Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Chan.
Hi Carly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
From a young age, I would walk around my house taking selfies with my old Sony Cyber camera. As I grew up, I gained the confidence to ask others if they would like portraits. From that point on, I fell in love with photography and cinematography. I started my own photography business at the age of 15, shooting senior portraits, family pictures, couple photos, and weddings. I loved the way pictures captured the mere emotions of the subject; capturing everything in the image and making it art. As I grew older, I wanted to mimic the Nike inspiration videos. I would spend all day watching those motivational videos. I fell in love with the advertisement and how creative it could be. From there, I am currently attending a film school in Los Angeles, continuing to make creative short films.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Entering the film world is a very physically and mentally challenging industry. Entering film school, I did not realize how much time and effort it required. I entered the school with a passion and love for film, willing to do anything to bring an idea to life. However, I committed to playing on the tennis team at my college. Recently, I had to quit the team because I wanted to give film everything I had. When entering a huge competitive industry such as film, I learned that you have to be willing to give up anything… One thing I LOVE about this industry is the crazy obsession and love for films. These workers are willing to give up anything to make a film.
One struggle I had in film was having confidence. In any art industry, you have to have a tremendous amount of confidence in your own work. The feeling you have when you are about to post a piece of your work into the public eye was terrifying to me. I felt like I was going to be judged or viewed as ‘oh she is doing what everyone else is doing’. However, I slowly gained confidence in my work simply through my obsession with film and the people around me! It is a hard obstacle to overcome. Personally, it was the people around me that help me through the confidence!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a young female cinematographer/photographer in Los Angeles, California. I have slowly become known for my lighting technique. I recreated a still from the TV show Euphoria and won the ShotDeck competition for best lighting in the most difficult setting. I have started to really enjoy lighting certain sets or scenes. One thing many people do not realize in cinematography is how important lighting is. As I gain more knowledge about lighting, I have noticed how much my work as improved.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory is spending all day in the hot summer sun on Lake Michigan. My sisters and I would spend all day on paddle boards, fantasizing and imagining our future jobs, where we would live, and how many kids we would have. This is my favorite memory because it was fun to fantasize and spend all day far out from the beach.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carlychan.myportfolio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_carly_chan/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@carlychan4753
