Siu Lan and the Magic Cookbook is an animation show for children ages 5 to 9 that uses food to tell a story about family, friendship, and culture. Cynthia’s mom told her she can experience her culture through food since immigrating to Canada from China. The seed for the story comes from a recipe made by Cynthia’s gong gong (grandpa in Cantonese). He became a cook after immigrating and his recipe is a fusion dish called stir fry macaroni, which Cynthia finds to represent her biracial identity. The story is inspired by our human ability to find culture and belonging through the food we eat, what we cook and the recipes we share. Cynthia is the creator behind Siu Lan and the Magic Cookbook. Cynthia views storytelling as healing. She hopes kids see themselves in the characters and feel like they are capable of incredible things. Throughout her Sony Talent League journey, she was helped by her mentors and collaborated with artists Marina González and Laura Lofaro. She could not have done this without the support of the THU team, her fellow finalists, and her family.
As we head out of our final week of mentorship with Sony Talent League, I am reflecting on what I have learned and what comes next. But first, I am thrilled for the Djossi Heroes team and am in awe of the talent of all fina...
During a meeting with all of the finalists, a team kindly asked me: “What is the secret sauce to doing this alone?” My answer: I am not alone! A leader does not exist without the collective. I have been for...
As I lean on my recipe for trust from week one, I identify that I am feeling the pressure! Words of wisdom from Rhea help me through this. Happenings My week will be focused on the story and editing my pitch vide...
Everything. Is. Coming. Together. How. Exciting. Story This week, I will be putting my writing skills to the test. I will rewrite the pilot, so it is 11 minutes instead of the original duration of 20. Duration is impo...
My week was full of working with artists Marina González and Laura Lofaro on the artwork. This week my goal is to finalize the artwork and continue practicing my pitch as I will be recording my final pitch video with Sony Talen...
Before we get into my project diary, here are two life-changing moments. It is moments like these that alter your perspective on yourself and your life. A visit to Gong Gong’s house; We talked about his memories of food ...
What’s New in Art Direction Instead of living by the phrase, “Too many cooks in the kitchen.” I prefer to say: The more cooks the merrier! I am thrilled to introduce Marina González and Laura Lofaro to the Magic Cook...
As I begin my adventure in working with artists to bring new life to my show, I am learning to Art Direct. Also, here is some musical inspiration that I found in my week: Japanese Breakfast and Mitski come from the Alt...
“One step back can be three steps forward,” is a tip said to me last week that impacted my perspective. (Shout out to the THU team!) WHAT I DID IN MY WEEK I prepared a presentation of my project for all of my wonderfu...
Hello! Welcome! Thank you for coming here as I document my journey with Sony Talent League. The seed for the story of Siu Lan and the Adventures of Magic Cookbook began with a recipe, so today I will share with you a “recip...