Michael Liu Welcomed as New ASC Member

Growing up in 1990s China, Michael Liu developed an early fascination with observing others. “I was always the quiet one in the group,” he says. “I struggled to express my emotions, but I possessed a keen observational ability.” While other children played, he preferred watching the light, movement, and other subtle visual details of their playtime that most might overlook.

That instinct grew into something more when he received a gift from one of his uncles: a Seagull film camera. Taking the camera apart and putting it back together, Liu delved into its mechanics and found that it afforded him a new form of expression — one that didn’t require words. “Photography became my most authentic medium for visual storytelling,” he says. He also acquired a deep love of cinema during what he describes as “a golden era with great artistic excellence," watching films like Chungking Express, Raise the Red Lantern, and Farewell My Concubine. International works, like Blade Runner, Schindler’s List, and Se7en, also made a lasting impression upon him. “These films, though diverse in style, are united by their unique narrative and audiovisual expression, and shaped my perspective," he says.

At 18, Liu joined a film crew as an intern, an experience that first introduced him to the Arri 535B: “Its holy light captivated me,” he recalls, crediting his use of the camera with solidifying his dream to become a director of photography. In 2007, Liu enrolled at the Beijing Film Academy, where he studied cinematography in a structured environment and expanded his understanding of light, composition and visual rhythm. He later apprenticed under Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau, HKSC. “Peter and his relentless pursuit of perfection and meticulous attention to detail further crystallized my professional aspirations as a cinematographer," he says.

Liu has since shot a wide range of projects varying in genre and scale, including the spy thriller Seven Killings; the anthology war feature The Sacrifice; director Jia Ling's semi-autobiographical comedy Hi, Mom; the comedic fantasy Mozart From Space; and the sci-fi action-adventure The Wandering Earth II. "Finding suitable visual expression for each genre is extremely fulfilling,” the cinematographer says. “Executing those concepts during production brings even more satisfaction.” In 2020, he received a Golden Lotus Best Cinematography Award nomination for his work on The Sacrifice.

Liu gravitates toward the work of Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, for its precise lighting, and toward that of Robby Müller, NSC, BVK, for its emotional simplicity. He also draws inspiration from Mark Lee Ping-bing, whose work he describes as echoing “the lyrical cadence of Chinese scroll paintings." Other influences include photographer Ho Fan, whose work he admires for its "masterful balance of aesthetic beauty and compelling narrative elements"; painter Egon Schiele, whose "unflinching visual confrontation compels me to examine the dialectic of ‘seeing’ and ‘being seen'"; and architect Tadao Ando, whose "ability to harmonize rigid geometries with organic fluidity remains an enduring source of inspiration for my work.”

When not in production, Liu is steadfastly committed to mentorship and peer education. “Sharing my experiences, experiments and lessons learned with industry friends holds great importance to me," he says. Through his website, he regularly posts lighting and lens tests, case studies and behind-the-scenes insights, noting that is through this work that "I recognized the importance of passing on the torch."

Most recently, Liu continued his creative partnership with Jia Ling to make Yolo, a comedic drama about a reclusive young woman who finds a passion for boxing, and newfound confidence, with help from a struggling trainer. Yolo became the highest-grossing Chinese film of 2024, and was nominated for the 2025 Hong Kong Film Award for Best Asian Chinese Language Film.

Find Michael Liu's website here, and find the ASC's complete membership roster here.