116 Pictures' Lyly Vu on Global Standards, Local Rhythm, and the Craft of Producing in Vietnam
February 17, 2026, 9:21 am | | No Comments
The m25 Global Producers Series opens with Lyly Vu, Producer at 116 Pictures in Ho Chi Minh City. In this insightful conversation, she reflects on the discipline, resilience, and emotional intelligence required to produce at a global standard in Vietnam – a market defined by speed, adaptability, and creative instinct. From navigating international expectations to leading with quiet steadiness on set, Lyly shares her perspective on the invisible craft behind commercial production and why, even as technology evolves, human judgment and collaboration remain at the heart of the work.
The core requirements of the producer's role are universal: sound judgment, problem-solving, and steady leadership. However, the role shifts across the region, adapting to local ways of working and the different pressures of each market.
This series highlights producers who keep projects moving and teams connected, while showing newcomers that, even as technology changes, it is human collaboration and experience that remain central to producing the work.
Vietnam has a rich history of resilience, creativity, and reinvention, which has led to the industry's strength and growth today. Reflecting on her childhood, Lyly shares how her experiences and influences shaped her path into producing. How do these early influences, combined with Vietnam's unique history, continue to shape her leadership in managing people, solving problems, and protecting the creative vision?
Lyly grew up between two cultural forces, which shaped her worldview. At home, she embraced a Northern Vietnamese mindset of discipline and restraint, while outside, in Southern Vietnam, life felt more relaxed and rule-bound through feeling. This duality taught her to hold tension without breaking, understanding that control without empathy creates fear, and freedom without structure leads to chaos. Vietnam's history instilled practical resilience, where making things stand with limited resources and no guarantees is the norm.
Today, Lyly leads with steadiness, reading people's temperatures, solving problems quietly, and ensuring the team feels confident to take risks. These early influences remain within her, allowing her to navigate chaos without fighting it but by swimming with it.
Lyly takes us through a typical shoot day in Vietnam, from call time to wrap. She describes the sets as a ride on a motorcycle, warming up the engine, feeling the balance, and settling the weight, then moving at full speed without slowing down. The flexibility and adaptability of the Vietnamese production scene are highlighted, where if something doesn't exist, they build it, and if a system doesn't fit, they bend it. The real advantage lies in the mindset, with minimal downtime and a focus on human connection during lunch breaks.
Comparing global and local productions in Vietnam, Lyly shares her experience with a globally structured production, highlighting the challenge of balancing expectations and reality. The real struggle was human, as the visual language, conditions, and locations were constantly evolving, requiring adaptability and quick problem-solving. This experience taught her that global standards are not just about presentations but about moments where structure meets reality without breaking.
Lyly reveals a misconception about producers, emphasizing that they are not just budget controllers or problem announcers. She describes herself as a quiet architect, placing invisible weights to keep everything balanced. Her role is like a quiet magician, adjusting timing, energy, and people gently and strategically. Most of the important work is unseen, living in anticipation, reading the room, and preventing problems before they arise.
When it comes to the toughest calls, Lyly acknowledges that they are emotional, not technical. She shares a challenging decision she had to make, where she had to sacrifice something beautiful for the message. Producers, she notes, love artistry, but commercial work may not always satisfy poetic impulses. Clarity, she believes, ultimately wins.
Lyly also discusses the pressure behind these decisions, sharing her anxiety before each shoot. She emphasizes that caring is not a weakness but a compass guiding her toughest calls. Grace under pressure is a skill, but caring under pressure is a privilege.
Lastly, Lyly highlights an aspect that global brands often overlook about producing in Vietnam. They expect efficiency, great landscapes, strong crews, and cost advantages, but they don't anticipate the emotional process. Vietnamese sets are not cold or transactional; hierarchy exists, but everyone matters, and respect moves sideways, not just vertically. Vietnam's social dynamics, light shifts, and crew coordination create a unique and dynamic production environment that global brands should embrace.
