Meet Brandon Lin | MFA Cinematography Student at Chapman University

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Lin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I chose to pursue a creative and artistic career in film because, from a young age, one of my family’s favorite leisure activities was always watching movies or going to the movie theater. From there, I became intrigued by the work behind the scenes and how everything was pieced perfectly together. This led me to study media studies and film in high school. I was able to learn the film history and basic fundamentals of filmmaking. As I progressed forward, I started to develop an interest in creating visuals and storytelling. As a result, I decided to major in film production for college at Ringling College of Art and Design. During my time at Ringling, I fell in love with creating visuals and cinematography as I found a passion for creating meaning and subtext in images through different framing, lighting, and other techniques. This journey has led me to where I am now getting my master’s degree at Chapman University’s Dodge College with an emphasis in cinematography.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Since I started my journey as a filmmaker I have tried to immerse myself in all aspects of production in order to get a better understanding of all the behind-the-scenes work to get a film made. This happened especially during my freshman and sophomore years at Ringling. I would volunteer on senior thesis sets in order to gain more filmmaking experience. During my senior year, I was able to work on a feature film where I gained even more knowledge of the filmmaking process. As a result, this has led me to focus the majority of my work in the camera and grip/electric departments. I believe that my work ethic along with my attention to detail is what sets me apart from others. I am always trying to make sure that issues can be minimized and that problems can be solved quickly and efficiently while anticipating what could come next. I am currently most proud of my recently completed projects at Chapman as I used my past experience and applied it to my work. In regards to getting to where I am today, the journey has not always been easy and has been filled with its ups and downs but it has taught me that being consistent and resilient was the key to achieving my goals. I hope that from my work people can see that I try my best to ensure that every visual is created to serve the story.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Shoutout would have to definitely go to my parents. They have been there for me from the start with the sole intention of doing whatever they could to put me in the best position to succeed in life. Both my parents have been instrumental in who I am today and have been supportive of all my career decisions. My mom has helped me in pretty much every aspect of my life, especially throughout my education in school. She provided me with guidance as she spent her time teaching me and ensuring that I had the best resources to learn everything that I needed. My dad made sure that we had a roof over our heads and food on the table while also giving me everything I could ask for. Their support further continued into college and now my master’s as they have continued to ensure that I have all the tools necessary to succeed. As I’ve grown up, I now also lean on their guidance, advice, and support in navigating all the challenges in life.

Website: https://blinfilms.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonlindp

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonlin717/