Movies befriended me at an early age. My parents both worked long hours, so it was just me and my Star Movie for long stretches of the afternoon and early evening. Most of the programming was Taiwanese, but it was American film and TV series that made me laugh out loud, bawl like a baby, hide under my blanket in terror, propel me to other places and people and periods in time that I knew nothing about. Still to this day, my mother likes to regale the relatives with the time they came back home to find me a wreck under the covers, having just witnessed the sinking of the Titanic and the deaths of those on it.

     

      In the twinkling of an eye, I find myself a few months before high school graduation. I sit at the dinner table, telling my parents of my deep desire to study film production in the U.S., the home to the most renowned and influential film industry in the world. My parents look at each other and laugh. They tell me they had been discussing the same plan. I beat them to it. 

 

       A few months later, a thirteen-hour flight lands me in San Francisco. I embark on my path to become a cinematographer, learning from working professionals at Academy of Art University. I found myself starting ten yards behind the starting line thanks to my ineptitude at speaking and comprehending English. I made it my mission to grow fluent quickly. Being on set, a desire to play with all the camera bells and whistles motivated me to step up my game. 

 

       Within a year, I was proficient enough to make my way around a set with ease. Being on set was where I felt at home. In those early academic years, it didn’t matter to me whether I was a PA or grip, assistant set dresser or construction lackey. Watching a film come to life, shot by shot, knowing that I played a small part in that outcome provided me no end of satisfaction. 

 

       When I wasn’t in class, or on a set, I spent my spare time in the equipment room.

I found myself smitten by the equipment; the staff were smitten by enthusiasm and the care I took handling the equipment. They bent the rules, let me rent cameras to shoot personal videos. 

 

        By sophomore year I was had the opportunity to DP a narrative short that won awards in film festivals. Through some luck and networking, I was shooting commercials for big brands: Share Tea, Baidu, CGTN, SFFilm, Cheetah Mobile, HYSTA…

 

        I write this short bio on the eve of my last class. A hunger to return back to Taiwan, to ply my craft. And to continue to do so all around the world.