Welcome to Find Enjoyment, a CSUN Thesis Short Film written and directed by Raymond Lee

Help CSUN film students fund Find Enjoyment, a heartfelt senior thesis short film celebrating cooking, creation, and the joy of sharing!

The Story

Find Enjoyment is a heartfelt, high-energy short film that follows a young busboy in a sushi restaurant who finally gets his chance to move up in the kitchen. It’s a story about reigniting passion and self-worth in the fast-paced, pressure-packed world of professional cooking. As our protagonist climbs the ranks in a high-stakes kitchen environment, we witness his struggle to grow, prove himself, and rediscover what truly motivates him. Will he rise to the challenge and seize this opportunity, or remain stuck doing a job he doesn’t love?

This film immerses viewers in the sizzling sights and sounds of a working sushi kitchen, capturing the intensity of the food service industry and the artistry behind each dish. Expect visually engaging cooking moments alongside deeply human moments of growth and realization. At its heart, Find Enjoyment is about discovering what drives us and finding purpose even when the odds (and the orders) are stacked against us. It’s Ratatouille meets Whiplash – an inspiring underdog tale set amid chopping boards and flaming stoves, where the love of creation triumphs over adversity.

Director’s Vision

Raymond Lee, the writer-director of Find Enjoyment, is a Korean-American filmmaker born and raised in Los Angeles. Before pursuing film, Raymond spent years working in restaurant kitchens, including sushi bars, where he experienced firsthand the challenges, camaraderie, and creativity of the food world. Though he grew to love cooking, he eventually discovered filmmaking and noticed “many similarities between the kitchen and the set” – both are fast-paced team environments that require discipline, creativity, and passion.

This film is a very personal project for Raymond. In his own words, Find Enjoyment is his love letter to the culinary world and to anyone who pours their heart into creating something meaningful. Raymond realized that what he loved most about cooking wasn’t just the food itself, but the act of creation – “the process of gathering whatever ingredients I could... and seeing what I can create from them”. That same creative spark fuels his filmmaking. By blending his two passions (food and film), Raymond is giving a proper sendoff to his cooking journey in the best way he knows how – through storytelling. His vision is to celebrate the hard-working chefs and dreamers behind the kitchen doors, and to inspire viewers to find enjoyment in their own pursuits, no matter the field.

Meet the Team

As a CSUN senior thesis project, Find Enjoyment is powered by a team of more than 25 dedicated film students who are pouring their talent and heart into this production. Raymond has assembled a dedicated and passionate crew of fellow storytellers – from producers and cinematographers to editors and sound designers – all of whom share his enthusiasm for this film’s message. Many on our team have personal connections to the subject matter: for example, one crew member with restaurant experience is excited to help bring “the grunge beauty of a kitchen” to life on screen, while our director of photography can’t wait to capture the intricate art of sushi-making in vivid detail. We are a tight-knit crew who have grown together through CSUN’s film program, and we’re united by a common goal: to tell a compelling, uplifting story that resonates with anyone who’s ever fought for their dream. When you support our project, you’re not only backing one filmmaker, but an entire team of emerging creators working together to make something special.

Director - Raymond Lee; Producers - Isabella "Izzy" Yang, Riley O’Doherty, Marlon Quezada Soto; Post Producer - Feirin Staats; 1st Assistant Director - Fabian Plascencia; 2nd Assistant Director - Jacob Martinez; Script Supervisor - George Reyes; Editor - Frances Chiu; Editor - Lily Le; Sound - Cris Hernandez, Grant Lehmann, Brandon Melara; Production Designer - Anette Rivas; Art Director - Jamila Faizullahboy; Director of Photography - Owen Giesler; Camera Operator - Jacob Motz; 1st Assistant Camera - Alan Arellano; 2nd Assistant Camera - Tiffany Sabbagh; Promotion Management - Nubia Blanco

Why We Need Your Help

Even with all our passion and resourcefulness, making a quality short film is an expensive endeavor. We’re aiming to raise $25,000 to cover the essential costs of bringing Find Enjoyment to life at the highest possible standard. Here’s where your contributions will go:

Authentic Locations & Production Design: We need to secure a real sushi restaurant location to lend authenticity to our scenes. Transforming it into a film set comes with costs – from rental fees to dressing the space with kitchen props, ingredients, and decor that make the environment believable. We’ll also be hiring a professional food stylist to ensure every sushi roll and dish looks mouth-wateringly perfect on camera (imagine the meticulous care that goes into each close-up of knife work and plating!). Additionally, we’ll have to source plenty of fresh ingredients for multiple takes, meaning our food budget is significant.

Equipment, Crew & Logistics: Lighting, cameras, sound gear, and other equipment rentals are crucial to achieving a cinematic look. We’re also committed to feeding our hardworking cast and crew throughout the shoot – long days on set mean lots of meals. Fortunately, Raymond’s chef friends have stepped up to help cater for us at a specially discounted cost, but we still must budget for feeding 15+ people over several days. Other expenses include permits, insurance, transportation, and post-production (editing, sound mixing, color grading) to polish the final film.

Our team is contributing out-of-pocket and leveraging support from our personal networks – family, friends, and even local food businesses are eager to help. In fact, Raymond’s connections in the food industry (chefs and small businesses he’s known for years) are rallying behind the project. But even with these community contributions, we cannot reach our full budget without broader help. “Setting up a CSUN Funder for direct donations will be one of the most successful ways for us to raise funds,” Raymond notes. This campaign is our chance to open the project to supporters like you. Every dollar raised through CSUN Funder will directly fuel our production – whether it pays for an extra hour on location, a platter of sushi for a scene, or gas for the truck hauling our gear. Your donation, no matter the amount, brings us one step closer to making Find Enjoyment a reality.

By supporting this film, you’re not only helping a student project; you’re championing the arts and investing in the next generation of filmmakers. Your generosity will help us showcase a story that honors hard work, creativity, and the pursuit of one’s passion. We truly cannot do this without you!

Contributions to Find Enjoyment are 100% Tax Deductible. The California State University, Northridge Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public benefit California corporation.


Please visit our Instagram page: @findenjoymentfilm