m25 Global Producers Series: 116 Pictures’ Uyen Le on the Saigon hustle and producing with heart
The latest episode of the m25 Global Producers Series shines a spotlight on Uyen Le, Producer at 116 Pictures in Ho Chi Minh City. Le shares how growing up in the fast-paced, resilient city of Saigon shaped her approach to production, offering a glimpse into Vietnam’s dynamic commercial industry.
The series focuses on the craft and discipline of commercial production. At its core, this series explores the people who bring ideas to life, those who manage resources, navigate constraints, and balance creative ambition with practical execution.
Vietnam has a very special history, one marked by resilience, creativity, and reinvention that has led to the strength and growth the industry is experiencing today. Looking back at your own childhood, were there experiences or influences that connected you to this spirit and ultimately shaped your path into producing?
I didn’t grow up thinking I’d work in production. But growing up in Saigon, a fast, noisy, straight-to-the-point kind of city, taught me to be adaptive and practical. People here solve problems quickly and don’t overcomplicate things. That mindset fits my producing more than I expected. I think that mix of resilience and hustle in Vietnam shapes how I work every day: keep it simple, move fast, & “dont” break things…. taking care of my crew, my people.
Can you walk us through a typical shoot day in Vietnam? What does it look like from call time to wrap, and how does the way productions are run here reflect the sophistication of the industry?
By the time you step onto a set here, it already has this unmistakable energy: fast, open, and very human. It’s a bit like walking on a busy street corner in Saigon: everyone has their own rhythm, conversations overlap, but somehow it all moves in one direction. That mix of hustle and warmth is what feeds the can-do attitude here. Vietnamese crews are very solution oriented. Young passionate crews, super flexible and always offering up new solutions, sometimes too flexible, but it’s also who we are. We really have found our own regional voice in production.
How different is it to manage a global production compared to a local one in Vietnam? What unique challenges arise when international expectations meet the realities of local logistics, culture, and ways of working?
I have done plenty of global productions now, and understanding the challenges in meeting expectations, is kind of second nature. Things that are “standard” elsewhere we enjoy levelling up to “Viet Standard” especially flexibility. Transparency is the key to smooth collaboration, & there are plenty of production moments that are totally possible here, that are not so possible elsewhere.
You’re often the quiet architect behind the scenes. What’s one misconception about producers that you wish the industry would let go of?
Honestly, I don’t think a producer is quiet at all, LOL, at least not in the passive way. I think a common misconception is that producers “just coordinate.” to me we are “makers”. On set, a good producer has to stay alert and anticipate problems before they show up. I’m still learning this every job, because no two productions ever behave the same.
I see shoot day as the last checkpoint of a long creative execution chain. The better the prep, the more enjoyable the shoot experience. Whether issues can be anticipated or not mostly depends on how closely I worked with the crew during pre-pro. One thing I keep in mind is that this job is pure teamwork, not about grabbing tasks, but about keeping an eye on how every department is operating so the whole machine stays balanced.
Every shoot is a balancing act between vision and budget, ego and outcome. What’s the toughest call you’ve had to make, and what did it teach you?
One of the great producer challenges is solving this puzzle. How do I maximize the output on every job, on time on budget, & make work this me & my team are proud of. As a young producer, it’s tempting to push for everything, prioritize, protect the idea, and be ambitious. Clear communication usually saves everyone from bigger problems later.
Vietnam has its own rhythm, its own light, energy, and creative pulse. What’s something global brands often overlook about producing here?
Vietnam’s production scene doesn’t impress you with big armies, it impresses you with guerrilla-style instinct. The soul of the work comes from small, quick, human engagements. There’s a real joy in that for me. We have a “street” energy here that shows up equally in glossy decks & in the small things, hẻm, food carts, local nuances, shape how we live and move. Crews here also have their own rhythm: fast, flexible, and always willing to try sometimes crazy solutions to nail a shoot day. Those details make our production culture unique. Showing outsiders our authenticity in moments big & small, simple & complex is something I’m quietly, quite proud of.