Meet Xingyu Harry” Chen | Film Director/Colorist/Photographer”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Xingyu “Harry” Chen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Xingyu “Harry”, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
For me, embracing a certain level of risk has always been an inherent aspect, almost a “necessary evil,” for creatives, especially in the film industry where I carve my path. As a film and creative director, meticulous preparation doesn’t shield you from the unforeseen production challenges that can surface on set. These challenges, big or small, directly impact decisions, forcing adaptations to the original game plan. Take, for instance, a critical prop not being ready or discovered broken on set, but we have to film it now to be on schedule for another blue-hour shot later. The problem leads to me asking a series of questions to myself: Can we proceed without the prop? Will the story resonate with the audience without it? Will the edit work without it? What writing tweaks can we make to salvage the narrative? Do we have the time and resources for a new prop, or should we reschedule the shot with minimal losses? When facing these creative and technical risks brought by uncertainties, there are usually no definitive right or wrong answers. In my view, having to face a certain amount of risks is what makes filmmaking captivating. Learning to live with the risks and finding the balance between minimizing risks and undertaking the necessary ones is key to achieving success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
To begin with, I’m a film/creative director who recently earned my MFA degree in film directing. When I’m not directing, you’ll often find me donning different hats on a film set — capturing high-quality behind-the-scenes moments as a Unit Still/BTS Photographer or managing data and ensuring a smooth workflow as a Digital Imaging Technician (DIT). Over the past two years, I’ve also delved into freelance color grading, a passion cultivated during my time as a post-production graduate assistant at LMU and fueled by my DIT experiences. As a result, I guess what “sets me apart” as a director is my involvement in various technical roles mentioned above, which are very distinct from the typical directorial path. Wearing many hats results from the downtime between my directing projects, during which I seek additional work to cover expenses. On the other hand, as an international student with strict work restrictions, I’m limited to roles related to my field of study. This pushed me to train myself to become as versatile as possible. With a few years of experience in photography and photo editing, I was able to evolved them into capturing unit stills on set. The roles of DIT and color grading were predominantly developed during my graduate studies at LMU, stemming from my passion for color and post-production, initially nurtured through photo editing. My journey as a colorist was kick-started in a color correction class with senior color scientist Matt Tomlinson during my study at LMU, which significantly contributed to my professional development in color grading.

My journey, however, has been far from smooth. Advisable or not, juggling multiple aspects of filmmaking and forging diverse paths has presented its own challenges. Many of these roles are highly technical and professionally demanding, creating a steep entry curve. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned, and it also defines my mindset, is to “stay hungry, stay foolish” — to remain perpetually eager to learn, especially from the best in the field. In the short term, my goal is financial stability and securing my future work visa through building and accumulating credits in my current roles. Looking ahead in the next decade, I aspire to narrow my focus on directing and color grading alone, ideally completing and producing my first feature film script in the long run, with professional color grading work becoming my primary side gig.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As someone from Beijing – who has spent his college years in Santa Cruz and the Bay Area, I have only moved to LA in late 2020. Over a little more than three years, I can’t claim to be a local expert, but I definitely have thoughts on food! Los Angeles boasts one of the best food scenes in the States, featuring genuinely diverse cuisines from around the world. As a Chinese and an Asian, I’ve discovered countless gems in the area with my girlfriend. Depending on where my visitor lives, I’d surely take them on a week-long food discovery journey. They can handle the generic tourist sites themselves!

Starting on the westside, we’d explore Sawtelle and Westwood, known for some of the best Asian food. Favorites in the area include Mogu Mogu in Sawtelle, famous for its Mazemen, and Mr. Rice (米先生) in Westwood, renowned for its Yunnan-style rice noodles. If my guests live close to mid-city, a stop by K-Town is a must, where you can’t go wrong with most restaurants because they are all so good! For some great K-BBQ, aside from popular ones like Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, I’d probably take them to Eight or Pigya for a next-level pork BBQ experience. A bit up north, there’s an area known for genuine Thai food. Restaurants like Ruen Pair and Jitlada would be on the list for my guests. Moving to the east side, the wide Monterey Park/San Gabriel region is full of authentic Chinese restaurants from different regions. I’d start the day with Five Star Seafood Restaurant if they’re craving a true Dim Sum brunch experience. To wrap up the night, Wuming Hot Pot in the nearby plaza would be the choice, featuring perhaps some of the best hotpots in the area. If they want something less spicy, Beijing Tasty House for some genuine Beijing food, including the world-famous Beijing Duck—certified by me as a Beijinger! Also, don’t forget the boba—3CatTea and Chicha San Chen are hands down the best overall milk tea/fruit tea places in LA. I’ll stop right here before I delve into Torrance or even south to Irvine—a week-long trip probably won’t be enough, haha!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to cinematographer and Steadicam operator Bo-Yu Chen, who also nominated me for an interview with Shoutout LA. Bo was among the first people I met when I first moved to LA during the pandemic of 2020 to begin my graduate school study at Loyola Marymount University. He has been the DP and camera operator for two of the most important films that I have written and directed over my past three years at LMU, and he is also my go-to Steadicam Op when I need one or when anyone needs a recommendation. When I’m not directing and working in other positions on set, we have actually worked on dozens of projects together over the years, and I enjoyed every minute on set with him. Going through the ups and downs, learning, and evolving together in LA throughout the pandemic has been a unique and special journey. While there are countless people I’d like to shout out and thank, Bo just happens to be the one on the top of my head for now, I guess! I’m grateful for his unwavering support, his willingness to tackle challenges together, and for making life’s journey richer by sharing it with me!

Website: xingyu-chen.com

Instagram: instagram.com/stareo.xy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xingyu-chen-harry/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/zlBjn-LLFg8?si=PGfh3GqfBJOuXdsr

Other: YouTube link to my latest short film, “Attached,” about a phone growing into a human hand, is now available on Omeleto. Meanwhile, my current short film, “Flatulence: The Origin,” is making its way through the festival circuit and will soon feature in the Mammoth Film Festival from 2/29 to 3/4 in Mammoth, California. Stay tuned for more updates by following my IG or @flatulence.shortfilm!

Image Credits
Po Wei Su, “Alvin” Mingyang Li, Xingyu Chen