Music is a language unto itself and a dance that emanates from the creators to the receivers. There is a visual counterpart to this artform as well, one understood on an intimate level by cinematographer Hao Yu. From K-pop bands to the incredibly successful Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music, Hao has exhibited a remarkable ability to communicate rhythm and flow whether that be in a conversational or performative scenario. Whether visual or sonically, the most accomplished artists will tell you that they don’t want to explain what they want, they just want someone who gets it; which is Hao Yu. When not on set, Hao can be found contributing his expertise to the film community in other ways including judging at events like the HPA Awards (Hollywood Professional Association), where he was one of the final judges for Color Grading theatrical feature film including Top Gun, No Time to Die, and others.
Apple’s Zane Lowe Show features interviews with the most famous of music artists from all genres. The approach to crafting each episode reveals itself to be much more than simply just an interview between host and interviewee. Each and every episode is tailor designed to communicate the achievements, music, and personality of the featured artist. Vacillating between handheld, lockoff, dolly, and even street documentary style camera approaches, the show is recognized for its willingness to rebuke any template in seeking to calibrate to the tone of each artist who is interviewed. Working on the series with such diverse artists as Marilyn Manson, Megan Thee Stallion, and Usher (all multiple Grammy Award Winning Artists), there’s ample opportunity for Hao to explore diversity in the program’s setting. He relates, “Yes, this is a talk show but we want the audience to feel and experience it as if they were also next to the artist and Zane, listening in. I intentionally want to free the camera more than I usually would so that I can be able to go with the flow. I always feel the importance of capturing an artist’s performance during the interview. For example, during the episode which featured Fred Again (Brit Award Winning producer/singer/songwriter), he would just free solo some live music and showcase what he loves about it and discuss it. For me, it’s these real moments that are the most exciting for us to show what the artist are like. It’s like experiencing a personal private concert.”
That same conviction to bringing out the individuality of an artist can be more demanding when working within a genre as defined as K-pop. These artists have a highly established look and sound so when Hao Yu was approached to work on his first ever K-pop music video, the challenge intrigued him enough to accept the offer. Working with the team from Korean based KQ Entertainment, Hao knew the predisposition to what is acceptable for a boy band such as KQ Fellaz whilst adamant about his responsibility to bring out their unique qualities. He admits, “This was my first K-pop music video and I had to remind myself not to go to ‘Hollywood’ in the visual style. Still, we made use of locations that are the opposite of a Korean City: cityscapes with deep blue skies, graffiti emblazoned alleyways, and iconic Sothern California settings.” “Geek” is the debut from KQ Fellaz and lays the foundation for what looks to be a very promising young band.
Hao Yu finds nothing unusual about the fact that from day to day he may be working with the most acclaimed international artists or those who are just beginning their career. This is because, in Hao’s mind, every artist is in search of finding the best and most true version of what they have to offer. For someone like himself who is always on the other side of the camera, unseen by the public, this journey allows the ultimate freedom of creation and recreation on every project Hao undertakes. He stipulates, “For me, the opportunity to work with so many amazing artists is fascinating. It’s always inspiring to see them perform or talk about their music and how it has effected their lives and the lives of others. It’s incredibly rewarding for me to see others strive for a best version of themselves.”
Writer: Coleman Haan