The "Romantic Interlude" project began back in May 1999.  As a filmmaker, screenwriter, a big movie buff, especially watching Asian dramas and movies at a young age, I have been cranking out screenplays.

     I can remember being a kid and writing my own comic books and creating storylines from experiences. As a teenager writing corny scripts and having my mother edit them.

     "Romantic Interlude" was a story that came from thoughts, dreams and also a parody to the things I enjoy watching.  It's actually a storyline that I would just think of, write it down and have it kept in a box of other stories that I have written.

     Of the many different screenwriting projects that I wrote, the reason for the existence of this web drama originally begun with the words of the Asian celebrities that I have interviewed.  Their message was if you want to support them, get involved.  To be active and write.  Do something to open the gates.  I recall back in August 1999, when I was speaking to actor, John Cho ("Yellow", "American Pie" and several other movies).  He had a few encouraging words which wouldn't leave my mind.   Words to get involved and it was the same message I was hearing from the Asian actor and actress that I have interviewed.  He pretty much inspired me to take this story that was in that box and do something with it.  In this case, the only way I know and that's to put it on the Web.  Also, I wanted to get the experience of creating a short film without the film (because we didn't have great cameras and my college is not known as a film school). . The experience of getting people together, the experience of budgeting, editing, fixing and rewriting scripts and more.

     I thought over and over and over...If  I was to write a story, what if I wrote it with an all Asian cast?  How would it be received?  How would it be received if I combined my love for Asian dramas, movies and comic books for a pictorial story on the Web?   I didn't have the finances to hire any actors and actress or the equipment to shoot a short movie.  But I did want to have something with many Asians of different cultures involved.  Something cool, something hip!  

I was back in college when this was all taking place and I first told Wayne Garland Gee (who plays Michael in "Romantic Interlude") about wanting to produce and direct a sort of drama.  A drama specifically made for the Internet and also for print.  I'm not really sure how he and the others felt but I was very serious about doing this project.

     So, I wrote a script for the first episode and started to pitch the idea to several people.  I asked a very good friend of mine, Mahito Tomoi, a talented photographer to please be in charge of the photography of this project.  Then I started making calls to a couple of friends to play certain parts of the drama.   I didn't want fashion models or professional actors, I wanted normal people to play the roles.  Also, I wanted to get as many different Asian cultures involved and six people were selected for the first episode.

I guess you can say that I had certain people in mind.  A good friend of mine, Phillip Kim to play the lead character Joe.  For the lead female character, it was difficult for me to find someone to play her part because the character had to appear shy and had a certain type of look.  I knew several people but one that I really wanted because she has that look.  Her name is Norie Tanaka.  A friend who could play the part of Rei.  The comedy relief players in the series would be James K. Hoang as Khai and Lee Min Low and Min Lee.  Cory Hiroshi Endo, was someone I felt who could play a convincing ex-boyfriend of Rei and he got the part as Alan and for that one shot that he did in episode 1 is pretty good.  The other person involved is Jeffrey Hamilton as DJ Apollo who opens up the series.  The only person in "Romantic Interlude" who is not of Asian descent but a hardcore fan of Asian culture.

Picture from left to right:  Cory Hiroshi Endo as Alan, Phillip Kim as Joe, James K. Hoang as Khai, Lee Min Low as Min Lee and Norie Tanaka as Rei. Click here to go to page 2 of "All about Romantic Interlude"