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AD 230 | Rina Yang
“Cultivating Skills and Creative Longevity”


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)

rinayang.com
instagram.com/the_rinayang
twitter.com/the_rinayang
Posted 3.21.2022


About

"I started this series as a means for exploration, an exploration of self, and an exploration of the perspectives of other artists.

This series is an unabridged documentation of conversations between artists. It’s a series dedicated to breaking down the barriers we tend to set up in our own minds. I want to inspire future creatives to have the courage to explore and experiment. This is about making dreams a reality and not about letting our dreams fall to the wayside.

My intention is to give my audience a sense of real human connection, something that feels rich and organic.

When I was thinking of a title I thought of the word “movement”.

In relation to the Renaissance period in art, my goal for this program is to signify a rebirth of consciousness towards the way we look at contemporary art."

- Yoshino
Contact

info@artistdecoded.com