We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yiran Chen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Yiran, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I worked on a short film titled “Ornamental Oriental,” which examined the questions a multiracial Asian American girl had about her identity and the meaning of life. I intended to simulate how a human brain interprets memories, dreams, and illusions by choosing the unique position of the camera’s eyes. I intend to share and expose further storles to a global audience in the future that have a Chinese cultural basis.
Yiran, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Having graduated from LMU with an MFA in cinematography, I always feel cinematography constantly strives to go in two different paths. the more detached and immersed. I’m trying now to offer an unusual perspective on it that the public doesn’t often see. I’m always looking to question the cliches and traditions that have been engrained in film history. Instead than appealing to people’s instinctive pleasure or resentment, I want to show a more nuanced, authentic world that is full of contradictory sensations and the beauty of ambiguity.
I just finished a scene in my work that is really dramatic and emotionally charged. I made the decision to position the camera far from the characters. It nearly brings back memories of watching opera on stage. We made the decision to have the audience reconsider the structure of the distinct families- the factor that leads to the tragedy in this story —instead of allowing them to become overwhelmed by their feelings. The audience’s perception of being detached from the group of those people is echoed by the absence of their attentions to those people in real life. It reinforces the narrative by pointing out how significant this moment is cause this shot works so differently than other shots which are more like the child’s perspectives.
Cinematography, in my opinion, is less about portraying reality or facts and more about imagination and extension. If the story were a stone falling into water, the goal would be to illustrate the ripple’s delicate nature and where it is going. I am completely enamored with independent/artsy films; they are generally dramas that utilize the viewpoint of a restricted group of people to portray society and history as a whole. I’m greatly influenced by European filmmakers like the Dardenne brothers, Vittorio Storaro, Andrel Tarkovsky, and Alain Renal. Personally, I enjoy long shots, using light painting, and designing specific spaces for the characters to walk around and ponder.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My deep emotional connection to my home is the source of my passion for cinematography. I love my hometown because it is special to me and an integral part of who I am. I left my hometown and its people because they wish to keep me there forever. This bitter love intrigued me. No matter why you are drawn to something that isn’t perfect, you can’t help but follow your heart and go for what you recognize and connect with.
Growing up, I would frequently flee from home, but ends up trying to get the ideal duplicate of ‘home’. I can’t get enough of that irony and sense of loss. All of my artistic endeavors in a broader world are based on my sense of “Nostalgia”. I realized that as the families passed away one by one since coming to the US to further my studies, my bond with my home was eroding and that soon I might not be able to keep it going at all. When I watch or create a film, l always look for a specific emotional resonance at a given scene, particularly in those that depict a character’s search for identification and belonging.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The short film “Ornamental Oriental,” which I’m working on now, explores a multiracial Asian American woman’s doubts about who she is and what life is all about. I want to take on the role of the camera’s eyes and mimic how a human brain processes memories, dreams, and illusions. I hope to share and expose more stories with a Chinese cultural foundation in the future to a worldwide public. When the works that reflect a part of myself are watched and acknowledged by the public, and individuals from minority groups feel seen and shown on the screen, it is the most fulfilling for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yiranchendp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yiranchen_dp?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yiran.chen.562
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yiran-chen-456948190/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ElaineChen1997
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chenyiran649/playlists
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details_review_drafts?userid=SIzgTJxgwdLibtcKyRV6Ew