Remarkable creatives often come from extraordinary places, their unusual backgrounds fuelling unexpected ideas. Cinematographer, Jia Lang, comes from an amphibious unit of the navy.

Lang has just completed Bored, a short film he colour-graded, and Friday at 10, a short film he shot – both extraordinary films for Chronic Pictures, that kicked off his collaboration with Cormac Hyde-corrin, an actor known for Napoleon, Heartstopper and Metanoia. The duo worked closely together on Metanoia where Jia served as colour producer. As a colourist, Jia Lang has also colour-graded Call of the Deathbird by Jozef Van Wissem and Black Pearl by the musician, ELDR, through EMC Productions, with founder and director, Philip James McGoldrick, and producer, Marina Elderton.

Lang is also working with Ross Domoney and Antonis Vradis on Palestine Remembers, a feature documentary in the West bank produced by Shadowgraph Productions that highlights memory as a form of resistance. It is Lang’s second feature length project as colourist, the first being Tramp by Philip James McGoldrick about a Polish female MMA fighter based in the UK.

And he recently graded the music video, Hurt You Most, for London-born singer-songwriter, Veronica.

Lang’s journey from an outstanding hunter who used to wake up every day with tear gas that made his skin burn, to UK cinematographer, specialising in short film, documentary, and commercial, diverges significantly from the traditional route of most directors of photography. He bypassed the traditional, “trainee gradually working their way up through the camera department” completely. Instead, his experience as a DOP he says, was like to being “airdropped into the vastness of the Gobi Desert”, navigating unknown terrain with minimal guidance, relying on his instincts based on muscle memory, staying calm in the face of despair and constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity.

Lang also bypassed the traditional decade of apprenticeship, becoming a DOP in just 18 months after starting from scratch in the UK. His background in the marines, he says, has equipped him with a unique resilience and adaptability that set him apart in the industry. “I would say that war training has helped me not to be afraid of the unknown and to stay calm in a variety of non-linear situations in a way that most civilians simply can’t,” he noted.

“I arrived in the UK at the age of 37, knowing almost nothing but handling weapons and the associated chain of command. After a period of stumbling around, I realised that my transferable skills were closest to cinematography as well as creative software like adobe and black magic,” Lang commented. “This is the version of my story that is closest to the truth. But even if I blurred out almost all the details, I would still be suspected of endangering national security if I went public with it. So sometimes I have to go with cover stories to avoid getting into unnecessary crises…”

…Christine Juster, Sychelle’s grandmother, is among the ones who changed the course of Jia’s life. Sychelle-Kristina Yanda, writer and director of KOKO, tells, “My British-Congolese comedy short, KOKO, (means grandma in Lingala; the Congolese dialect) was written at a time when I was grieving the loss of my grandmother, Christine Juster. Jia Lang and I met at the NFTS back in 2021 when my family were looking after a photographer for my grandma’s funeral. We had a long chat about career goals after the funeral and then realised that our paths were somewhat aligned. I wanted to write, he wanted to shoot. We knocked heads and started making music videos together before making our short film, Time Won’t Heal, together at the beginning of 2023.”

Christine

Time Won’t Heal, executive produced by Joi Productions, who produced Blue Story, was the kick-start for Lang’s career. KOKO, Lang’s second short film as a DOP, was supported by Phoebe Frances Brown Film Fund and screened at Close Up Cinema in London, and Run, a music video he shot and colour-graded for Blessing Nicole Yanda, had its world premiere in May 2024 at the Oscar Qualifying Atlanta Film Festival and screened at the BIFA Qualifying Sunderland Shorts Film Festival the same month.

In a meteoric career so far with more promise on the horizon, Jia Lang is most proud of something as unexpected as his career itself. “I’m proud to say that I’ve become well known in the Congolese community since Christine’s funeral. Sometimes people would ask me, ‘Hey, are you the photographer from the funeral of Christine?’ I would always respond. ‘Yes, I am part of the family and everyone knows I’m Congolese myself.’ And then everyone would laugh.”

Khushik Mangal, producer and founder of Chronic Pictures,commented, “Jia Lang is a rising cinematographer with a distinct visual style, characterised by a keen eye for detail and a profound understanding of light and composition that has set him apart in the industry.”

“Our partnership has seen Jia take on increasingly prominent roles, starting with Friday at 10, where he expanded his expertise beyond colour grading to serve as the film’s cinematographer. This marked a pivotal moment in his career, as he crafted the visual narrative with a compelling blend of technique and intuition, effectively bringing the story to life. His work on this project underscores his ability to evoke emotion and enhance storytelling through the lens, setting the stage for more ambitious projects ahead.”

Looking ahead, Jia and Khushik are poised to continue their collaboration with several new projects anticipated this year, including Cormac Hyde-Corrin’s second short film as director, which is an ambitious sci-fi. This upcoming film will use Jia’s cinematographic skills to explore new visual frontiers, aligning with their shared commitment to innovative storytelling.