Interview

She was awarded the Gold Remi Award for Best Cinematography at the 58th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, and her work has also been featured in the 2025 LA Shorts International Film Festival, the Short Film Corner at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the 5th Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival (Main Competition), Palm Beach International Film Festival, and more. She also received the Silver Remi Award at WorldFest-Houston and the Best Student Short Film honor at the Shanghai International Short Week. With extensive on-set experience in both the U.S. and China, Shuang is known for her intuitive sensitivity to light, color, and camera movement. Her visual approach combines artistic depth with technical precision, and she consistently balances on-set efficiency with high production value. Shuang brings a unique cross-cultural perspective to every project she undertakes, aiming to craft emotionally resonant imagery that speaks across languages and borders.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I grew up in a small town in China, where access to art - especially cinema - was extremely limited. In fact, my hometown didn’t even have a movie theater until I was 18. My early years were shaped not by film, but by a quiet curiosity about how images can capture emotion, silence, and human complexity. It wasn’t until I moved to Wuhan for college that I stumbled across The Shawshank Redemption. That moment completely changed my life. I fell in love with the power of film - not just as entertainment, but as an emotional and visual language. Even though I was studying communication, not filmmaking, I began teaching myself cinematography through online courses, connecting with other film enthusiasts, and shooting my own projects with whatever equipment I could find. After graduation, despite social pressure to take a traditional job, I used my savings to write, direct, and shoot my first short film, Double Bliss. That project ultimately earned me admission into Chapman University’s Dodge College MFA program in Cinematography. Since then, my journey has taken me through award-winning short films, international film festival selections, and large-scale vertical dramas with millions of viewers. What began as a distant dream in a small town has now become a visual voice I continue to refine with every frame I capture.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“As a cinematographer, my primary responsibility is to tell each story through visual language - to translate emotion, tone, and subtext into light, shadow, color, and composition. While I do have my own cultural background and political views, my academic foundation in communication - particularly in cross-cultural communication - has shaped the way I approach visual storytelling. Rather than making overt political statements, my work is grounded in the emotional and human core of each story. I believe cinema is one of the most powerful mediums for cross-cultural exchange - not because it tells us what to think, but because it shows us how others feel. Whether the subject is family, identity, longing, or love, these are experiences that transcend borders and ideology. They are the most honest forms of connection we have. I often draw from my own life experiences - growing up in a small town in China, later studying and working in the U.S. - to explore themes like emotional repression, generational distance, or the quiet struggle for self-expression. These may not always appear as direct social commentary, but they reflect the social conditions in which people live and feel. In the end, I want my images to carry empathy. I aim to create frames that don't simply impress viewers, but stay with them - frames that remind us we’re not alone in what we feel, no matter where we come from.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“I believe great cinematography lives in the balance between preparation and intuition. I plan my work meticulously - storyboarding, building visual references, creating shot lists, designing lighting schemes - especially when collaborating with the director and production designer. I like to enter a set knowing exactly what emotional tone each scene needs to carry, and how the camera can help deliver that. That said, I also leave space for spontaneity. Sometimes the most powerful moments arise from a shift in natural light, an actor’s unexpected movement, or a change in the energy of the environment. In those moments, I rely on my instincts and my sensitivity to rhythm and emotion. Improvisation doesn’t mean being unprepared - it means being present and flexible enough to capture something authentic. For example, during the production of On Wings of Song, we had planned a very structured lighting setup for a key emotional scene at sunset. But on the day of the shoot, the sky unexpectedly turned overcast. Instead of forcing the original plan, I adjusted to the softness of the natural light and restructured the blocking to match the new tone. The result was a quieter, more intimate scene - one that ultimately felt more honest to the story. That flexibility, I believe, helped the film connect with audiences and played a role in its recognition at WorldFest-Houston. So yes, I plan deeply - but I also listen carefully to the present. For me, the best images happen when preparation meets presence.”

“As a cinematographer, my primary responsibility is to tell each story through visual language - to translate emotion, tone, and subtext into light, shadow, color, and composition.”

