Chris Dinh – Comfort

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A few things if you’re in the lovey dovey mood, you can check out Single By 30 on YouTube Red and Everything Before Us on Netflix. If you’re in the thriller mood, there’s Crush The Skull on Amazon streaming or iTunes. Of course, there’s always Julie’s Youtube channel, shutupanddance.

Q) Please tell us the premise for the film Comfort and about your character.

A) Comfort is about a guy who works as an overnight courier who literally hasn’t seen the sun in years. One night, he volunteers to help a client out by swinging by the airport to pick up the client’s daughter who’s in town for a few days. They click and next thing you know, they’re driving all over LA, exploring little known late-night food spots. Ultimately, the experience shakes things up for both of them and inspires them into the next phase of their lives.

The character, Cameron, is a guy who’s found the path of least resistance in life. And he’s cruising. He has these bigger dreams, but he’s comfortable where he’s at. I think that’s a place we’ve all found ourselves from time to time. The force that finally shakes him out of his comfort zone is Jasmine (Julie Zhan).

Q) What made you want to be a part of the film?

A) Well, Will [Lu] and I have known each other for some time now. He told me the idea behind this script and I instantly connected with it. We got back in touch a few years later and he had finished the script, but had it on the back-burner. I still felt like it would be a great indie film so we brought it back and here we are!

Q) Was there something you added to your character that wasn’t originally provided for you?

A) I don’t know if there was something specific, mostly because as we had many conversations about the character throughout the eight or ten drafts that followed. So, it was very collaborative.

Q) Did you spend much time together to off screen to be able to have chemistry on screen?

A) Julie and I have been friends for a few years as well! Julie has a YouTube Channel called SHUTUPANDDANCE and we’ve worked together on some of her shorts and sketches. We had the luxury of knowing each other pretty well before filming ever started.

Q) What advice did director William Lu give during filming that you took to heart?

A) It’s not one piece of advice. It’s more of his approach. He made sure we felt comfortable to try new things and experiment even if time was running low. No yelling, no drama. It’s an overall philosophy and approach that stood out to me.

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from filming?

A) The whole experience was so memorable. I really love the energy on an indie film set. If I had to choose one, I would say the first all night driving day. I normally wear glasses and we had a full night of driving scenes scheduled. I forgot my contact lenses, but I didn’t want to delay the production so I found an old contact in my bag and did all the driving all night with one contact in my right eye. Of course, the camera was set up on the hood of the car directly in front of the only eye that could see.

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from seeing COMFORT?

A) I think there’s a little bit for everyone. For me, I think that we meet certain people in life who are our muses and nothing more. Sometimes we think we need to grab onto that person and make them stay. And that desire to make it permanent ruins the experience. Some people are meant to inspire us and then move on.

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the fan feedback you will be receiving from viewers of the film?

A) We all enjoy the feedback. It means a lot to us!

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I would say that it’s been an honor and pleasure meeting some of you! And if we haven’t had the chance yet, I hope to meet you either in person or online!