Meet Shuang Qin | Cinematographer

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

Hi Shuang, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Since I was born in a small city in China, it wasn’t until I was 18 that my city had its first movie theater. So, before I went to college, I had hardly ever watched any movies. It wasn’t until I was 21 that one day, I watched a movie called In the Heat of the Sun, which was the directorial debut of Jiang Wen. I was deeply moved by the film, and for the first time, I realized that there was something called cinema in this world, a medium through which one could vividly express their thoughts and ideas. That night, after watching the movie, I secretly made up my mind: I wanted to make films. However, I had no experience or degree in film production, so I decided to go to the center of the film world—Los Angeles—to study filmmaking. I started applying to film schools in the United States and was successfully admitted to Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where I began formally learning how to make films.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Modern cinematography has its roots in Western realist painting, with countless cinematographers learning composition and lighting techniques from the art of painting. However, China also has its own painting tradition, which differs from Western painting. Chinese painting emphasizes “xieyi” (expressive depiction) and the integration of the real and the abstract. Chinese paintings often do not meticulously depict the forms and environments of objects but instead scatter information across different areas, waiting for the viewer to discover them on their own. I hope to draw inspiration from Chinese painting and apply it to my cinematographic work. This is a challenging endeavor because the art of film is fundamentally based on Western artistic principles. Nevertheless, through my exploration, I aspire to enrich some of the forms and content of film creation while also allowing more people to experience the essence of Chinese artistic philosophy through my work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite place is the beach in San Clemente, where I’ve filmed two short films. Every time I go there, the sight of the waves constantly washing ashore, the people playing on the sand, and the occasional passing train make me feel the harmony between humans and nature, as well as the beauty of the world. That’s why I always take my friends there to experience it. Additionally, I take them to eat Chinese food in San Gabriel, see the night view of Los Angeles at Griffith Observatory, visit the Getty Center to admire its precious artworks, and most importantly, to Hollywood to experience the charm of the world’s film capital.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout to Johnny Jenson A.S.C. who is my mentor in Chapman University. Johnny, with his extensive experience, profound knowledge, and patience, introduced me to the world of cinematography. Under his guidance, I completed three short films at Chapman University. In the future, I hope to become a cinematographer like him. I also want to give a shoutout to my two favorite directors, Zhang Yimou and Christopher Nolan, whose films have continually inspired me on this journey.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shuangcine?igsh=MmVlMjlkMTBhMg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Qianqian Zhao
Amber Li
Gary Li