Spotlight: An Interview with Nguyen Dang Vy ("Facade")

For Nguyen Dang Vy, filmmaking began long before his first day on set. It started in a modest French home filled with the glow of old VHS tapes: Jurassic Park, The Matrix, Back to the Future, films that ignited a lifelong fascination with storytelling. After years of crafting visual effects for Hollywood hits, DangVy stepped behind the camera to create Facade, his bold and haunting directorial debut. We caught up with him to discuss how it all began, and where it’s headed next.

DangVy, congratulations on winning Best First-Time Director and the Honorable Mention: Cinematography! Before discussing the project, please tell us a bit about yourself. What inspired you to become a filmmaker? Was there a film or a moment that sparked it?

Thank you! So I’m DangVy. I was born and raised in France, my parents came from Vietnam, and I’m the first-generation immigrant in my family, alongside my 3 sisters. My parents loved movies: I remember that when we were kids, they’d rent a VHS every few days from the French equivalent of Blockbuster. We built up a little tape library of Disney classics alongside Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Home Alone, and more. I watched those films until the tapes started to show artifacts.

In 2000, my dad bought a DVD player bundled with The Matrix. I was so amazed: I watched it over and over, and devoured the behind‑the‑scenes bonus features. A few years later, it was late at night, I couldn't sleep, I snuck out of my room to watch TV, I was zapping on the channel and I fell on the TV Channel Arte. They was broadcasted a moody film. I loved the vibe but I didn’t know the title or who made it. It was around 3 or 4 years later that I finally discovered the title. It was Mulholland Drive, directed by David Lynch.

I dove into anime, watched a bunch of classics like: Akira, Ghost in the Shell, FullMetal Alchemist, Naruto…etc. and became especially fascinated by Satoshi Kon’s films.

During my teenage years, with a group of friends, we shot a few short movies with the parent’s camera from one of them. I was just an “actor”, given some ideas and handled post‑production and simple VFX in After Effects. It was really fun! We even placed second in our high school film competition with one of the shorts.

While studying 3D animation, I had some scriptwriting and semiotics classes. My teacher gave us homework to watch at least one film or TV episode every day. When we didn’t know what to watch, he lent us films from his library. I discovered many great classics, including Citizen Kane, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, Evil Dead, 2001…etc. Those years were a turning point: my teacher’s passion for storytelling, his belief that everything in the frame is like a painting with hidden meaning, opened my eyes. I re-watched all my favorite films and TV shows, noticing how plot twists and major events were foreshadowed through framing and color. It was mind‑blowing.

At the end of my first year, we shot a stop‑motion short film. I think that project was the spark. I realized then that I truly wanted to become a filmmaker.

Can you tell us about your path into the industry? Did you go through school, self-teach, or take another route?

I attended a 3D school in France, where I specialized in animation. However, the last six months didn’t go well: I was looking for a job in France, but I didn't find anything. I mean I found it but it was mostly unpaid internship in Paris. That was tricky, since I don’t live in Paris and the cost of living there is very high.

Luckily, I found a mentor online through a French 3D‑community forum: Ruben Mayor. I was sharing my personal projects on the forum. One of them has a fire effect created with a lighter and he really liked it. He took me under his wing and taught me all the fundamentals for FX.

With his advice and feedback, I rebuilt my showreel, sent it out everywhere, and found my first professional gig in Montreal, Canada.

What was your first professional VFX gig, and what did that experience teach you?

I got my first VFX gig at Technicolor MPC Montreal at the end of June 2015. I joined their program MPC Academy, we got trained on their pipeline and tools for 3 months. After those 3 months I was assigned in my first movie “The Finest Hours” for a month before switching on X-Men Apocalypse. I worked for them for 1 year and 10 months. I did a lot of FX, water simulation, explosion, destruction and particles. I learnt to work quickly and efficiently and mostly how to manage the pressure and the stress.

As an FX Artist, you've worked on major titles such as Solo: A Star Wars Story, Blue Beetle, Ghost in the Shell, and most recently Black Mirror. Were there any particularly complex or unusual sequences you worked on that pushed you creatively or technically?

That’s a great question! Almost every shot comes with its own challenges, but two projects really stand out:

The first was at Hybride Ubisoft, where I was assigned the blaster sequence in Solo: A Star Wars Story. I built a blaster setup for the entire sequence, around 70 shots. Which involved complex mathematics and had to be user‑friendly so several artists could work with it.

The second was on Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where, as a Key Artist, I tackled a sequence in which Sonic escaping from an army of drones at the mountain. I created the FX setup for a rocket explosion and laser impacts across more than a 100 shots under very tight deadlines. I also led a team of 7 to 8 artists, explaining how the setup worked, troubleshooting pipeline issues, and debugging technical problems. While still delivering several one‑off shots myself.

If you don't mind us getting technical, what tools or software are part of your daily workflow at Union VFX?

