Rising Stars: Meet Haneul Kim of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Haneul Kim.

Hi Haneul, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Born and raised in Incheon, Korea, I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Film Study at UC Berkeley. I moved to Los Angeles, where I started my career in film industry.
My first job in LA was a set PA (Production Assistant) on an ultra low budget indie movie, shot in Corona. Despite of lack of experience and film set knowledge, I had a great time working with some of most talented people I’ve met. It’s common that there’s lack of recourses and labor in many low budget indie productions. Although I was hired as a set PA, I got promoted as a camera PA, where I learned hands-on knowledge from union camera assistants. This led me to realize how important it is to learn and understand each department of film set, no role is superior to another, and every department must work together to achieve a goal: to tell a story with a valuable voice.
I started learning how to light and matured my skills in cinematic lighting through over a decade of experience in motion picture industry. I have worked as a chief of lighting technician (often goes by “gaffer”) on a number of narratives, documentaries and commercials, and I’m currently a proud member of IATSE Local 728, Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians.
While carrying my love for set lighting, I slowly started expanding my career into directing and producing. Though while working as a full time set lighting technician, I worked on various productions as an office PA, production coordinator, and producer as a part time whenever I had a chance. In 2024, I wrote, produced, and directed my first narrative short film, At My Girlfriend’s Funeral, which had a world premiere at the 25th Korea Queer Film Festival (2025) and a US premiere at the 38th Out Fest (2025). I was able to hire many of my good friends whom I met and worked with on set. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to bring life to the story, and with them I was able to make a collaborative and supportive production.
I’m currently working on a script for my next short film.

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?
If there are only smooth roads, life would be simply too dull and boring, isn’t it?
It was not common to see a woman working in the lighting when I started my career. The equipment is heavy and the job is very much physically demanding. We work long hours on set, 10 to 12 hours or even longer. Sometimes it gets competitive to get gigs. I started working out to build up strength and yoga has become my hobby to help to relax sore muscles after a long day of work. Now I see more women in the lighting on set, and it makes me only more encouraged than ever.

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?
Currently, I’m a member of IATSE Local 728, a studio set lighting technician union. We specialize in lighting ‘the scene’ on various motion picture sets, including TV shows, narrative movies, documentaries, commercials and music videos.
I always joke that I’m probably “the only” tall asian girl in the lighting, simply because it’s rare to see female set lighting technicians on set. I see more female lighting technicians on set, regardless of colors, in the recent years, and it makes me elated and hopeful about the community moving towards the inclusive direction.
I’ve worked as a chief of set lighting technician on a handful of movies, which were premiered at many film festivals, such as SXSW. As a chief of set lighting technician, I work very closely with the DP (director of photography) on making decision on how to light a scene from selecting lights to where and how to place them. Then I give directions to my set lighting technicians as a head of department to work efficiently and safely.
This is very organic process, and no one is prior or inferior to others. Even though we have certain rules and systems we follow to keep the workplace safe and efficient, as a group of creative artists, we try to work as a team through collaboration.
For the past few years, I’ve been slowly expanding my career into directing and producing. Since I was young, I’ve always wanted to talk stories that could connect myself with the others, stories that resonate in heart. My passion in lighting has thought me the importance of creating mise-en-scene with depth of meaning, and with that I want to make a movie with beautiful images that carry intention and voice.
In 2024, I wrote, produced, and directed my first narrative short film, At My Girlfriend’s Funeral, which was premiered at the 25th Korea Queer Film Festival and the 38th Out Fest.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The “AI wave” has brought awareness to many people working in film industry. To tell you the truth, many of us are afraid of losing our job to the AI. When you open your social media app, it’s easy to see videos of an orange cat making Kimchi and educational contents made with the AI. And recently one of the most renowned Hollywood directors made a series of short videos depicting America’s revolutionary war by using the AI. It’s even scary how rapidly the technology has grown.
It’s hard to tell where the ship is heading to in the midst of storm. But we shall keep heading to our direction, and for me, the right direction is to continue to tell one’s unique story. The technology has been always evolving, but the creative storytelling is not replaceable intellectual property.
A ship cannot get through the storm only with a compass. It needs experienced sailors and cooperation and camaraderie among them. Over a century, the motion picture industry has been standing strongly on sweats of a number of individuals who created beautiful images together. A computer may expedite the process of filmmaking, but no machine cannot replace the authenticity of art, which can only be generated when creative individuals work together.
Yes, I’m not a little bit afraid of the future of industry. But it only makes me encouraged to be more creative and supportive to the fellow storytellers.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sky8775/
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36165167/