WE ARE DANCERS - CTVA DOCUMENTARY THESIS

WE ARE DANCERS

In a world that constantly searches for fast money and longing for self-pleasure, subjects once considered “taboo,” “sensitive,” and “inappropriate” are now regarded as mainstream and normal. More and more people decide to take advantage of these more socially acceptable topics and utilize them to indulge in self-personal gain.  While some people use these gains to feed their hunger for self-pleasure in a variety of ways, whether it be lustfully, financially, vanity, self-acceptance, confidence, attention, etc., others use this advantage to help blossom their lives into something more meaningful and helpful towards themselves and the people they care about. In this short documentary, we will explore how people have used things like Stripping and sex work to complement their lives for the better, and we will begin to understand why these subjects are now acceptable in today’s society. This short documentary will also take the audience on a small adventure to discover hardships and struggles that these people face, to shy away from the perspective of viewing these people as self-degraded, and shifting to help the audience gain empathy and understanding as to why more people are coming into these industries through a more humane, compassionate eye.

DONATION AND SUPPORT

STAY UP-TO-DATE ON OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE: @wearedancersdoc

We appreciate your donation and your support! Without you, we wouldn't be able to make this documentary. If you're unable to donate, sharing this link means a lot to us!

This is what your donation will contribute to:

Lunch and crafty: eating is important for us to maintain our stamina!

Dana Dolly: We wanted to create a beautiful shot with our Dana Dolly (stay tuned!)

Permits: Permits are essential for filming!

Hard drives: For our editors, we always need backups of footage, no matter what!

**ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE. THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE FOUNDATION IS A CHARITABLE, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION 501(C)(3) PUBLIC BENEFIT CALIFORNIA CORPORATION.**

MEET THE CREW

Aung Kyaw - Director

Aung Htet Kyaw is the director of the "We Are Dancers." "Aung Htet Kyaw" means "Above and Beyond Success" in Burmese. He immigrated from Myanmar at 12 years old, leaving everything behind, including his dream. Growing up in an Asian family, his parents weren't too keen on supporting a future in filmmaking. From countless short films he worked on as a DP with friends to attending CSUN, meeting new creative minds has been an incredible journey. For him, cinematography has a purpose; a pretty frame alone doesn't make good cinematography—each frame must tell a story. From being a cinematographer for other people’s projects to directing his own, Aung is very excited to work with his team to tell a beautiful story that the world hasn't seen. The synergy of working with different teams has been the most significant experience he has gathered in this field, recognizing that a film is nothing without everyone working together.

Emma Li Honig - Producer

Emma Li Honig, producer of We Are Dancers, is excited about the opportunity to lead this production and embrace the challenges that come with it. She is incredibly proud of the hardworking crew. We kindly ask for your support as we approach the final semester. We are eager to share the results of our collective efforts!

Crystal Juarez - Casting Director

Crystal Ruby Juarez is the producer of “We Are Dancers.” Crystal is a musician, director, and actress born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, with a love and passion for the arts. Although Crystal indulges in many forms of art, she has found that her true calling lies in screenwriting, directing, and editing for film production. Through the various kinds of films she creates, she wants to spread awareness of real-life issues today and hopes to inspire others to make the most of their life through their passions. She had this idea of a documentary for Erotic Dancers. She believed that erotic dancers shouldn’t be viewed as people who “gave up” and lowered their self-respect but instead deserve to be viewed as empowered individuals who are simply trying to get by in life like everyone else. As she had this idea, she pitched it to her friend Aung, who gladly decided to take the project head-on with his CSUN team.

Director of Photography - Loren Blazek

Loren Blazek is a young cinematographer hailing from the redwood forests of Santa Cruz but is now based in Los Angeles, CA. He specializes in creating unique and bold lighting setups that highlight the internal state of the characters on screen. His motto is always “shoot with purpose and authenticity.” Over the past four years, Loren has worked tirelessly inside and outside of school as a cinematographer on scripted and documentary short films, commercials, music videos, and more. He fell in love with bringing stories to life through the power of lighting and lens.

Ryan Lenihan - Assistant Camera 

Ryan Lenihan is a Camera Assistant and Camera Operator for We Are Dancers and has long been a Southern California resident. He began his career five years ago as a Freelance Camera Operator, working with diverse clients. His early projects included filming a celebrity alumni interview with Morgan Freeman for Los Angeles City College, working on the multicamera live-to-tape music competition show LSNNR Live, and covering sporting events like men's college baseball and horse racing, as well as the Irvine Summer Nights Music Concert. More recently, he has gained experience as a camera assistant for low-budget films, music videos, and documentaries. He has collaborated with several credited Directors of Photography and a producer/writer who has won multiple awards at prestigious film festivals, including Cannes.

Bruno Jara - Sound

Bruno Jara is in charge of sound for We Are Dancers. He was born and raised in Northridge, California. He chose to study film and documentary at CSUN. His main goal is always to continue and learn behind the scenes in filmmaking to contribute to what makes a movie worth remembering. He's committed to working with these experienced filmmakers to make this documentary special.

Justin Cheung - Editor

Justin Cheung is the editor for We Are Dancers. He began his career as a stage actor and director. He has since directed, filmed, and edited numerous short films, commercials, music videos, reality shows, and documentaries in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, CA. Through his work, he seeks to remind people that "the world has much more to offer beyond doom and gloom."

Mackenzie Ferguson - Editor

Mackenzie Ferguson was born in the Bay Area and is an editor for We Are Dancers. She likes to say she was born in Northern California but raised in Austin, Texas, living there for seven years. Moving back to California, she decided to pursue a career in documentary filmmaking. Mackenzie prides herself in telling untold stories about the lives of everyday people. She directed her short documentary film, Invisible Disability, in 2024. We Are Dancers is her first experience editing a short film.