We had the good fortune of connecting with Jianyu Li & Xuejiao Yang from Phantom Studio and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jianyu & Xuejiao, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
You can always improve by doing any work, even the so called “low-end” ones. I think it’s very common in art business that a lots of artists are indeed talented but wouldn’t accept pratical jobs that may not be aligned with their taste. However from the days when i work on first-year filmmakers’ set I learned that no matter how amateur they may seem, you can always learn and improve from that experience. You could meet someone who is just a PA but could share with you deep knowledge about cinematography. You never know.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe in the director/customer’s vision, not mine, and I try my best to deliver every bit of it. I believe anyone coming to me has a good taste or something that has the potential to be good taste and I would never say, no that wouldn’t look good, we have do it my way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It has to be a nature trip mixed with hiking and driving and exploring. forest and water like big bear lake, and no man land like deserts, experience car racing in the sand, eat at small towns. I would have the must-gos pre planned but not where to eat and camp. let the road lead u. Be around locals.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to take the chance to show my appreciation to Songhuan Li, a filmmaker based in LA who is talented, bold, unique and always staying true to his own philosophy of art.

Songhuan’s films have a unique texture in them, because of one, he is very skills sound. In terms of using cinematography, editing and pace to establish the story and characters, he does it very effective. And two, he utalize that skill set to convey his own view of the world. Not like most creators who only write stories that are His world is very spiritual, emotional and sometimes religious.

Website: phantomstudiola.com

Instagram: phantomstudio_shirley

Other: email: phantomstudiola@gmail.com

Image Credits
Phantom Studio

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