April 17, 2017

Meet Tian Liu of FDL Studio in Downtown Los Angeles

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tian Liu.

Tian, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
A waving ray of the red light went tore the deep darkness of the room. That was the most impressive memory in my childhood when I used to print the photos from the film in the studio. When the image gradually appeared in front of my eyes, under the somber red light, a kind of miraculous pleasure always rolled up in me. At the age of 7, I had the first Ricoh film camera of my own. It was just the burning enthusiasm that guided me to get the top prize in Beijing Primary School and High School Students’ Photographing Contest in my Junior grade 2. After coming into college, I also composed the photography essay with over 200,000 words.

As a student majoring in journalism, years of professional study is just the cradle of my photographing passion. In undergraduate period, I have worked as the reporter and free composer three times in CCTV, China Net and young press corps respectively, during which I got the chance to visit Africa’s slum, on the further photography for my composition.

Now, I have been taking photos for 17 years. Now I am a cinematographer, also a photographer. Seventeen photography of mine were selected by Vogue. My films have been selected by 10 film festivals, and win 4 awards.

I always believe that my burning passion in pictures from my childhood and my painstaking efforts with strong wills must support me to achieve my initial dream.

Tian Liu, also known as Fendou Liu.This is why my studio called FDL studio.

Has it been a smooth road?
No it is not. First I am a female, it is really hard for female to be a cinematographer, a lot of people don’t believe that we can do it.

Second, I am Chinese, English is not my first language, but I am still learning. What’s more, I am young, I am 24, people don’t really believe young people, but I never give up my dreams, I always believe that I will get all I want if I try really hard. At least, I don’t want to have any regret.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with FDL Studio – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My company is specialize in film and photography. The proudest of my company is that our company going to shoot two feature films this year. We get investors and invest company from China, we are going to shoot 90-minute movie together, and our film will be screening in China’s theater.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I like LA, coz the weather is always great, I love a sunny day. It makes me feel happiness and positive, I feel that everything is possible if we go for it, no matter how old we are, it is still possible that we can make our dreams come true.

What I like least is that LA is that it’s a big city, people are kind of far from each other.

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