Jack Yan chen
Cinematographer | Narrative & Commercial
Jack’s path into cinematography began early, growing up in Toronto and finding connection through images when language wasn’t always available. Movies became a shared vocabulary, and that obsession slowly turned into a career built around visual storytelling.
Jack approaches cinematography like a narrator approaches a novel. His goal is to establish a clear visual language, use subtle choices to guide emotion, and ultimately stay invisible. If the audience forgets about the camera and focuses on the story, he’s done his job.
Visual Style:
Jack’s work is instinctual, restrained, and emotionally driven. He favors small, intentional visual choices that shape mood without calling attention to themselves. His cinematography prioritizes storytelling first, using imperfection, softness, and contrast as tools to guide where the viewer looks and how they feel.
Preferred Camera Package:
This is Jack’s go-to setup when given full creative freedom.
- Camera: ARRI Alexa 35
- Lenses:
- Primary: Canon K35 Primes
- Primary: Canon K35 Primes
Jack loves this combination for its flexibility and character. Wide open, the lenses introduce softness, texture, and subtle imperfections. Stopped down, they shift into a cleaner, more modern look, offering multiple aesthetics from a single package.
- Filters & Matte:
- Diopters
- Rota Pola
- Soft gradient ND
- Diopters
Filters are central to Jack’s workflow. He relies on them to shape the image quickly when lighting conditions aren’t ideal, using diffusion, contrast control, diopters, and soft gradient NDs to subtly guide attention and emotion directly in camera.
- Support:
- Jack builds his camera to be modular, balanced, and fast. His setups move easily between handheld, shoulder, tripod, and alternative rigs, minimizing downtime and keeping momentum on set.
- Never Leave Home Without:
- A carefully curated filter kit. For Jack, filters are an extension of storytelling, allowing instant adjustments to mood, contrast, and focus without slowing down production.“Everything here is chosen so I can run out with the camera, pull focus off the barrel, and keep moving.”
The One Thing He Always Brings:
A massage gun and a soccer ball. One keeps the body ready for long handheld days, the other keeps energy and mindset up on set.
Rent Jack's Pack:
Shoot with Jack’s exact setup by Contacting Ontario Camera and requesting this package.
Advice for Emerging Filmmakers:
“Keep shooting, keep experimenting, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Tools matter, but once you have them, forget the tech and focus on what the image makes you feel.”