Meet Yixuan *Bella* Zhu | Cinematographer/ Director/ Singer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yixuan *Bella* Zhu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yixuan *Bella*, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
One of my favorite quotes is actually in Chinese “前途是光明的，道路是没有的.” The direct translation is “You have a bright future ahead of you, but there is not a single path that you can follow.” I hope my translation does it justice. I love how hopeful and scary it sounds at the same time. I love how it reassures me every time that I am talented, and I have a bright future ahead of me when I doubt myself, and I love how it always reminds me it is up to me to decide every single step leading to success or a bigger career breakout. Sometimes I take a giant leap of faith, and it might turn out to be a bad decision. That’s when I have to constantly tell myself it’s okay to make mistakes, and you are not straying from your path. This industry is extremely competitive and relies so much on how other people perceive me and my work, but even when nobody believes in you, you need to believe in yourself.

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.
Los Angeles probably has the most cinematographers in the world. Everyone, including me, has tried very hard to be super creative about framing and compositions, or lighting setups for the visuals to stand out, but I think people have somewhat neglected the importance of the blocking of actors. I know it might sound like a director’s job, but I have always been super active in coming up with different blockings with my directors, and I absolutely love it. Partially, probably because I really enjoy directing as well. I think utilising the space with the consideration of lights and camera moves is very essential and will save lots of time on set. Working with directors in blocking can help both of us stay on the same page, cutting out all the back-and-forth conversations, and collaborate to make the characters and performances stand out, instead of the cinematography.

Joining film school without any prior experience can be hard, especially when everyone else is so talented, and I constantly compare myself to others. However, I think working hard, staying positive, and trusting the universe are things that I firmly believe after spending two years at film school. Sometimes, when I really wanted something, it turned out that it wasn’t really a good fit. And whenever I was offered big opportunities, it was always when I tried my best and detached myself from the outcome. Dealing with rejections is something I am facing daily, and now that I finally have a few projects coming up, I just want to try my best and have fun with all of them.

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?
I love driving my friends around the city and exploring different museums and galleries with them. Especially when we visit a museum with mostly abstract work, it’s always so fun to learn about their interpretations, and how our understanding strays so much from the original intent. My favorite places are the Getty Center, MOCA, and the Hammer Museum. Sometimes the LEICA gallery has really cool photography exhibitions.

I will definitely take my friends to different cafes. My favorites are Stereoscope, Loquat Coffee, and Document Coffee. I love ordering Matcha Tonic from Stereoscope, it blows my mind away every time. Cafes are such great places to observe people and gain inspirations for my own work lol.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out to all my close friends that I made at USC. I have always struggled to make friends throughout my life in middle school, high school, and college. It has been very difficult for me to bond and trust people. However, it all happened 2 years ago when I walked into the campus and met my day-one, Aanchal, and I found my forever music buddy, the best producer ever, Simeon, and my best friend Hsuan who always picks up my call at the middle of the night and listens to all my problems. And there are so many more people in my support system, and it’s just impossible to name everyone here, but knowing that I am loved and supported by so many amazing human beings, I feel very very blessed.

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsbellbells

Other: https://www.instagram.com/letsplay_balll/ (my photo account)

Image Credits
Yixuan *Bella* Zhu, John Robb Saunders, Amir Ghani