"Diversity in Filmmaking" with Kaitlyn Yang Ep. 60

Since 2007, Kaitlyn Yang has pushed the limits of visual effects creativity combined with technology to support film and TV storytelling. Kaitlyn worked her way up from an intern and then digital artist, to now serving as a Visual Effects Supervisor and CEO of the post-production company Alpha Studios. In 2023, Kaitlyn was recognized as one of Variety’s prestigious 10 Artisans to Watch. With esteemed clients including Amazon, Coca-Cola, YouTube, and Disney - Kaitlyn empowers her team, while earning trust from her clients every step of the way.

Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has supervised the visual effects department on numerous TV shows on major streaming platforms, including Grey’s Anatomy; the Apple TV series The Shrink Next Door, starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd: and the HBO Max series Raised By Wolves, directed and executive produced by Ridley Scott; as well as Best Foot Forward for Apple TV+, Absentia for Amazon, The Innocent Man for Netflix, and The Good Doctor for Sony.

Most recently, Kaitlyn worked as the Visual Effects Supervisor on Disney+'s American Born Chinese, which stars recent Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan as well as the Oscar-nominated Stephanie Hsu.

On the film side, Kaitlyn has supervised visual effects on several culturally empowering independent features. Most notable among these credits is her work on Emily Ting’s Go Back to China, which premiered at the 2019 SXSW film festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Award; as well as the documentary Hailing Cesar made by Cesar Chavez’s grandson Eduardo Chavez on immigrant workers.

Alongside her work in visual effects, Kaitlyn is a fierce advocate for the representation of disabled persons in the industry. She is the co-founder of 1IN4, an intersectional coalition of disabled creatives focused on long-term institutional shifts to increase the employment and authentic representation of disabled people in media. As a Chinese American immigrant woman and wheelchair user, Kaitlyn believes that overlooked talents can always be found at the intersection of disability and all other diverse populations.

In 2018, Kaitlyn’s remarkable career earned her a place on the Forbes 30 under 30 list under the Hollywood Entertainment category. Kaitlyn was also the recipient of the Young Alumni Merit Award from her undergraduate alma mater, the University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts. Her impressive education further includes securing her MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology, and earning certificates from the USC Business School and Harvard Business School for Leadership Training and Organizational Psychology.

Highlights of the Episode:

0:00 Introduction

0:08 Introduction of guest

2:25 Kaitlin Yang's Journey to Becoming a Visual Effects Supervisor

4:38 Exploring Art Forms to Create Visual Interest

9:52 Crafting art with attention to detail

14:41 Inspiration from cooking shows and film sets

19:58 The importance of shared experiences and fantastical storytelling

24:54 Visual Effects Supervisor Journey

29:32 The Visual Effects Industry: Diversity and Offshoring

34:49 The Post-COVID Remote Workforce

39:44 The Evolving Use of Technology in the Entertainment Industry