The Deli Adds Director Jimmy Vi to Roster
The Deli has added director Jimmy Vi to its roster. Vi is a Toronto-based director with a passion for creating intimate yet rich visual poetry on film. After studying advertising at OCADU, he worked in agencies as a creative director, before his passion for art pushed him to take the leap into filmmaking. Since becoming a director, he has partnered with brands Nike, Footlocker, Universal, and Sony Music, and his films have garnered millions of views. Central to his work are stories told through the lens of authenticity and cultural diversity. When he’s not watching anime, gaming, or listening to music, Jimmy spends his spare time supporting and running programming, mentorship, and workshops for emerging BIPOC creatives with ‘ECRU.CLUB’.
On joining The Deli, Jimmy said: “For me, finding a home as a director is about finding people that connect with me beyond just a professional relationship. When I met Ben Robinson (EP at The Deli) it was the first time I felt a level of curiosity and care that went above and beyond my expectations. He didn’t just treat me as another tool in his toolbox; he got to know me as a person and as an artist. When I later met with the rest of the team, I felt the same level of sincerity. There’s something different about The Deli, and I’m so excited to begin this journey together.”
Executive producer Ben Robinson added, "We're so pleased to have Jimmy join the team as our newest addition to the roster. From the moment I met Jimmy, I knew he was a unique artist with a profound curiosity and enthusiasm for art and life. I'm thrilled to have him on our team and to be a part of the amazing things he does next.”
One of the films Vi is most proud of is 'The Circle'-- it was pitched, written, and shot in seven days in Tokyo. Below is a case study of that production in his own words.
Jimmy Vi comments, "A lot of the films or art I create start with a fleeting feeling. In the moment, I often lack the vocabulary to explain what I’m feeling– I use film as a form of visual poetry. It’s a vessel that helps make sense of what I’m experiencing.
"But for a while, my creativity felt stale and unexciting. There was something missing, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was. In my everyday life I was experiencing the same things over and over again. I was living life in a circular motion. I needed a change.
"My first trip to Japan was so inspiring that it pushed me to quit my day job and become a director. I wanted to access that feeling again, so I travelled back to Tokyo. Ben Robinson at The Deli connected me with the team at Tobbogan INC– Kaz Shinagawa (CEO/EP), Kishin Oyama (Head of Production), and Asako Satomi (CFO). During our meeting, I told them it was a dream of mine to shoot in Japan. They asked “When do you leave?” I said “I fly out in 7 days,” expecting to shoot on my next trip back. They responded “Let’s do it! We’ll message you tomorrow.” That’s when I realized the circular life I was living was about to bend and take on new forms. The next day, while looking at art in a gallery in Daikanyama, my phone vibrates. Sure enough, it was Kishin with the idea of shooting with Zeiss and a DP named Toshihiko Kizu. I felt a sensation of pure joy and happiness at the opportunity to shoot in Japan, let alone with Zeiss. I quickly browsed Kizu’s work and was blown away, as he was lensing the type of films I wanted to create.
"The next morning we met with the Zeiss team and talked about doing a lens showcase on their Supreme 15mm lenses. Unlike typical specialty wide lenses, images through this lens would be rich with colour, sharpness and little to no distortion. Immediately I thought of shooting in very tiny spaces and having the frames feel expansive, imagining the camera mere inches from our talent. The wide frames and rich colour could represent the abundance of everyday life. With the near-impossible task ahead of me and nothing but sheer excitement, I wrote the entire concept in a day. I worked closely with Kishin and Kizu to workshop this project– we had a total of 5 days to scout and shoot the film before I left Japan, and we were limited to shooting on one lens. We brainstormed locations, cast and crew we had access to. By the hour, our concepts would evolve. We did our location scout 2 days before my flight, and shot “The Circle” on my last day in Tokyo."
"In the commercial film industry, it’s hard to assemble a crew and cast," Kishin said. "But like musicians who go to jam sessions, we as filmmakers should just get together and make film. This project reinforced that feeling for me."
For me, not only as a director but as an artist, this project meant so much more than shooting a commercial for Zeiss; it represented breaking my circular life. It meant living out a dream I thought would take years to obtain. When Kizu put up the first shot of the salaryman picking up another work call, I smiled and felt a sense of euphoria. It was stunning– everything I imagined in the concept and more. The frames felt expansive and rich, yet struck a sense of visual intimacy, as if we’re there, experiencing the life of this individual. This was the feeling I was missing and chasing.
I hope when you watch this you feel something– at least something other than the circular emotions you’ve been experiencing. We created a piece that helped me make sense of what I was feeling. That alone was enough to creatively fulfil me. “The Circle'' is just a circular line, but something profound happens when that line bends and takes on new forms.
