Rina Yang is a director of photography based in London. She grew up in a small city in Japan, where she studied still life and portrait painting.
She has been selected for the BAFTA Breakthrough 2020, and she is also the first female DOP ever to win a cinematography award at the British Arrows, as well as being nominated for the best cinematographer in fiction at the BAFTA Cymru Awards 19', making history in both commercials and narrative categories.
Her recent narrative projects include NANNY (Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner), Euphoria (HBO/A24), and her upcoming feature with MGM Studios, entitled ‘Flint Strong’. Topics Discussed:
- Rina’s outlook creating goals for herself
- Rina’s creative stamina
- Taking breaks between shoots
- How she structures her time
- The differences between shooting a feature film, music video, and a commercial
- How she started cinematography
- Her experiences growing up in Japan then moving to London
- Working hard at a very young age
- Getting accepted into university by creating a short film about an older man’s running journey
- Technique vs. intuition
- Building technical knowledge as a cinematographer
- The importance of communicating to your crew as a DP
- Existential realizations spurred by the pandemic
- Personal values
- Her journey into becoming a successful cinematographer
- How her childhood affected her outlook on work
- The occasional lonely reality of being a working cinematographer
- Exploring purpose
- The feeling of being an underdog
- Creative longevity
- The importance of exposure and PR
- Being patient in cultivating skills in any artistic medium
- Giving up too soon
Projects Discussed That Rina Has Worked On:
- Nanny (Directed by Nikyatu Jusu)
- Euphoria
- Flint Strong (Directed by Rachel Morrison; Written by Barry Jenkins)
Books Referenced:
- “The Miracle of a Definite Chief Aim” by Mitch Horowitz
- “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” by Haruki Murakami
Movies Referenced:
- Tokyo Sonata (Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
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