fosters new and diverse talent. I was thrilled and honored to be given a chance to grow within a Film Independent program.
I, along with my fabulous cohort, experienced two solid weeks of meetings, workshops, panels, and discussions from the most giving people. LaToya Morgan, Dailyn Rodriguez, Gloria Calderón Kellett, Veena Sud, and the many executives from Netflix, FX, and Searchlight just to name a few. We had a mock writers’ room with Beth Schacter where we broke an episode. All of this was a dream come true.
My favorite thing from the lab was our focus on pitching. Not just pitching our project, but pitching ourselves because I learned that is just as valuable as the project. There is no project without you. At this point in my career, I was still new to talking about myself and essentially “selling” myself. We’d pitch, get notes, rework it, then pitch again, get notes, rework it, over, and over. At the end of the lab, the cohort has to pitch in front of a ton of Netflix executives. This was during covid, so it was a big brady brunch of approximately twenty of us on Zoom. It was nerve-wracking, exhilarating, and fun all at the same time. Executives that ranged from comedy, drama, genre all took the time out of their day to listen to us. With the help of Film Independent, my cohort, and the encouraging people who listened and gave thoughtful feedback, I walked away from the lab feeling more confident.
When I look back on my journey from being a little kid mesmerized by storytelling, to an adult who gets to tell stories for a living, I’m forever grateful to all the people I’ve crossed paths with. Those two magical weeks of Episodic Lab really taught me to dive deep, not just with my project, but dive deep with myself.
After the Episodic Lab, I continued my journey with Film Independent as a Project Involve Fellow. The community I’ve gained from that fateful email I received in 2020 has been absolutely invaluable. Do yourself a favor and apply because you never know what will happen.
Van B. Nguyen is an award-winning queer Vietnamese-American writer/director who built a career in production as an assistant director before making the leap to a writing career. Her work has been placed in the Nicholls, Sundance, Austin Film Festival, and she has been a fellow for the WeForShe WriteHer List, Film Independent Episodic Lab as well as Film Independent Project Involve. Van has a feature film titled BLACKOUT on Netflix. Most recently, Van served as a writer for three seasons on CBS’s BLUE BLOODS. Van continues to develop film and TV projects, exploring characters and perspectives we rarely get to see on screen. Her experience and knowledge on set, paired with her passion for storytelling, make her a valuable asset. Subscribe and follow her journey on Substack here.
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