At the end of every month, Logging On will be taken over by illustrious guests.
​For our very first guest takeover, we check in with Toronto based director and producer Jessica Wu.​
​

Logging On: In your own words, how do you describe who you are and what you do? 

Jess: I’m a director and producer, born in Edmonton, living in Toronto, making short films and branded content.

LO: If we looked at your phone right now, what would we see on your timeline?

J: If you looked at my IG timeline you’d see: Asians doing dance combos (actual dancers not just TikTok trends). Girls who make bespoke lamps, vases and corsets. Lewis Hamilton. 

Rae: You already know this, but one of my favourite projects you’ve been involved with was the Majid Jordan “Small Talk” music video. I also feel the same tender, playful nature in your recent feature with Gucci Beauty​. 

It may just be me, but all the content (specifically fashion & music) I’m around currently feels so serious - which makes being fun honestly so much harder to pull off.  How do you approach emotion (light or otherwise) in terms of storytelling when approaching a project? 

J: I agree, I think it’s harder to nail comedy (or lighter moments that feel authentic) than making something generically moody. When it comes to conveying emotion in your work/storytelling, I think it’s always more effective when you pull from your lived experiences. When I worked on my short, “Sweet Memories”, all of the emotions/acting directions I gave to the kid actor were pulled from growing up with my younger brother. All the ways I remembered him as a goofy little kid were the directions I gave to Roman. When you’re able to tap into specific nuances from your past or memory - I think that’s when the emotion will resonate with the audience. 

Ian: Music plays a big part in the visuals you make. What are some of your favourite music videos or era of music videos? 

J: A couple of my director friends agree, Gosh by Jamie xx and Territory by The Blaze are classic director’s-type videos we drool over.

Jamie XX - Gosh

The Blaze - Territory

But the music videos of my pre-teens, that continue to shape the way I think about music videos and editing, would be Sophie Muller’s work in the 2000s (specifically 2004 & 2005). This was before music videos opened with “Directed By” — when style spoke for itself and we let the narrative unfold without title plates (says the jaded millennial).

She has 3 videos I call the trifecta: The Killers - Mr. Brightside, Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved, and Gwen Stefani - Cool.

Muller is a master of storytelling and all of those videos have unconventional narratives about love, lust and heartbreak.

I’ve realized recently how much I’ve internalized her shots because I see them in my head as I walk down the street. I literally imagine myself walking down the street framed up from a camera’s POV (am I crazy??). It’s wild how my subconscious is built upon Muller’s work and it definitely shows itself in my shotlists and editing style.

LO: Plug time. Where can we connect and find more of your work? 

J: @jessicajmwu or jessicajmwu.com

Weekly Specials:

MICHELLE YEOH FOR BEST ACTRESS (or I will rage)

J: Michelle Yeoh has made history as the first Asian woman to be nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars.

As an Asian woman, I’m not going to elaborate on why this is significant, the plight to get here, etc.. that’s all pretty self-explanatory and I’m too tired. What I want to bring back is this Hollywood Reporter interview where Michelle so elegantly points out the lack of opportunities. This pertains to so many creative professions. I feel this in directing and felt very seen when Michelle articulated the struggle during this roundtable.

SPEAKING OF EEAO…

I’m already planning an Oscars’ viewing party because I’m actually invested this year and rooting for Everything Everywhere All at Once to win. This movie is seminal in creating a case study for more indie movies like it to be developed and given a proper theatrical distribution. Nowadays, it’s so difficult to go up against mega IP franchises. The success of EEAO at the box office and awards season gives hope to all filmmakers that there’s still a place for indies and hopefully those who wield power will be more likely to take chances on them with this success.

J: Recently, I was researching menswear and went through almost every designer listed on SSENSE. My objective was to find a brand whose clothes told a story and created a clear character. TBH nothing really stood out. The only designer who had a distinct definitive look that resonated with me was LU'U DAN. This week, they presented their FW23 in Paris and I can’t wait for the launch of their upcoming women’s line.

I: For further reading check out this WWD article on LU'U DAN.

RICKDICK​

J: This showed up in my IG explore. AI art is problematic for artists but this “Rick Owens” Ming Dynasty looks sick. Also, LOL at this account “@rickdick__”... do people really still care about Rick Owens…??

MEDIA

THIS ENERGY ONLY​

J: Apparently this Korean dating show “Love Alarm Clap! Clap! Clap!” (this name!) went viral after one of the female contestants chose another female contestant to date. I LOVE THIS ENERGY. Do you know how many times I’ve watched dating shows and thought, “wow these men are trash,” or thought the female bonding was way more interesting than the straight romantic relationships? I love when there’s an opportunity within the show to choose anyone. Props to this girl for going for it - I’m here for this

DRAGON DANCERS (x MESSI? LOL)

​J: I don’t think I fully understood how athletic dragon dancing was until I fell into the hole of this account. Seeing the men practice without costumes shows just how physically demanding it is.

Turns out, these guys perform for “Messi10” a cirque du soleil act about Messi’s rise to fame. LOL…. I’m just glad these guys are getting paid.

LUCAS SIN: TEACHING THE ASIAN DIASPORA HOW TO COOK

J: For two Lunar New Year dinners, I whipped out this tofu recipe and it slapped. I love Lucas because he makes Chinese recipes easily accessible and digestible (I hate puns, sorry). When I mastered this classic brown sauce I truly felt more Chinese haha. I appreciate his cultural breakdowns, historical knowledge and that he makes everything doable for home cooking. Thanks Lucas!

I: I too am a big Lucas stan, and have been glued to his account ever since he decided to return to HK and is now chronicling all cha chaan tang's he's eating at.

MCDONALDS MAHJONG

J: This time of year can be very cringy watching the brands trying to create products to appeal to Asians for LNY. However, this McD’s mahjong set is hilar to me. So fun that they changed the symbols to menu items. We all know this can go either way when people decide to redesign mahjong sets. I’m not even going to link that one time those Karens went too far because I refuse to give them views but we all remember…

KEHLANI IS HOT

J: That’s it. (Truthfully, I don’t watch many of these interviews but the guys are always boring and trying to stunt while the women are way more interesting and engaging. Bye.)

Check the Chicken Shop Date here.

JESS' WILDCARD: physical 100

Every once and a while, something on your Netflix header hits.

Physical 100 is all the things I love: overly competitive (mostly Asian) athletes. I’m impressed with Korea’s turnaround in basically creating a real Squid Games, but with very decorated athletes.

Did I binge the first 2 eps the moment it got served? Yes.

Did I tear up when a contestant said of a fellow competitor: “this is why not everyone is an Olympic gold medalist” out of admiration of him hanging from a grid for over 13 mins? Yes.

I can’t wait for the next episodes. As long as no one gets seriously injured, this should be very entertaining.

S/O to Cha Hyun Seung who was also on Singles Inferno Season 1. He loves a mud fight and we love that he keeps getting paid to do them.