The one thing you probably won’t catch him doing anytime soon, though? Producing.
“I think producing takes a very specific kind of personality, and I don’t think I’m naturally suited for it,” Yap said with a laugh. “In many ways, I think it’s the hardest job there is. I’ll probably leave that to people who enjoy it more than me.”
Speaking with FMT recently, the multi-talented performer of Chinese, Scottish and Irish heritage was charming and candid as he revealed what he has been up to recently.
Where to start with the man’s creative endeavours? His theatre achievements include directing the 2019 performance of Jit Murad’s “Gold Rain and Hailstones”, and performing in The Actor’s Studio’s acclaimed 2011 play “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me”.
In 2018 and 2019, he and comedian Douglas Lim performed in the play “Made in America” at the Public Theater in New York.
Yap’s film directing credits include 2014’s “Take Me To Dinner”, 2017’s “KL 24 Zombies”, and 2019’s “Revenge of the Pontianak” with Singaporean director Glen Goei.
Last year, he also directed the Astro Citra series “Murder By Moonlight”, alongside Mien.Ly, Khairil M Bahar, and Tony Pietra Arjuna.
Earlier this year, he travelled across the Causeway for the shooting of Ochre Pictures’ “Sisters Of The Night”, a drama centred around a Japanese-styled brothel in Singapore during the 1920s.
He is also the voice director of “Lawak Kampus”, an upcoming animated series based on the popular comic by local publisher Gempak Starz. And, in the middle of this month, Yap heads to France to pitch another animated series, Iron Hill Media’s “Happy Survivors Club”, at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Yap’s eyes lit up as he talked about “Geng Kubur”, an upcoming film he is writing and directing, also with Iron Hill Media. Described as a cross between “The Blair Witch Project” and the 1986 coming-of-age movie “Stand By Me”, it is based on his experiences growing up near a graveyard.
“Not to say I hung out at the graveyard all the time,” Yap laughed. “But you know how you and your friends would try to scare one another? That’s where the idea for this film came around.”
He insisted the story isn’t autobiographical, and yet “there are a lot of things from my teenage years that I borrowed for it. It’s probably the most personal thing I’ve ever done”.
While Yap certainly has a large resumé, directing will always have a special place in his heart. His first opportunity was for the 2005 Actor’s Studio play “Double Bill: And They Used To Star In Movies + Hidden In This Picture” – and he’s been in love with it ever since.
“Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy acting and writing, but I did these things so I could eventually direct,” Yap said. “I love being able to take a step back and see the big picture and where all the moving pieces fit, instead of just being a cog in the story.”
His creative output has been influenced by a wide variety of media over the years, most notably films, music and comics. As a child, he was wowed by films such as the original “Clash Of The Titans”, “The Goonies”, and “The NeverEnding Story”, as well as comics such as Frank Miller’s “Daredevil” run and “The Dark Knight Returns”.
“As I got older, movies like ‘Reservoir Dogs’, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, and ‘The Matrix’ were big influences. David Lynch’s work also really inspires me,” Yap shared.
The avid cinephile professes to love all movie genres except musicals – and even then, there are exceptions such as “Moulin Rouge” and “Across The Universe”.
So, what are Yap’s hopes for the future of the Malaysian film and creative industry? He names two major areas: more promotion of grants and funding, and a complete revamp of local media censorship laws.
“By all means, install a strict rating system and enforce it, but storytellers should have the freedom to tell the stories they want without fear of it being butchered.
“I would rather have my film remain as I intended it and have it only be accessible to audiences over 18, than to give it a G or 13 rating and have it censored beyond recognition,” he said.
Yap added some of the most important lessons he has learnt over the years are not to compare yourself to anyone else, and to pay attention to details.
“You have to trust your own voice,” he concluded. “Believe in the stories you want to tell, and surround yourself with people who are equally as passionate about helping you realise it as you are.”