September 13, 2016

Meet DTLA Filmmaker, Photographer, Musician: Gershon Sng

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gershon Sng – a hero and a creative genius.

Gershon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
A couple of years into filmmaking, DSLRs added the functionality to record videos. Suddenly, filmmakers with low budgets could afford that cinematic, shallow-depth-of-field aesthetics that was previously only possible on a higher budget. When I received my first DSLR back in Christmas of 2008 my intention was to explore cinematography with it. But I soon realized that I had the tools to explore still photography as well. I decided to give photography a shot.

It was only after enlisting in the Army back home in Singapore, 2 years later, that I could say I truly started expressing myself with photography. After combat training, I was placed in charged of an institute’s media productions, which included film, photography and publication services. There, I honed my craft. And after more than a year of daily hands-on practice with photography, I inevitably became technically competent enough that I could start enjoying the process of transforming my visions into reality. By the end of my service, I looked through my Army photography portfolio and found that I had unconsciously created my own style in terms of colors and compositions.

Right after Army, I enrolled in USC film school and during one of my internships, I was asked to take headshots of employees and executives at the company. In less than 5 days, I shot 42 subjects, totaling over 6,000 frames. They were all shot and post-processed with a specific concept, color scheme, and composition. As soon as the photographs went up, I was receiving requests from other companies for the same type of photography.

However, I was already back in school and could not afford to pursue that endeavor. The next semester, I took an entrepreneurship class and one of the team assignment was to create a “business” with no more than $50 capital from each member. I pitched the idea of taking headshots to my team. Eventually, we made a substantial income and went on winning 2nd place. And that was when I realized that headshot photography was a feasible income.

I have found that my creative photography experience in the Army and my extroverted nature have lent themselves well to headshot photography as a large aspect of it was communication. Now, headshot photography has become one of my more sustainable source of income and it has provided me with the backbone investment funds to produce my non-profit narrative films. Eventually, I would like to move into commercial, narrative, concept-driven photography that raises awareness of various social issues.

Has it been a smooth road?
I am fortunate that it still has been rather smooth. I am not remotely close to the financial standings or creative standards that I would like myself to be. But I am a true believer that hard work will eventually pay off. It may be a slower process than I had thought, but I am definitely enjoying the journey.

When you look back, can you point to a period when you wanted to quit or a period that was really frustrating?
I was raised on the philosophy that, within the legal and moral limits, my parents will support whatever I chose to pursue. But I would have to finish what I started. So, quitting has never been an option for me.

However, I have, on multiple occasions, thought about pivoting to a more financially stable career path. My father ultimately convinced me that I should never pursue money. Instead, I should focus on developing and improving my skills first. And trust that with quality, success will ensue.

What would you tell someone who is just starting out?
“Talk less, do more.”

Is there something you are particularly excited about or working towards?
In the near future, I’m excited about releasing my new film, Preality – a sci-fi short about gun control, told in a spiral timeline and reverse chronology.

In the distant future, I hope to be able to create a positive social impact through the medium that I am most passionate at – film.

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