Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle Kwong. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Michelle, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
Although we’ve seen a lot more diversity and inclusivity in film over the past several years, it’s still a heavily white male dominated industry. Being a woman and a racial minority, we are often overlooked or undermined in our abilities when it comes to positions of leadership or those that require intense physical labor. Throughout my career, people often doubted my physical strength and were surprised and impressed when I declined their offers to lift or carry something heavy and do it myself. On occasion, producers and crew wouldn’t take me seriously when I would lead departments because I was a young woman. I felt that, in order to succeed and move forward, I needed to prove that I was just as good if not better than my male counterparts. As I’ve continued through my career, I’ve become more confident in my abilities and no longer feel that same need to prove myself – because I’ve already done so with the quality of my work and my ability to effectively lead and communicate. I’ve learned those skills through observation and practice, and part of building my self confidence can be attributed to surrounding myself with a supportive network of friends and colleagues who empowered, believed in and supported me. It takes time, but I’m always very grateful to the people who have helped me get to this stage in my career.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Chinese-American director of photography based in Los Angeles who is passionate about telling socially impactful stories that give a voice to underrepresented communities and creating art that showcases more diverse representation.
Ever since I was a young child, I was always fascinated with cameras and the visuals of the world around me. I think my initial interest partially stemmed from my dad, who would always carry a DV camcorder and a digital camera around to capture memories of my formative years alongside my family. Capturing snapshots and small glimpses of life through photography and video was a way for him to preserve memories, but it also inspired me to use it as a medium of self-expression. I was never the talkative type, nor was I especially skilled at writing, but the one way I found I could convey myself and how I perceive the world was through visual imagery.
What inspired me to pursue film was seeing how impactful visual imagery could be and how a story could resonate with people, no matter their background. My first venture into filmmaking was creating a simple highlight reel of on and off court moments for my high school basketball team, but seeing how appreciative and touched my team was inspired me to pursue it as a career. I often find myself drawn to shooting narratives or documentaries about socially impactful stories and/or about underrepresented communities. As a minority myself in many senses of the word, it’s important to me to tell stories that we don’t often see in American media and to bring diversity and inclusivity both in front of and behind the camera.
I’ve shot several short films about queer relationships – such as Paradox of Love, Conditionally, CRAZY and Once Was – that were well received and accepted into several film festivals. Once Was is currently premiering at the Mill Valley Film Festival while my other shorts were accepted into festivals such as OutFest, Dumbo Film Festival, Indie Short Fest and the Independent Short Awards. I also shot my first narrative feature film last year that will be premiering at The Newport Beach Film Festival. The feature film, Exposure, is a pyschological thriller about OCD. A hybrid documentary visual album feature film that I co-DPed is also currently being submitted to film festivals and I am excited to see where both of these feature films will go.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that have been the most impactful in my journey are: humility, patience, and passion.
It is incredibly important to me to remember the difficulties I overcame in order to get to where I am now, and to remember those roots. I’ve seen how getting to a certain stage in your career can inflate a person’s ego and how that can affect their attitude towards people and projects. I’m always extremely thankful for the opportunities that have been given to me, and having the humility to treat each project and every person equally is what has allowed me to create the meaningful stories and relationships that I have today.
Patience is one of the most difficult qualities to have in an industry that moves so quickly. Especially as a young minority in the film industry, it’s hard not to think that everyone else is moving past you when you’ve worked just as hard and just as long. But if you stay in line, your turn will eventually come. Many extremely talented filmmakers have taken years, sometimes even decades, to get to where they are now. Patience and passion were what drove them to keep pushing forward.
Passion is the most important quality to have in this industry. The long hours and days that we work would not be worth it if we weren’t passionate about what we were creating. It’s what prompted me to enter this industry and it’s what keeps me going when times are tough. Amid the pandemic and the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, I’ve struggled to keep myself afloat when job opportunities came to a grinding halt. My passion for filmmaking, and patience to wait out the adversities, is what propels me forward in my career. I could not imagine myself doing anything else.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I love projects with a good story and will allow me to push myself creatively. I am most drawn to socially impactful stories about underrepresented communities, diversity and mental health awareness. I’ve shot so many wonderful films about the LGBTQ+ community, racial minorities, and about mental health but I would love to see and shoot even more! I think filmmaking is such an amazing medium that can impact people around the world, and I would love to work with collaborators who are just as passionate about making an impact as I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michellekwong.com
- Instagram: michellekwong.dp
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-kwong-81400544/
