Jean-Paul Ouellette


...	production notes by J.P. Ouellette ...
In Search of Wellness is a 30 minute video about depression in the Asian American community. It was conceived by Arnold Fang and Frances Chin of the South Cove Community Health Center in Boston. Kim Jackson of Boston Film & Video Foundation brought Yankee Classic Pictures in to produce the project. A key part of the project, which is aimed at Asian and Asian-American youth, was bringing local students into the filmmaking process - students who had not studied or worked with film before but knew the subject of the film well. .Arnold Fang ran the UP to YOUth program at the Center which consisted of a dozen students studying to become peer leader activists.
In order to keep the project from being too dry or "preachy" for the intended youth audience, we decided that the narrative and interview questions for the video should be written by the UP to YOUth peer leaders. The informational portions were written by Melody Tsang, a youth counselor. Overseeing the verity of the project were Arnold Fang, Frances Chin, Dr. Albert Yeung, all of the South Cove Community Health Center. Most unusual for me was that this project was shot Cantonese. As luck would have it, I had recently produced a commercial for General Electric with an Arubian-Asian-American editor Peter Bing Cheung. Despite his upbringing in Aruba, he understood enough Cantonese to edit the work.	The crew shooting a scene in Kim Jackson's Brighton house. L-R: soundman Andy Liang, cameraman Ed Slattery, director JP Ouellette, producer Arnold Fang, assistant director Laura Meister. (photo: Kim Jackson)
Some of the Asian-American writer/actor/filmmakers: l-r: Andy Liang, Hoi Ching To, Sam Tsoi, Jimmy Liang (photo: Kim Jackson)	Besides writing the story which holds the film together, the students (along with counselor/producer Anrold Fang) played the many roles needed to flesh out the project. I was quickly and pleasantly impressed by their enthusiasm, determination, and natural acting talent. Luckily for me, who doesn't speak Cantonese, the students were a great sounding board for performance. During each take I had the group behind me and could almost always tell if the Cantonese was correct from their sighs, clapping, or laughter.
The technical elements of the project went smoothly thanks to the help of cameraman Ed Slattery, assistant director Laura Meister, and our volunteer soundman, Andy Liang. Arnold Fang, our co-producer, had one hidden talent which proved invaluable. He was a musician and composer with deep ties into the Hong Kong music scene. The production was rounded out by music supplied over the internet by a half dozen Hong Kong musicians and bands who offered their songs for the film. The hardest part was translatingand titling the film. I had no idea how hard it is to produce accurate and attractive subtitles. But we managed the 285 title cards. The film was presented to an opening night audience of high school students, local medical personnel, and Boston Chinatown guests. Currently, we are awaiting the "go-ahead" for a Vietnamese revoicing of the film. P.S. Best wishes to Arnold (who has returned to Hong Kong) and Kim Jackson (who is working for the Writer's Boot Camp in New York).	Tammy Rong in the role of Tami: friend of depressed Helen (Candy Wong). Here she has received a suicidal email from Helen and is about to ask her brother (Sam Tsoi) for advice. (photo: Kim Jackson)
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a presentation of South Cove Community Health Center in association with Up to YOUth Project Unblue Boston Film Video Foundation Yankee Classic Pictures In Search Of Wellness Directed by Jean-Paul Ouellette Produced by Arnold Fang Jean-Paul Ouellette Cinematography by Ed Slattery Editing by Peter Bing Cheung Production Assistance by Laura Meister	Written by Melody Tsang Scenes written and Interviews by UP to YOUth Peer Leaders Jimmy Chow Lillian Lai Andy Liang Tammy Rong Hoi Ching To Samuel Tsoi Candy Wong Sara Wu Technical Assistance by: Frances Chin Simon Lo Dr. Albert Yeung Translations by Arnold Fang

Cast Helen............................ Candy Wong Tami.............................. Tammy Rong Sam..............................….. Sam Tsoi Kenny.......................... Hoi Ching To Instructor……………… Arnold Fang Social Worker.............. Melody Tsang Sam’s Friend.................... Andy Liang Sara…………………....…. Sara Wu Drug Dealer..................... Jimmy Liang Dog Owner..................... Jimmy Chow Dog Owner’s Friend........ Edward Lau Video Equipment Boston Film Video Foundation Erik Verbeek, manager Editing Studio cheungVISION Boston, Massachusetts Graphics by Title logo by Wing Ngan for iNK Design Graphics and titling by yankeeclassic.com Special thanks to: Kim Jackson Paul Wagner Dr Daniel Lam Mr Simon Lo Dr Albert Yeung CCMA Pilvester Pee Site Access Robin Cheung Bob Glover	Music “Interlude” Performed by aXcess Written by Alan Leung © 2000 CCMA used by permission “A Dark Stoner” / “Killing Dance Floor” Performed and Written by Site Access © 2000 Siteaccess Production used by permission “Wah Wah City” Performed by aXcess Written by Schulhoff Tam and John Tse © 2000 CCMA used by permission “Open Your Mind” Performed and Written by Pilvester Pee © 2000 DND Production used by permission “Close to You” Performed by aXcess Written by Alice Chiu and Schulhoff Tam © 2000 CCMA used by permission “Strangers” Performed and Written by Arnold Fang © 2000 Warner/Chappell HK used by permission... copyright © 2002 South Cove Community Health Center all rights reserved