Ping Pong Playa (2007)

Director:

Jessica Yu

Writers:

Jessica Yu
Jimmy Tsai

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

Don't just win. Destroy.

Plot:

A kid dreams of playing professional basketball in order to escape his dead-end job, living in the suburbs, his bossy older brother and running his Mom's ping pong classes. |

Plot Keywords:

Ping Pong | Asian American

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jimmy Tsai	...	Christopher 'C-Dub' Wang
Andrew Vo	...	Felix
Khary Payton	...	JP Money
Jim Lau	...	Mr. Wang
Roger Fan	...	Michael Wang
Elizabeth Sung	...	Mrs. Wang
Javin Reid	...	Prabakar
Kevin Chung	...	William Lin
Peter Paige	...	Gerald Harcourt
Smith Cho	...	Jennifer
Scott Lowell	...	Tom
Stephnie Weir	...	Cheryl Davis
Sir Jonathan Oliver	...	Jon Howard
Shelley Malil	...	DB Reddy
Martin Chow	...	Jerry Lin
Cici Lau	...	Mrs. Chen
Lang Yun	...	Mrs. Lu
Catherine Dao	...	Mrs. Sun
Alejandro Patino	...	Boss - Steve
Jason Stuart	...	Doctor
Chris Solis	...	Henry
Alexander Agate	...	Loser Kid 1 (as Alexander Lee Agate)
Jordan Green	...	Loser Kid 2
William Behlendorf	...	Another Kid
Shalin Patel	...	Bowling Kid
Romeo Brown	...	Kevin
Adam Bobrow	...	Dan Furlie
Shu Lan Tuan	...	Chinese Woman
Ben Lin	...	Chinese Man
Christine Chiang	...	TV Reporter
Garren Bui	...	Little Kid
Biba	...	Killerspin Player
Barney Reed	...	Killerspin Player
Elan Tom	...	Wilson
Esther Song	...	Miss East Hills Chinatown
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Percival Arcibal	...	Teenage Ping Pong Player (uncredited)
Tim Bearden	...	Merch Booth Vender (uncredited)
Joey Brander	...	Kid-Basketball Player (uncredited)
Jordan Walker Ross	...	Basketball Kid (uncredited)
Joseph Stephens Jr.	...	Referee (uncredited)

Directed by
Jessica Yu

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jimmy Tsai
Jessica Yu

Produced by
Anne Clements	....	producer
Michael Gallant	....	line producer
Jeffrey Gou	....	executive producer
Joan Huang	....	producer
Jimmy Tsai	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Jeff Beal

Cinematography by
Frank G. DeMarco

Film Editing by
Zene Baker

Casting by
Jason L. Wood

Production Design by
Denise Hudson

Art Direction by
Gabor Norman

Set Decoration by
Michael Fitzgerald

Costume Design by
Jessica Flaherty

Makeup Department
Fiona Distefano	....	assistant makeup artist
Tina Fabulic	....	assistant hair stylist
Maya Murakami	....	key makeup artist/hair
Keiko Wedding	....	key hair stylist
Keiko Wedding	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Steve Bartlett	....	post-production supervisor
Michael O. Gallant	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Johnny Haddad	....	second assistant director
Heather Kritzer	....	second assistant director
Lynnette M. Myers	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Christian Ackerman	....	swing dresser
Rodney Ascher	....	storyboard artist
Mia Cho	....	assistant art director
Naoko Inada	....	assistant property master
Naoko Inada	....	set dresser
Alexander G. Lyle IV	....	set dresser
Peter Tahoe	....	lead man

Sound Department
David Barber	....	dialogue editor
David Barber	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brandon Barnts	....	sound mixer
Melissa Bylsma	....	post sound coordinator
Trevor Dowswell	....	post sound coordinator
Trevor Dowswell	....	sound effects editor
Samuel Ebnet Jr.	....	boom operator
Sean Gray	....	sound designer
Sean Gray	....	sound effects editor
David Kitchens	....	sound supervisor
Jeff Merritt	....	sound effects editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Ardine	....	best boy electric
Matt Calonica	....	grip
Shaun Dallas	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Anna Ferrarie	....	additional second assistant camera
Nathan Dean Fetzer	....	electrician
Cameron Gordon	....	electrician
Peter Hawkins	....	camera operator
David Kane	....	electrician
Kristina Lechuga	....	second assistant camera
Nicolas Martin	....	Steadicam operator
Sergio Mendez	....	grip
Darryl Murchison	....	gaffer
Ryan Norris	....	electrician
Pat O'Mara	....	key grip
David Parker	....	best boy grip
Jaime Rauch	....	loader
Nicholas Rini	....	dolly grip
Michael Silva	....	best boy electric
Mike Silvo	....	best boy electric
Anthony Widmer	....	additional dolly grip
Alexander Yellen	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera

Casting Department
Tina Kerr	....	extras casting director
Jacque Lawson	....	extras coordinator: on set (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christina Hernandez	....	wardrobe assistant
Jo Rosen	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Emily Koonse	....	assistant editor
Richard Nastasi	....	on-line editor
Joe Parisella	....	digital color timer

Music Department
Shaun Young	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Hector M. Gonzalez	....	transportation coordinator (as Hector Gonzalez)
Rick Lovoy	....	transportation captain
Stevelovoy	....	driver

Other crew
Charlsey Adkins	....	assistant: Jessica Yu
Renetta G. Amador	....	script supervisor
Mary Berry	....	assistant production coordinator
Sandra Daugherty	....	production assistant
Eric R. Evans	....	additional production assistant
Jamie Feldman	....	production coordinator
Natasha Giraldo	....	location manager
LeJon	....	stand-in
David Magdael	....	publicist
Gerardo Monzon	....	chef
Chris Nguyen	....	assistant: Joan Huang
Ashleigh Nichols	....	production secretary
Diego Schaaf	....	consultant: ping pong
Brian Schulze	....	assistant to the producers
Chris Solis	....	production assistant
Tara Stillions	....	production assistant
Wei Wang	....	consultant: ping pong

Thanks
Eric Olander	....	thanks
Cheri Oteri	....	the producers wish to thank
Dara Tallon	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Cherry Sky Films

Distributors

• IFC Films

Special Effects

• Bulky Animation Studio (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Juniper Post  sound post-production

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, including some sexual remarks and drug references

Runtime:

Canada:96 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG | USA:PG-13

Company:

Cherry Sky Films

Movie Connections:

References Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Soundtrack:

Chinese School

Real Chicken Soup for the Asian American Soul

As a Chinese male growing up North America, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. There are very few mainstream Asian American movies produced in the US, despite the large Asian community. Often, those that are made have a great deal of stereotypes and are made by non asians. The movie validated a lot of my feelings growing up in a traditional Chinese household, yet within an American cultural environment.

I liked this movie because it played against stereotype and made fun of the stereotypes. Real life can be really cheesy sometimes, and this movie had a lot of cheese.

From the beginning, I was startled to see a Chinese face on TV actually talking like a real person in real life, and not like a trained TV personality as a news anchor. And C-dub's character just grew on me. It was real and funny. The kids are cute. His parents were like real Chinese parents. The older smart medical brother is a stereotype but played for laughs. Even Ms Chinatown didn't look like she spoke Chinese. The Chinese would slip into the English/Chinese words in the same sentence. And thats how it really is in real life. It doesn't make sense, it lacks continuity, but its real.