Shuying Liu has been a Sony user since the start of her filmmaking journey. Her first camera was a Sony HDR-AX2000E as her 16th birthday present. She was so excited to have it and taught herself how to do a few tricks on camera, and started filming for a wedding photography company. Since then, she has only used Sony cameras throughout her career. From the Alpha 7S, Alpha 7S II, Alpha 7 III, FS5 and now Alpha 7S III, FX3, FX6, FX9.

For herself, there’s a strong bond of trust between her cameras and herself because no matter the condition, the cameras have never given up on her. Especially when she first started working with FX6.

She cites a lot of features in this small-bodied camera as key features that have helped immensely in her cinematography. Things like built-in electronic variable ND, reliable autofocus, touch focus, lens compensation, and the dual base sensitivity are a few of them. She also credits the light weight of the camera body and the amazing image it can produce in almost every scenario made the filmmaking experience more immersive for her.

For production of The Cabinet, Shuying Liu says three main features helped them achieve their artistic visions: the lightweight camera body, auto/touch focus system, and low-light capability.

She was very excited about the FX6 because of its small and compact body. Intricate moving shots in high quality are now easier to achieve. The FX6 is easy to use on a handheld gimbal, on a lightweight slider, dolly, and more.

As a cinematographer, she says she was limited by her physical strength due to camera weights and hopes that cinema technology will move towards a direction where it enables more people to create and collaborate.

With a team of fewer than 15 crew members, everyone has to multitask. The touch focus made pulling focus very easy for a smaller crew. In one particular instance, Shuying says they had their gaffer holding a reflector while touch focusing and she was moving on a gimbal system doing a long take. The auto focus was responsive and accurate.

The FX6’s 15+ stops of dynamic range and the low-light capability came in handy with one of their night scene shootings with limited lighting resources available. The dynamic range allowed them to preserve the details on things like kitchen lights, lamp shades, but also have details in the shadow areas. The scene was shot with the second base ISO, enabling them to light the scene with minimal light gear that still looked convincing, natural, and aesthetically pleasing.

Compared to other cinema cameras, Shuying cites a significant improvement in image quality, colour science, and day-to-day usability, she’s also a big fan of the new colorimetry inspired by VENICE. The Cabinet was shot in S-Log3. The skin tone is warm and nice, the colour grade was easy, and could be pushed pretty far without breaking.

The camera's Gyro stabilisation provides a post-stabilization possibility for users, and comparing the wrap stabilisation, or the stabilisation in After Effect to stabilisation in Catalyse Browse, the result from the latter was stunning according to her. The crop is minimal, with rarely any warping. The stabilisation paired with a properly executed gimbal or stabiliser mount can mimic a lot of dolly tracking or even small crane shots, which she used for all the shots taken in the dark void scene in The Cabinet.

Here’s a short Q&A with Shuying Liu herself:

“The Cabinet'' was inspired by the true story of a married couple. How did you come up with the narrative and what drew you to create this touching film?

The dilemma is how do we decide to hold on or let go. Using the cabinet as a metaphor, I really hope to express the beauty of both sides.

The characters Mary and Vincent were based on my partner's grandparents. They were married for their whole adult life. Vin left a memoir. Being the excellent account that he was, the document was a very detailed account of what they owned, where they lived, and what they did in numbers. But the only thing that he wasn't able to quantify, was how much they loved each other. Vin passed just before I met my partner, so I only had the pleasure of meeting Mary in her early 90s. She was such a charming lady. Even though her mobility was very restricted because her muscles can no longer support her up very well, she still tried to dance to my piano playing.

Often, she would say that she already had a wonderful life, but now she wanted to pass on and be with her beloved husband in Heaven. They had their good and bad moments, but they kept fixing their relationship and kept the love alive.

Our society is advancing towards a more efficient way of life. With the help of the internet, tech, and intense marketisation, we live in an era when truly it is incredible to be a consumer. We could buy the newer, better version of things with just a click anywhere, to replace the older, lesser version we had. As much as it is very convenient, it also spoils us to the point that we rarely cherish what we had. It is also alarming to see this kind of mentality bleed into our attitude towards relationships, careers, and life. It is harder to see what Mary and Vin had nowadays. 

However, one can also argue that tenacity and stubbornness are two different things. Knowing when to let go is also a part of wisdom. Just like Mary said in the film "Not everyone you lose is a loss. Life might seem long, but it is not long enough to waste on someone who does not reflect the best parts in you."

Do you have any advice for filmmakers interested in using Sony’s Cinema Line cameras?

I think the Cinema Line from Sony is a set of really great tools for filmmakers to pick up and create with a sense of ease. Technology has advanced to help liberate cinematographers from the limitations such as low-light shooting environments, small crews, and more. My only advice would be to go out and film. You will learn from your success and your mistakes. You will enjoy the process of filming no matter if you are going solo or collaborating with a group of passionate people.

As once said by Stanley Kubrick "If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed." I stand by that quote.

Turn your films into something more. The Cinema Line range of cameras take out most of the technical fuss in filmmaking, leaving you with the most creative freedom to play around with, and tell your stories the way you want to.