My first experience on set was as a PA working on a FedEx commercial in Hong Kong. I remember glancing at my watch as I went on yet another mission to buy ice for drinks and Marlboro cigarettes for the director, and noticed that it has been more than 21 hours since the day began. I asked myself, “Is this for me?” As I came back to set carrying fresh ice cubes I heard the assistant director call out, “AAACTION!” followed by 50+ background performers moving boxes in a backlit warehouse, and out of no where comes the lead actor flying through the air on a wire rig with 12 grips pulling at the cables… The answer to my question became clear, “Hell yes.” That was the day I began.
I was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Canada. The experience above was from a summer interning at a commercial house (Salon Films) in Hong Kong. In my childhood and adolescence, drawing and painting was and still is a major pastime. So during my studies at Ryerson University (Toronto, Canada) for film production, my drawing skills and practice in composition came into good use as we visualized our shots. It was at that time I began working as a storyboard artist part time and was exposed to many types of productions. Lighting and camerawork became my focus as I finished school.
I assisted and storyboarded for a couple of years afterwards. Meanwhile I continued to shoot short films and music videos. Little by little, these projects opened up opportunities to shoot commercials, music videos and other short films. The exposure from film festivals (Toronto International, LA Shorts, Reel Asian, Victoria International…) and trade magazines (Post, DV, Film and Video) eventually propelled me into shooting my first dramatic feature in 2004.
Since then I’ve had the good fortune of shooting commercials, features films and television series both in North America and in Asia for over two decades.
Award: Canadian Screen Awards 2023 - Best Photography in Lifestyle/Competition for Mary Makes It Easy
Other fun facts:
1. Invented the NORI SquareBounce Collapsible Lighting Reflector in 2012 and received the TV Technology Magazine’s Mario Award for 10 Best Products at NAB 2012
2. I draw on napkins and coffee sleeves for fun. KevinDrawingOnNapkins.com (Kevin Drawing on Napkins)