Are there any art world trends you are following?

“Yes - one of the most exciting trends I’ve been following closely is the rise of mobile-native, vertical storytelling. Platforms like Dramabox, Reelshort, and GoodShort have opened up new formats for visual storytelling, and I’ve been fortunate to work as a Director of Photography on several hit vertical dramas, including Surprise! Baby Daddy Is the CEO, which received over 41.7 million views in its first month. I’m fascinated by how this format is reshaping cinematography - challenging traditional notions of composition, blocking, and even emotional pacing. Rather than resisting the shift, I see it as a new creative playground: a chance to rethink how we frame intimacy, tension, and narrative movement for viewers who are consuming content vertically, often in motion. Beyond format, I’m also paying attention to the growing cross-cultural collaborations in independent cinema. As someone who grew up in China and works in the U.S., I’m particularly interested in how visual language can bridge cultural gaps. I believe that a new generation of global filmmakers is redefining what ‘cinematic’ means - not just in terms of aesthetics, but in terms of accessibility and emotional universality. These trends push me to evolve as a cinematographer - not only in terms of tools and techniques, but in how I think about audience, story, and connection.”

What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?

“As a cinematographer, my creative process begins with a deep understanding of the story’s emotional core. I start by working closely with the director to define the visual language - whether it’s poetic and restrained, or bold and kinetic. From there, I build mood boards, study color palettes, and design camera movement that supports both the tone and character arc. In terms of materials, I work with a range of professional camera systems including ARRI, RED, and Sony FX series, depending on the needs of the project. I carefully select lenses to shape perspective and emotional intimacy - opting for vintage glass when I want something more organic, or modern primes for clarity and precision. Lighting is one of my key tools: I often work with a mix of hard and soft sources, and I pay close attention to color temperature and contrast ratios to shape mood. I also rely on tools like Shot Designer and Cine Tracer in preproduction, and I often create look-up tables (LUTs) during prep to guide the color pipeline into post. During production, I’m constantly monitoring the image through calibrated monitors to ensure every frame carries the intended texture, tone, and depth. While the gear is important, I believe technique serves emotion. Every decision - from light placement to camera movement - is made in service of the story. Whether I’m working on a tightly scheduled vertical mini-series or a slower, more atmospheric short film, I try to craft imagery that feels emotionally honest and visually memorable.”

What does your art mean to you?

“To me, cinematography is not just a profession - it’s a language of emotion. Growing up in a small town in China, I didn’t have access to formal art education or cinematic culture. But the first time I watched a film that moved me, I realized that images can speak where words fall short. That moment shaped my entire artistic path. My art is how I connect with people - how I express what’s fragile, unspoken, or deeply human. Every frame I compose is an attempt to translate emotion into light and shadow, to preserve moments of truth that might otherwise go unnoticed. Cinematography, to me, is a form of empathy. It allows me to step into someone else’s world and help others do the same. Whether I’m crafting the mood of an intimate family scene or visualizing a larger-than-life romantic twist in a vertical drama, I’m always searching for a sense of honesty and resonance. Ultimately, my art is a way of remembering - and of making others feel remembered. That’s what gives it meaning.”

What’s your favourite artwork and why?

“One of my all-time favorite films is The Shawshank Redemption - not only because it introduced me to the power of cinema, but because it was the first time I truly became aware of the emotional weight that cinematography could carry. I watched it during college in Wuhan, and it changed the way I understood storytelling. The film’s quiet strength, its use of natural light and subtle movement, left a deep impression on me. What made it so impactful was Roger Deakins’ cinematography. His work in that film - and across his entire career - has shaped how I think about visual storytelling. He doesn’t impose style for style’s sake; instead, his images breathe with the story. Whether it’s the cold, oppressive palette of the prison or the warm, glowing final sequence on the beach, every frame in Shawshank is emotionally precise without ever feeling forced. As a cinematographer, I’ve learned so much from his philosophy: that great cinematography is invisible, that it serves the emotion, not the ego. Deakins’ work continues to inspire me to approach each frame with humility, intention, and honesty.”