Blessing Yen

About

ABOUT 

Blessing Yen is a filmmaker, photographer, and designer based in Los Angeles. She has a background in finance and economics for some reason, if that ever becomes necessary.

FILM

After leaving advertising, Blessing embarked on new a career in film. She comprises one half of the filmmaking duo Monster Meanman Films with her partner James Kaelan. 

Blessing co-produced, co-directed, and co-edited her first feature, EEL, with James in 2012. A modern allegory about suffering for art, the fragility of identity, and the struggle to define one's legacy, EEL imposes a revitalized formalism on microbudget cinema while simultaneously undermining its aesthetic rigidity with stunningly wild, raw acting. EEL had its world premiere at the American Film Festival in Wrocław, Poland, and its US premiere in the Independent Visions competition at the Sarasota Film Festival. It is currently making its way through the 2015 festival circuit.

Blessing has worked in production, styling, and the art department on a number of other shorts, features, and series, and is currently working on her second feature together with James as Monster Meanman Films.

 

DESIGN

Blessing is the creative director behind BRIGHT IDEAS Magazine, the official magazine of the Sundance institute. BRIGHT IDEAS is a print semiannual dedicated to the young geniuses and old troublemakers of cinema. Driven by bold design, narrative photography, incisive journalism, and experimental essays, BRIGHT IDEAS reports on the most forward-thinking contemporary moving pictures, and strives to shape the cultural conversation about truly independent film. The magazine is distributed at every major North American film festival, the Ace, MOMA, and other choice retailers and newsstands around the US.

Blessing was the Head of Product & Design of the groundbreaking independent film distribution platform Yekra for three years (2012-2015), from its operation out of a condo in the Valley to a $10 million start-up in LA's Arts District.  As the lead for design and development of all products and platform, she worked on all major strategic initiatives for branding, business development, and product strategy, as well as the hands-on production of UX/UI designs, prototypes, and wireframes. 

Blessing is now the Chief Creative Officer of Seed&Spark, an end-to-end film ecosystem dedicated to building a sustainable creative class and empowering diverse voices.

Summer wardrobe: linen and vintage washed jeans
HEAT
Ready for those warm nights
For Chip, who loved us for 17 years. Who shared more than half my life – coming home for Christmas, family road trips, high school pool parties, college frat parties, our first early-20s dinner parties, and half a dozen apartments in between. Who shared sweetness and laughter, taught me joy and exuberance. Who tried to be steady and strong, even when he was too tired to go on. Who walked with me from adolescence into adulthood. We were together. I forget the rest. __________ ... “Barking” by Jim Harrison The moon comes up. The moon goes down. This is to inform you that I didn’t die young. Age swept past me but I caught up. Spring has begun here and each day brings new birds up from Mexico. Yesterday I got a call from the outside world but I said no in thunder. I was a dog on a short chain and now there’s no chain.
Travel tip: the official Waimea Canyon Lookout is pretty much the only place in Kauai we saw a crowd, so instead, you can hop the railing pretty much anywhere on the drive and have a private picnic of tropical guava beers, poke, and ocean salad on top of the world with the craziest waterfall views. And you might find some 🐐!
Dreams coming true. Always wanted a wrangler (and a rainbow license plate).
Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. You can’t imagine the scale of it.
Happy one year anniversary (almost!) to my one and only, whose high-minded tech asceticism means that he is both the perfect adventure companion, and also that he will never see any of the photos in this digital scrapbook. So much shave ice and poke.
Can you believe this place?
Phone off, navigation skills on. I love a map.
Nothing like an endless sea and the Milky Way to remind you that humans are just a speck in time and space.
Selling these for $1000 a piece. Each planter is unique. Lovingly handmade and one-of-a-kind. Your custom piece won’t look anything like this (lol consistency) but money back guarantee promise that it will be VERY small, and definitely round-ish. DM for details! ✨