We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isue Shin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isue below.

Alright, Isue thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I recently shot a short film titled ‘Dosh’ – it’s the story of an Indian mother who is trying to keep her family together at all costs. I really resonated with the story and empathisized with the crossroads our main character, Karishma, is placed in. I really enjoy shooting projects about characters that have to make a life-changing choice, as we get deep insight into who they are as people and have a chance to reflect on choices that we’ve made in our own lives. From a technical standpoint, ‘Dosh’ was a great challenge with complex underwater work, steadicam choreography, and car rigging involved. I learned a lot as an artist and in terms of managing the largest crew I’ve worked with. Even amidst the chaos of it all, I tried to stay centered and create grounded images that would do justice to the very real story we were telling, based on the director’s own experiences.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve been making films since I got my hands on a Super 8 camera when I was 17. I studied film theory in college and moved to LA right after graduation, working in documentary, music video, and narrative spaces before coming to the realization that my calling was cinematography – creating images out of story and doing the physical work of movie making.

I work as a cinematographer for primarily narrative projects now, developing the visual language of a film together with the director. We start from what I call the ‘dreaming phase’ where we watch movies together, collect reference images, and most of all, just dig into the script and talk. We make sure that the vision we have for the film is aligned and that we have the same imagery in mind before going into production. During production, I’m in the ‘executing phase’ where I am collecting the equipment and crew to create the imagery that the director and I discussed. A lot of being on set as a DP is problem solving and making sure all the moving parts are focused on serving the story, whether that be camera placement, lighting, or collaboration with art department in terms of the set and props. I think I’m very different in these two phases, as I see myself more as an artist in pre-production, when I feel more freedom to explore, and more as a builder on set when I am focused on putting the images together with the pieces I have prepared.

As a cinematogapher, I think you need to be a good leader, effective communicator, all while thinking as an artist. It’s a tough needle to thread but I’m working on getting these three components in sync in my own practice.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the community of creatives you get to be a part of. I think working in the film industry is unlike anything else, and it’s nice to be able to instantly connect on the quirkiness of our work and the unconventional nature of life on set. When you talk to people about the art that they make, you learn a lot more about them than you would when other people talk about their work.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I think there’s a big ‘hustle culture’ in the creative community and while that might work for some people, I think it’s been important to unlearn that I don’t need to be working all the time, be sleep-deprived, or cut out time for personal relationships to feel like I’m succeeding in my career. My personal life, whether that be with my family, friends, or myself is just as important to me as my work. The more balance I can find within myself, the more I can bring that same energy to set and avoid unnecessary conflicts and stressors. I’m okay with going a little slow.

Contact Info:

• Website: isueshin.com
• Instagram: @isue
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isue-shin-658505b3/

Image Credits
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