We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Liang Dong a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Liang, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
When it comes to self-confidence, my life has been a long journey of change.
As a child, I wasn’t confident at all. Being the youngest in my family, I relied heavily on my parents and brothers, and I felt there was nothing I could do better than others.
That changed when I went to another city for college. For the first time, I had to handle everything on my own—shooting films, managing relationships—and I achieved some success. This recognition from teachers and classmates made me very confident, perhaps even overconfident. I started to believe everything I did was the best.
After graduating, I started a film production company with my cousin. I thought I could handle any project, but reality proved otherwise—clients were dissatisfied, and I wasn’t happy with my own work either. This realization was a heavy blow, and I went through a long period of discouragement.
I stayed in that company for five years, improving my skills but still feeling unsatisfied. Eventually, I decided I didn’t want my life to stay this way. Since filmmaking was my dream, I moved to Los Angeles in 2023 to study film production.
Now, I’ve earned my Master’s degree, and I am no longer the arrogant young person I once was. I am proud and confident in my abilities, but I’ve also learned the value of humility and listening to others.
If I had to sum it up: to gain real confidence, keep learning and gaining experience—over time, it will naturally grow within you.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a filmmaker, and my work mainly focuses on directing, cinematography, and lighting.
What draws me to these roles is the fact that filmmaking is, at its core, the art of storytelling. I love creating worlds and guiding my audience into them—letting them experience joy, sadness, love, friendship, and the warmth of family through my lens.
For me, film is not just entertainment; it’s a way to connect deeply with people. When a story resonates with someone, it can stay with them for years. And if my work can inspire someone—maybe help them see the world in a slightly different way—then I feel I’ve truly done something meaningful.
That’s what keeps me passionate about filmmaking: the ability to move people’s hearts, spark their imagination, and maybe even change their lives, one story at a time.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
When it comes to the film industry, I would say this:
First, you need a genuine desire to touch people’s hearts. That’s the foundation. Only when you have something you truly want to express can you tell a story that captivates others.
Second, film is the art of telling stories through visual and auditory language. That means we need a sensitive eye—one that can discover and appreciate beauty—so we can bring truly beautiful images to our audience.
Lastly, you need the spirit to endure hardship. Filmmaking is not an easy industry; it can be exhausting and demanding. But if you can push through to the very end, the sense of fulfillment you feel is incredibly powerful—and that, to me, is something truly beautiful.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Over the past 12 months, I’ve achieved several things I’m truly proud of.
First, I completed my graduation film—and I love it. I think it’s exciting and a work I can stand behind. I also finished my studies and successfully earned my Master’s degree.
But what I’m most proud of is that, this year, I’ve been able to fully support myself through my own work, without needing any additional financial help from my family. That means a lot to me, especially because this isn’t my home country. I’ve been in Los Angeles for just over two years, and it’s still almost a whole new world to me.
The fact that I can survive and build my life here through my own efforts makes me feel truly proud of myself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: ld_liang
Image Credits
By myself.
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