Meet a VC Intern: Zen Tran

Learn more about one of our 2021 VC Summer Interns Zen Tran, our LACAC Marketing & Social Media Associate!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Zen Tran (she/her) and I am a 2021 graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies with concentrations in Computer Science and Film. I have always been a film enthusiast. I love all things related to the film process whether it be writing, directing, filming, acting, editing, and of course watching films. During my free time, I like spending time with my family and friends. You can usually find me having a picnic, having tea time, drinking boba, or obsessing over BTS.

How did you hear about VC and what drew you to apply?

I learned about Visual Communications through my good friend Tommy Tang, who was the previous LACAC Marketing & Social Media Associate. Upon learning about the organization, I did further research and found that VC’s values greatly aligned with my personal values. As a creative woman of color, I was especially drawn to the fact that VC is an organization that supports and empowers Asian & Pacific Islander voices in the film industry. I had just graduated from school and was planning on taking a gap year, but the opportunity was too good to pass up, so I applied, and the rest is history.

What are your intern duties at VC? Which part do you find interesting?

My internship duties consist of maintaining our social media presence, creating graphics, and pushing out content related to Visual Communications, the 37th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and our community partners. The most interesting part of my duties is the research that goes behind our content. Recently, we have been trying to increase our accessibility across our social media platforms, so we have been implementing Alt text for graphics. Things like that have made me realize that there is a lot of thought and effort that goes into the work I am doing. I also just really appreciate the creative liberty I have in regards to creating content. I work closely with Dorothy, the Branding and Communications Manager, and she gives me a lot of creative freedom.

What is your favorite thing about working here? Any memorable moments?

My favorite thing about working at VC is the work culture. I remember during my first meeting with the entire team, the interns were included in a serious discussion about a decision that would potentially jeopardize our values. Although it was my first day, I thought it was really cool that the team really valued our presence as interns. I always feel seen and heard at VC. Even our daily check-ins or our short virtual “boba runs” where we connect with one another show how much we care for one another.

Tell us something that most people would be surprised to learn about you.

I am a big foodie and I especially love when there’s a beautiful view and a good conversation to accompany delicious food. This is why I love picnics. You can pick a scenic location, bring your favorite food and drinks, play some music, and just relax and chat with your family or friends. At Cal Poly, I used to have this secret spot that I would take my family and friends to. It was a grassy area in front of the ocean, so you wouldn’t have to eat on a sandy beach, and the views were so gorgeous. I also love tea parties. I like going to tea rooms that serve tea, pastries, and tea sandwiches. They play French music in the background, and you can drink tea and have deep conversations with your friends. The vibes are immaculate. It’s a great way to just pause and take some time for yourself, reflect on things, and eat good food.

Who is Zen?

My favorite picnic spot 

Growing up, I loved storytelling. When I was little, I used to write my own short video skits and have my family members act in them. I would edit the footage and present the film to the whole family, and everyone would laugh and smile. It brought me a lot of joy.

In high school, my love for acting grew as I participated in various theatre productions. Sometimes audience members would come to me after a show and tell me how much they loved my performance, but my favorite memory happened during a production where I played a sad clown. It was my first time playing a comedic character and my character’s whole bit was that she constantly experienced bad luck. There’s a particular scene where my character is given a box of candies, but when I open the box to eat it, there’s nothing inside. During one of my last shows, a little boy raised his hand during the Q&A and asked me if he could give me a box of candy since I never got to eat candy in the actual show. Till this day, I still have that box of candy. It reminds me of the power of storytelling, and that my performance was able to have an impact on another human being. Most of the time, people watch movies or TV shows to escape from their reality, and it brings me a lot of joy when I’m the person that makes someone laugh, even if it’s just for a couple of hours. 

When I was in college, I wanted to continue acting and exploring my creative side. My roommate recruited me to join my school’s Filipino cultural club (Pilipino Cultural Exchange), and it was a great opportunity to surround myself with other people of color and perform. The club had an annual cultural theatre production called Pilipino Cultural Night, which included acting, singing, and dancing. During my junior year, I even got to co-write and co-direct one of the productions called SARILING ATIN. Being part of a group where people were so passionate about their culture taught me the importance of learning, remembering, and sharing my own culture.

In 2019, I participated in a production called Original Womxn’s Narratives, highlighting stories written by Cal Poly identified womxn about gender, race, sexuality, culture, and more. Being in that production taught me that storytelling can also be used to highlight important social and political issues.

After these experiences, I started taking my acting career more seriously. I began taking acting classes, invested in headshots, and was cast in a few short films. I also changed my major so that I could study film in addition to computer science, to integrate my creative skills with my technical skills. 

Now, more than ever, I want to sustain my love for storytelling, whether it be through acting or film. I especially want to be part of stories that highlight things that are important to me such as culture, gender, and social issues. Although I do not know what my future holds, I am very grateful to be a part of Visual Communications, an organization that supports people like me: API storytellers who want to make an impact in the world.

Cal Poly’s Original Womxn’s Narratives 2019

Me with the cast of SARILING ATIN, the PCN production i co-wrote and co-directed

TOKEN, a short film that i was in