Pop-Culturalist.com

Gina Su stands out as one of the industry’s most dynamic voices and accomplished storytellers, continually shattering barriers with her compelling narratives on both sides of the camera.

Her latest short, Autopilot, follows a lone pilot on a homebound space vessel who finds herself trapped in a waking nightmare when her holographic “virtual companion” begins to defy his own programming. Written and directed by Jennifer Zhang, Gina and Jennifer came together because they identified a significant gap for Asian female creatives in the sci-fi genre, aiming to carve out space for their unique voices and perspectives.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Gina about the creation of Autopilot, the magic of collaborating with friends and her community, and breaking barriers. Plus, Gina shares an exciting update on the short!

PC: There’s such an interesting story about how Autopilot came about. Can you talk a bit about the genesis of this project and how your collaboration with Jennifer led to this script?
Gina: Of course. I was living in Hawaii at the time. There was this beautiful place on the island of Kauai that has a red dirt area that looks like Mars. I wanted to write a sci-fi film set in this location. At that point, I was a very, very new writer. I wrote a draft and sent it to Jennifer.

She loved the concept and the sci-fi idea, but Jennifer is an incredible writer. She teaches at Save the Cat! She was like, “Wait, I have an idea based on my favorite soundstage, which is a spaceship.” She wrote a new short, sent it back to me, and I was like, “I love this one so much better.” [laughs] We decided to move forward and make it.

PC: Not only are you starring in this film, but you also produced it. How have your experiences behind the camera influenced your work on screen and vice versa?
Gina: There are pros and cons to it. The pro is that as a producer and actor, you know every single puzzle piece of how the entire film came together. I’m still able to make creative choices on set as an actor and also afterwards in post-production. I have my fingers in the whole creative process from beginning to end. That’s super rewarding.

The con is that when you know everything, you know when things aren’t going well on set and what could be fixed. I wanted to jump back into producing mode, but I had to remind myself that during production, I’m the actor. I had to stay focused on that. Jumping between hats is a skill for sure.

PC: There are so many twists and turns in this short, and there’s a point about halfway through where you don’t know what’s real and what’s not. You brought so much nuance to that moment. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to tackle that?
Gina: It’s knowing the complexity of emotions that the character is going through. What happens to Diana is so intense and feels so out of body that if you can have as much empathy as possible for the million different thoughts she’s having in that moment, then you can bring out the different layers, so it’s not just one note. Thank you for that, that’s super sweet.

PC: We’re living in such an exciting time in this industry where storytellers are taking control of their own careers. This project came about because you, Jennifer, and Daphne [Qin Wu] felt underrepresented in the sci-fi genre. The three of you have blazed a trail for our community. Have you had time to reflect on your own contributions in pushing this much-needed movement forward in representation? What advice would you give to artists, particularly of Asian descent, who want to follow in your footsteps?
Gina: I think we’re at the very beginning stages of it all. As far as I know, the three of us are the first Asian female group tackling a sci-fi feature right now in the indie world, as we’re turning Autopilot into a feature called Trüebadour. We haven’t had too much time to reflect yet.

However, I would say the past three films we’ve made together, we have hired mostly BIPOC. We’ve had a good number of Asian females in front of and behind the camera. We love that camaraderie and that multicultural aspect. We’ve had different languages spoken on set, and it’s been really transformational to see such diversity and how it has improved the creative process.

If I were to give advice to others entering the space, it’s about working with people you love. I feel like the Asian-American filmmaking community is quite open, but also tight-knit, so if you find yourself enjoying their company and wanting to create with them, then do that. When you work with friends, so much magic comes from that. My hope is that people have diverse friends.

PC: Autopilot has made its way around the festival circuit, and it’s been incredibly well received. What has it been like getting to see the impact that you’re having firsthand? What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Gina: It’s the timing of Autopilot being about A.I. When Jennifer wrote it, it wasn’t as big of a deal. Then the strikes happened. It was so topical. It really made people think about how they would feel in that situation and the importance of us making smarter decisions with A.I.

Additionally, the film stars an Asian female lead, and it has nothing to do with her being Asian. She just happens to be in the sci-fi world. I thought that was powerful and empowering.

PC: That’s the next step in representation, where we can have diverse characters who live in these different mediums, and you don’t have to call attention to their ethnicity or identity. You’re also the founder of Pretty Magic Productions. One of your ambitions with the company is to give a platform for underrepresented voices in the industry and paying it forward. Who has been the person in your own life and career that’s held space for you in a similar way?
Gina: I’d have to say Jennifer. We met each other under crazy circumstances. She’s always told me, “Yeah, you can be a lead in a sci-fi film. I’ll write you in something, or we could do it together.” We’re two women who are at a good point in our careers, but we don’t have access to too much quite yet. She always encouraged me that we could figure it out, and so far, we have. I’m grateful for that.

PC: You’ve also worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a storyteller and an artist?
Gina: That I could make it happen with just myself and the filmmaking team. When I made my first two films, I sat down and wrote them. Then within the following year, they were made and shown on the big screen. That’s so satisfying for an artist—to ship your work and see what the response is. Then you grow and bring that to the next project.

PC: As you were saying, Autopilot is being adapted into a feature. Is there anything you can tease about the project?
Gina: It’s also in space. It’s an anthology sci-fi feature, very Black Mirror. It has horror and suspense elements and features an ensemble cast. You get the fun dynamics of maybe a love triangle and people keeping secrets from each other. It’s not exactly a whodunit, but it feels that way. I think it’ll be fun to watch.

To keep up with Gina and the future of Autopilot, follow her on Instagram.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Folk