We are using ShotGrid for the production side, this tool allows us to see our task/feedback and communicate with production people. And for doing my work, I use SideFX Houdini for doing my FX and for comp them to present my work, I'm using The Foundry Nuke. This workflow is the majority use in most VFX Companies.

How has being a VES member influenced your work or opened doors professionally?

I think it's opened doors professionally, you meet a lot of people who are leads/supervisors/producers and there is some advantage like they organize some pre-release screening from the next movie with a Q&A with the VFX Sup who were on the movie. I think it's important to be part of the VES if you want to grow in the VFX industry.

What advice would you give aspiring FX artists wanting to break into the industry today?

My advice is, work hard and stay curious, there is always a new technique/way to do the same FX, so never hesitate to ask questions, even if they seem silly. Try to watch the most movies/TV Shows possible, because supervisors often reference films whose FX they love and ask you to do something similar.

Always base your work on real world reference, a great exercise is to pick an effect you see in reality and try to recreate it.

Be open to all critiques, good or bad. Take every comment as a learning, and focus on the constructive one to improve your FX.

The VFX industry is global, with major studios in North America, Europe, and Australia, so keep your passport ready and try to have your showreel the most updated possible.

And with the current challenging time in the industry, be patient, stay persistent, keep networking and work on some small projects to build experience.

What’s one misconception people have about working in VFX?

One big misconception is that VFX is as simple as snapping your fingers in After Effects, people imagine you just click a button and voilà, it’s done. The other is that we’re the ones deciding the final look, and whenever you see a bad CGI/VFX shot in a Marvel film, it must be our fault. In reality, we do exactly what the client asks for. As the saying goes: “the client never knows what they want until they see it.”

We all want to do great work and be proud of it, but most of the time we’re racing against the clock, and most of the clients often change their minds at the last minute.

Plus, a single shot can take months to complete. The longest sequence I worked on was for HBO’s Watchmen, it spanned 10 months. It was very exhausting and frustrating to refine the same shots over and over again as the creative direction kept changing mid‑process, but it's part of the job.

Facade is your first project as a director. Congratulations on such a fantastic debut! What made you tell this story?

Thanks a lot! The script at first, was a process for myself to move on after a hard break up. With the opening ending made me curious about the others’ interpretation/theory. One day during a brunch, I made it read to my friend Pallah, who works on set. She told me the story had some real potential and that I should direct it myself. I found some excuses. saying I was busy with my work in VFX and I didn’t know anyone on set. but she motivated me to direct the movie and she helped me to build my crew and do the casting.

Are you a fan of thrillers in general? What was the inspiration for the script?

Yeah, I love thriller movies like Se7en, Inception, Prisoners…etc. I like when movies make you question everything and reward repeat viewings by hiding little clues in plain sight.

I’m especially fascinated by psychological depth and moments of dreamlike/surrealism. I actually discovered it from the Art Director, I’m working with on my next film. After she watched Facade, she told me the vibes was really David Lynch style ish and a friend said the same thing. I always thought Satoshi Kon was my main influence, but they are right, both directors share that uncanny blur between reality and dream and I love how it keeps the audience off-balance.

Humm…That's a good question. For inspiration, it’s really a collage of tiny elements I’ve picked up from different favorite films, anime, video games and with some fragments of my own life, like a recent emotional breakup. By combining those disparate elements, I tried to create something both familiar and distinctly mine.

What was the writing process like, and while writing the characters, did you already have any of the cast in mind (Steve Adamopoulos, Madeleine Dwan, Nathan Fosse, Dominic Hardy, and of course Myriam Lopez as Laura)?

Before writing the full script, I sketched out the film’s opening and ending, then listed the key moments of the story and essential elements. With that base in place, I wrote the first draft. Anytime I wanted to add a new element or detail, I’d start at the top and read through the entire script to make sure it fit smoothly without breaking anything.

When I first developed the characters, I hadn’t attached real actors to the roles. Instead, I was more inspired by friends and people I’d met in Montreal and beyond. Early on, I knew that Laura would be Latina, Marco Latino, Hope Caucasian, and so on. During casting, I was very intentional about hiring Latins performers for the Latins roles to maintain authenticity.

How did you prepare for the shoot? It must have been tricky to wear both the director's and producer's hats!

Indeed, wearing both the director’s and producer’s hats was a real challenge, balancing creative vision with logistics required constant multitasking. To prepare, I asked advice from a producer/director I met at a networking event and watched tutorials on Youtube to learn best practices. On the production side, I scouted locations, organized equipment and craft services, recruited and managed the crew, and scheduled every shooting day and the covid rules to follow on set. It was more work than I’d initially expected. I also learned to delegate key tasks to avoid burnout and keep everything running smoothly.

