Renegades | Ryan & Shion Kaji on Finding The Hero in Yourself
The son & father duo behind the YouTube phenomenon "Ryan's World" on their unique transition from digital creators to feature length filmmakers
Welcome to Renegades, Gold House’s newsletter series spotlighting Asian Pacific leaders and creatives who are carving their own paths and defying stereotypes along the way. This week, we sat down with Ryan & Shion Kaji, the son and father duo behind the sensational children’s YouTube channel, “Ryan’s World,” and film, “Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure.”
With over 34 million subscribers on YouTube today, Ryan and Shion talk to us about transitioning to a real film set, juggling parenting and producing, and the importance of family. Get your tickets for “Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure” here, in theaters August 16th!
Working with other popular creators like Evangeline Lomelino, Dan Rhodes, and Stella Wallace must have been exciting. What was one of your favorite moments with the cast?
Ryan: It was so much fun. The cast is made up of creators, some I had met before, and some I had been watching on YouTube and now got to spend time with in real life. One of my favorite moments was with Evangeline and Dan. Dan is a magician and once when we were on a break from filming he did a magic trick for all of us. My mind was BLOWN. There’s a video of it and I’ve rewatched it a couple times trying to figure it out and I still don’t know how he did it.
How did you prepare for the action-packed sequences in the Titan Universe?
Ryan: The movie is part live-action and part anime. A lot of the biggest action scenes take place in the anime world, where I’m the voice of my superhero alter ego, Red Titan. Voice acting for those scenes is so so fun, I get to be really exaggerated and just have a great time yelling or being tough or matching to whatever the epic adventure scene was.
This film showcases your bravery and heroic leadership as you rescue your sisters. Was there a specific scene or stunt that you enjoyed filming most?
Ryan: This movie is really about the importance of family and finding the hero in yourself. And even though I play the big brother and the leader, what I love is that my sisters also become superheroes too. So, at the end of the movie, when we escape the comic book and get back to the real world, my sisters and I come together for a big pizza party and water balloon fight. This was definitely my favorite scene to film, because the director Albie had us practice throwing water balloons at him first which was so funny.
As a producer of 'Ryan's World: The Movie,' you managed both your role as a parent and a key part of the production team. What are some of the challenges you encountered in this dual role?
Shion: It certainly was a lot of roles to juggle, but I’m so fortunate that I was able to dive into some of the things that I love the most, so the workload was a welcomed challenge! My biggest job on set was being Ryan, Emma, and Kate’s dad. My wife Loann and I are both producers of the movie, and have acting roles, but on set, our first job was being parents. It was amazing for us to see how much the three of them really blossomed on set. They all gained so much more confidence and had a great time.
Outside of the live-action filming, I loved working with Shin-Ei on the anime portion of the film. I grew up in Japan, and watching anime was such a huge part of my childhood, and I’ve remained a big fan as an adult. Being able to introduce my kids to anime in a bigger way through this film that they’re a part of, and to share anime with their young fans is just so important to me.
Given the success of the Ryan’s World brand with its toy line, TV series, and now a movie, what was the most rewarding aspect of seeing this film come to life?
Shion: I am so proud of Ryan. Kids love watching him, and I’m impressed at how he excels in everything he tries, but as a dad, the greatest thing to witness is what a truly great person he is. In the movie, he plays a superhero older brother, and in real life, he is a super older brother. All three kids just got back from spending their summer away at camp: it was Emma and Kate’s first time going, and knowing they had their brother there was such a comfort as they were off trying something new.
You’ve been involved in many successful ventures with Ryan’s World and more. Who has been a role model or mentor for you as you pursued this creative professional career?
Shion: I’ve always been impressed by Philip DeFranco, a fellow YouTuber who is the owner and showrunner of The Philip DeFranco Show. I met Philip and visited his studio early on when I started our production company. His studio was equipped with TV scale sets and gear, with a large production team to produce multiple pieces of content, with different talent simultaneously, which at the time, wasn’t as common. Most of the top creators back then were making videos from beginning to end on their own. When I saw the efficiencies he had set in place, I knew this would be our vision and direction for the Ryan’s World brand.
What is an exciting project or collaboration that you are looking forward to either work-related or personal?
Shion: This movie has already opened up so many doors, and allowed us to work with really big brands and talent. For example, we partnered with Republic Records for Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure Soundtrack that will release next week. And what is so special about the soundtrack is that, just like the movie’s cast, all the musical artists were creators first and built their audiences on YouTube or other social platforms before getting record deals. Some of the artists include Pentatonix, who already released their single for the soundtrack, and Toys and Colors, the most viewed made-for-kids YouTube channel in the world.
This film is a trailblazer as the first wide theatrical release driven by a digital creator. What is one piece of advice you’d like to give other digital creators looking to transition into film production?
Shion: Making a movie has always been a dream of ours, but sometimes I still can’t believe it’s happening. Sometimes it’s hard being the first in a category: we’re opening doors for creators with this movie, and I want this to do well so other creators can continue after us. There are so many talented people making content and telling stories, and I think the fanbases they’ve built on digital platforms will want to see it on the big screen. So my advice is please go for it!
Ryan: I think if you really like something, you just put your whole heart into it, and have a great time, and hope that you can achieve your goals.
Lightning Round
Favorite Childhood Superhero
Ryan: Spiderman
Shion: Ultraman
Go to Dance Move
Ryan: Floss
Shion: None- I can’t dance
Best movie snack
Ryan: Skittles
Shion: Popcorn
Beach Day or Evening in Mountains
Ryan: Beach Day
Shion: Beach Day
Morning Routine
Ryan: Brush teeth, get ready for school, and play with little sisters until time to leave for school.
Shion: Brush teeth, get kids ready to school and drive them to school
Legos or Board Games
Ryan: Board games
Shion: Board games