Conversations with Daphne Wu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daphne Wu.

Hi Daphne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My career as a cinematographer began with reading really. I was such a bookworm as a child – I fell in love with stories set in far off worlds, was captivated by so many narratives, characters, fiction as a whole. I grew up in China, Singapore, and then the U.S., meaning I had a lot of time adrift in new places, and my mind would drift on in storytelling. Meanwhile I’d always been a visual artist, and combining those two interests led to me to apply to film school. At USC, you get to try almost every department and it was a very easy decision for me to gravitate towards shooting. Cinematography was by far the most exciting, most fulfilling, most fun job to me then, and it still is – I’m so honored to have this as my career.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s not easy at the very beginning to sustain yourself as an artist, even in this field where we are arguably more commercial artists. As a young freelancer right out of college, I woke up every morning and applied to gigs online – short films, feature films, whatever existed there, and I did that everyday for years. These early lessons are invaluable though – how to negotiate your salary, when to ask for a raise and when to do a passion project for less. How to find the people you want to work with and how to say no to people you no longer want to work with. When to work endlessly, and when to take a break and rest – all of these things are important to your development as an artist and as a small business. Many years down the road, the monetary and logistical struggles are less prevalent, and the challenges become more creative and personal. The questions I ask myself today are – what does this project say that I care about? For whom am I making this film and why?

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The bulk of my work is narrative features, and my favorite project recently is a feature film I shot in 2019: Grasshoppers (2021), directed by Brad Bischoff. It’s a love story and a day in the life of a couple roaming the palatial homes and grounds of their neighborhood through what we consider the end-all of the American dream. The film was produced by Lisa Rudin and Justin Nijm and stars Saleh Bakri and Iva Gocheva. We filmed last spring in Barrington, Illinois and had all sorts of adventures in creative problem-solving to bring the story to life with our budget limitations. Our small but mighty crew carried us, and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to work with them!

What’s next?
I hope to be shooting even more features! I want to find scripts that tell personal, honest stories from diverse perspectives.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.daphnewu.com
• Instagram: @daphneqinwu