Today we’d like to introduce you to Zhuolin Hong
Hi Zhuolin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Zhuolin (jo-lin), and I am a Director of Photography currently based in LA. Growing up in Guangzhou, China, I’m used to living in a big city with a blend of deep historical culture and a taste of modernism, in a city five times the size of Los Angeles City and its population. The scale of life in Guangzhou gave all of us a sense of strong competitiveness, which transformed into a spirit of resilience and always being an opportunist.
Throughout my life, I’ve always been moving and independent, with support from my parents. From going to a different city for middle school, moving to New York City by myself at 15, beginning my film school journey in Boulder, Colorado, to quitting my job at my old commercial company to continue pursuing my passion in Los Angeles as a Cinematographer, meeting and knowing a diverse array of people while growing has sincerely grown me as an artist and a human being.
Before I found my love in filmmaking, I did magic for about ten years. After giving up my childhood pianist dream, I found my hands landed on decks of cards, and it involved into my biggest passion at the time, to become a magician. I would watch hours of videos and lectures, read books, and gain the courage to perform my original shows at high school parties. It rewarded me with courage and creativity, and I overcame my fear of speaking fluent English. As I connected with the magician community online and shared my magic videos, it led me to learn the basics of filmmaking, another visual storytelling art form that I fell in love with instantly.
Slowly, filmmaking became my primary career, and cinematography has become my biggest passion. Currently, I found my career at Paramount while continuing to tell visual stories of people with different voices. Looking back, I’m grateful for my journey so far. Those experiences helped me be vigorous, resilient, progressive, and diverse, continuing to expand the spirit of Guangzhou and blossoming into something bigger.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve been fortunate to stay in the industry throughout my career. Since first moving to the US, my goal has always been to work to create a career path for myself for what I love; with continuous hard work throughout school and the incredible support from my parents, I was lucky enough to have my career points evolving one step after to the other. I always knew it would be hard, whether to work a full-time 9-5 job or as a full-time freelancer. I started early and interned in production companies in high school and college. After finding my love in cinematography, I put all my energy into curating my portfolio to prepare for the potential job search after graduation. In order to have a wider reach of potential employers, I made sure that I have worked in every possible genre and medium of film and videos, from social content, travel videos, real estate tours, and weddings to narrative films, music videos, and commercials. Moreover, I have worked nine different jobs in both China and the US during summer breaks and in school throughout. These projects and jobs have taught me lessons I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. I’ve grown tremendously to be better not just artistically, but also in problem-solving, networking, negotiating, and packaging my work.
The initializations of making projects happen, both passion and hired projects, helped me to stay in a mental space that’s living and breathing in my work. And those small projects I started helped shape who I am as a storyteller, finding my style, my work process, and what I genuinely love to do. Going from working completely independently to now leading as head of the department as a director of photography is a journey that takes a lot of time and hurdles. But being consistent and making art whenever possible will keep you going and prepare you for the days when you’ll shine doing what you love.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a director of photography, I take charge of what appears on screen to convey the emotion and stories, the tone, the colors, the compositions, the movement, and the lighting.
When you tour my website, I want you to leave with an impression of how I showcase different people and emotions with color and lighting. This was reinforced by my belief in capturing the moments and emotions that define our humanity in a way that empowers us. When audience members approach me at film festivals and show their appreciation of my work, I feel truly humbled and amazed at how authenticity can elicit the most genuine emotions from real people.
I see the world in the most colorful and beautiful way, and I put that belief deep into my work. I treasure art that celebrates the precious moments in life and finds its love in both the tiniest and grandest ways. Therefore, my distinctive cinematography style mirrors the vibrant tapestry of colors that define my worldview. I enjoy holding onto moments in wider shots and letting the images slowly engrave into my spectator’s eyes as the actions happen. To me, it is a way to let go and let the audience explore the stories and emotions by themselves. By doing that, a mutual relationship is formed between the filmmaker and the audience, and with that, what you are trying to deliver as a filmmaker can sink deeper into their heart. It’s like magic, letting the spectator feel what you want them to and letting their minds fill in the blanks.
It’s been twelve years since the young adult ventured to New York. I’ve lived with over fifteen families and shared my life with over a hundred roommates. Each new home brought its own unique challenges and joys, and I’ve experienced the rollercoaster of saying goodbye and starting a new countless times. The people I’ve encountered along the way, with all their complexities and imperfections, have become an integral part of who I am today. They have taught me the power of empathy, understanding, and resilience. These connections have enriched my personal life and profoundly influenced and given depth and substance to my work as a cinematographer.
As I advance in my career, I’m always eager to connect and collaborate with like-minded creatives. No matter what stage of your career you are in, send me a message, and I will be in touch with you soon!
Portfolio Website:
https://www.zhuolinhong.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zhuolinhong.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zhuolin_h/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elvis.hg.7/
