Wong Fu Productions — an independent film production company founded by Philip Wang, Wesley Chan, and Ted Fu — has made a name for itself in the media community.
Creating content that caters to younger audiences, Wong Fu has found a niche making content that depicts relatable stories and often highlights the voices of Asian Americans and other underrepresented communities.
Wong Fu may be best known for its digital shorts, YouTube Red series Single by 30 (starring Kina Grannis, Harry Shum Jr., and Anna Akana), and other content.
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Its newest project, Yappie, follows a young Asian man as he navigates his work, social, personal, and romantic life after he’s called a “yappie” for the first time–or a young Asian professional who acts like a yuppie.
Wong Fu has always dedicated itself to making work that its contributors are passionate about, and Yappie is no exception. The Yappie crew is also going on tour, so catch them at a location near you. Learn about the series and find out why you should watch it!
The Wong Fu Team
The Wong Fu Productions and Yappie team consists of a collection of passionate, talented individuals who take the time to engage with their fans and create content that is meaningful. Co-founders Philip Wang and Wesley Chan are also both active members, and the team they’ve put together is one of the best in the business. It’s so easy to admire the Wong Fu team because they make great work and seem to have a lot of fun doing it!
Past Work
Founded in 2006, Wong Fu has an immense collection of digital shorts and other media on YouTube, spanning topics from life and love to school and family. Some are funny, some are serious, some are sad, and some are a bit of everything. Yappie is the next in a line of quality content, so when you’re checking out Yappie, make sure to take a peek at Wong Fu’s other work as well–you won’t be disappointed.
Cinematography
While web series aren’t always lauded for their cinematography, Yappie’s aesthetic is to be envied. Boasting scenes in clubs, restaurants, office spaces, and a variety of unique locations, Yappie performs well in both its lighting and camera fronts. At times you might not even notice camera movement at all, meaning it’s doing its job well.
Cast and Characters
Yappie’s cast has incredibly chemistry on the show and highlights a range of characters and personalities. The series does a great job of making sure the main characters are different and not pigeonholing them into stereotypes or conventional roles. The characters’ group dynamic is also quite fun, making for an entertaining Yappie gang.
Passion
Creator and star Philip Wang has spoken at length about the passion put into this project by himself and his collaborators–countless hours of fundraising and personal effort into creating the show he wanted. Making such a show as Yappie requires a certain level of devotion, and the Yappie crew really brings it.
Representation
While Yappie (like any show) doesn’t represent each and every group or community, Yappie makes an effort to extend out of simply East Asian communities and works to bring in a plethora of individuals to both onscreen and behind the scenes. It’s not just about representing communities for the sake of representation, either–it’s about doing justice to these characters and stories through thoughtful discussion during the process.
Relatable Stories
Many young Asian Americans have found solace in the relatable nature of much of Wong Fu’s content. However, the stories that Wong Fu tells are relatable in a much broader sense too, catering to younger audiences and the lives of American teens and adults everywhere. From family conflict to friendship, you may discover that you relate to the lives of certain characters onthe show. By watching Yappie, you’re bound to find something in the series that you relate to.
Humor
Yappie may discuss poignant and relevant issues, but the show also takes pride in its humor. No show is complete without a bit of comedy, and Yappie infuses its discussions of deeply-rooted sociopolitical bias with moments that lighten each episode and add a certain Wong Fu flavor.
Risk Taking
Wong Fu has fielded a lot of questions about the show’s name as well as the stories it tells and the impression it gives off. The group should be lauded for handling inquiries with grace and responding respectfully about why they wanted to create the series and reiterating that it only represents certain stories and opinions. Despite this, Yappie has surged forward with the story it wants to tell in an ambitious way.
New Content
Along with its ambition to go somewhere that other shows haven’t gone before, Yappie brings new forms of content to the small screen. The show brings a friend group that is primarily Asian American to center stage, comprised of characters from different backgrounds and with contrasting personalities and views. The show also highlights a variety of relationships that isn’t necessarily new, but honest-to-goodness interactions between such a diversity of characters is extremely hard to come by.
Self-Financed
Yappie is self-financed, meaning that Wong Fu had no support from production companies or studios. This in and of itself is a feat, and it simply goes to show the passion and dedication the team has for Yappie and Wong Fu as a whole. Supporting the show by watching content helps Wong Fu gain support for future projects and potentially pitching the show as a full-scale series!
Fans
Wong Fu fans are known to show up in droves for events, and many often follow Wong Fu’s content rather religiously. It’s often quite easy to find fellow Wong Fu fans around, and watching Yappie will certainly allow for engagement with other fans. With Yappie on tour, you can even meet fellow Wong Fu fans. It’s never too late to jump on the Wong Fu bandwagon!
Relevance
Yappie’s stories are not only relatable, but they’re also relevant. With discussion expanding beyond purely representation in media, it’s up to creators to tell stories that are reflective of what’s happening and engage in discussion should they choose to make content that aims to incite conversation. Yappie discusses many relevant topics surrounding bias, stereotypes, assumptions, and cultural backgrounds and upbringing.
Romance
Beyond Yappie’s heavier topics, the show brings several romantic relationships to the forefront, illustrating a number of healthy and supportive relationships. It’s wholesome, it’s fun to watch, and often quite thought-provoking. The show also centers around the growth of one particular relationship, and you’ll quickly get attached to it.
Supporting Independent Work
As an independent production and media company, Wong Fu relies on the support of fans to keep creating content. Watching Yappie and actively supporting Wong Fu helps the group keep making great content and supports filmmaking from Asian Americans, people of color, and all sorts of talented individuals!