As director, I needed everyone on the same page before we even stepped on set. I created simple graphics and a clear timeline to illustrate the film’s tone, pacing, and shot flow, so the core team understood exactly where we were headed. I also focused on building a positive synergy and atmosphere on set, supporting morale is just as important as hitting technical marks, like what I have at my work in VFX.

I owe a huge thank you to Justin, the AD, and his wife Sophie, our script supervisor. Their experience and help, both during prep and on set, were invaluable. I’m also grateful to the entire crew for their patience and hard work. I learned so much (and yes, made plenty of mistakes!), but their support and my decision to delegate. made all the difference in bringing the movie to life.

What was the most challenging scene to shoot, and why?

I think the most challenging scene to shoot was the house party. There were a lot of extras to manage, preparing the blocking of the camera movement for the long shot. And we did not have a lot of time to shoot it, because the lights were on battery and we had like around 3h to shoot all the sequence before the batteries were down. I have my little cameo in this sequence haha.

Please tell us about your creative process with cinematographer Ollyndo Dieubon, who won the Honorable Mention: Cinemagraphy. How did you meet, and how did you work together to achieve your vision? Did you use any visual references?

I think our collaboration actually began in an unusual way: our original cinematographer quit about three weeks before we were due to shoot the main sequence. It was a stressful moment, but luckily Justin introduced me to Colby (Ollyndo Dieubon), he has far more experience than our previous DoP. Colby reviewed everything we’d already shot, shared his feedback, and set a few conditions before officially coming on board, including recasting the lead actor and reshooting everything.

Once he joined, we returned to the location and dove into shooting together. I had a handful of key shots, specific framings like Laura on the right or left of the frame. While giving Colby full creative freedom on the rest, as long as he respected those key moments. The first two days on set were challenging. We had more than our share of heated discussions. But once we found our rhythm, communication became almost like telepathic, one look or gesture, and we were perfectly in sync.

For visual references, I built a detailed moodboard, pulled stills from films to establish our color palette and shot ideas, sketched a storyboard, and even created simple previs for a few complex setups. This prep ensured that Colby and I shared a clear, unified vision long before we hit record.

Sara Lopez Marin did a fantastic job with the music, genuinely supporting the story and establishing a great tone! What was the scoring process like?

Indeed, Sara did an amazing job. When I did the moodboard, I included music references from films, video games and TV shows to illustrate the emotional moment I was aiming for. My goal was to establish a strong main theme and then create variations that would match each scene’s mood.

We went through several rounds of back‑and-forth before finding that central theme. Once we had it, Sara composed an initial draft timed to a rough cut of the edit. We’d watch the scene together, discuss whether the music captured the desired tone, and I’d offer notes on pacing, instrumentation, emotional emphasis, until the score felt seamlessly integrated with the visuals.

Overall, it was a very collaborative process: reference, theme development, draft scoring, iterative feedback and final polish. Sara’s sensitivity to both story and tone made all the difference.

What message were you hoping to convey with Facade, and how do you feel it has been received by audiences so far?

Humm… I didn’t set out to convey a specific “message” with Facade. I originally wrote it as a way to move on from a difficult breakup, and I wanted viewers to come away with their own interpretations of the open ending. But, there are moments where I deliberately aimed to put the audience in Laura’s head, to feel her insecurity and anxiety as she navigates from her journey.

So far, it seems to be working! People tell me they enjoy coming up with their own theories, and many have reached out to me to ask, “Was I close?” That kind of engagement, seeing viewers get invested in Laura’s emotional journey. It’s exactly what I hoped for.

What's next for Facade, and what's next for you?

Facade is still waiting to hear back from a few festivals. After that, I’m planning to release it online around November/December 2025.

As for me, I have several projects in progress: a music video for a local artist, a short film, and development on 2 feature‑length scripts. The short film is quite advanced (working title XP01), the script is done and I’m currently working on the pitch presentation for potential producers. I hope to be back on set at the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026.

Are there any dream projects, genres, or filmmakers you’d love to work with?

I do have some dream projects, but they’ve already been made or in progress, like The Last of Us or Silent Hill 2. Or maybe some live action adaptation or interpretation from some book like “House of Leaves” or from the author Tatsuki Fujimoto. But honestly, I’m open to any genre; it really depends on the script. As for filmmakers, I’d love to work with Denis Villeneuve, Edgar Wright, or Jordan Peele, they’re all so inspiring. On the cinematography side, a few names top my list: Roger Deakins, Greig Fraser, or Hoyte Van Hoytema. It would be amazing if any of that ever happened!

Where can our readers follow more of your work?

They can follow me on Instagram on @croleo or on imdb ( https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7629040/ ) to have some updates on my works. For more updates about Facade you can follow the Instagram account of the movie: @facade_movie

Is there anything you wish to add or anyone you'd like to thank?

I just want to thank you for the awards and this interview, and to express my gratitude for the support of my family and friends. A big thanks also goes to my crew for their patience and hard work in bringing this movie to life.