Sunday, July 14, 2019

Jared King's Jade Leung/Michael Tong Interview on Podcast on Fire

Jade Leung and Michael Tong and their careers in posters
I have a story to tell…

Somewhere on July 3rd word went out that Jade Leung and Michael Tong were going to be appearing at the new York Asian Film Festival on July 5. It was a last minute addition. I was informed by Jared King when I got an email asking if I knew anything, specifically if they would be doing anything for the press. Emails were exchanged and we were informed that they would be  willing to sit for an interview before the screening of Fatal Raid on July 5th, so off Jared went.

After the interview Jared sent me audio and I was delighted.I loved that the interview was more a conversation between a bunch of people having a fun. You could hear everyone was having a good time laughing and talking. I sent it off for transcription figuring it was gold.

The problems started when I got the transcription back and realized it didn’t read as well as it played. Neither Jared nor I liked it. I sent it off to Mr C who didn’t like it either. I figured it could be saved if I mercilessly pared it back… and the result was even worse. Shorn of all of the vocal inflections, crosstalk, laughter and commentary in Chinese the conversation died on the page.

I’m mentioning this because the conversation Jared had with the two stars was something special. It was two stars and their handlers being confronted with a fan who loves them and falling into a conversation even before the recording started. When Jared jokes at the start “I know who you are” it gets a laugh because they know from the material he brought with him he really does. It’s echoed later when Jared says something that causes to Jade to sigh that he know her better than she knows herself.  All the friendliness and delight in everyone’s voices missing from the transcript.

In contemplating how to present the conversation Jared asked me if I had a problem if he gave the audio to Podcast on Fire to run. I did not. Indeed having fought with the transcript I knew it was the only way to go.

To that end here is the talk, I dare not really say interview that Jared did with Jared Leung and Michael Tong on Podcast on Fire J.uly th 2019 at the New York Asian Film Festival
Michael Tong Jared King and Jade Leung

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