An Inside Look At The New HBO Max Food Series TAKE OUT with Steadicam Operator Jun Li

Director and Steadicam Operator, it's the classic Hollywood duo we all think of, right? Well if that pairing is Director Bao Nguyen and Steadicam Operator Jun Li then yes, it is a symbiotic pairing of creativity that results in greatness. These two professionals have worked together on multiple production which feature some of the biggest names in films today. There's an instant intimacy that Jun Li brings with his skill and approach that has made Bao and many others fans of this too often overlooked profession. The well-known adage "There are no small roles, only small actors" equally is proven true in regards to the Steadicam and Jun Li's fluid and graceful dexterity.

Jun Li has acquired many admirers among his fellow filmmakers regarding his proficiency with complicated "Oners" (a Oner is a long shot that usually shot on Steadicam and involves complicated blocking through the scene and long camera movements that serve the storytelling). Cinematographer Andrew Truong and Bao Nguyen were convinced that Jun Li was the only professional who could execute a complicated Oner that they needed for Together, a production which featured Olivia Munn, Ken Jeong (SAG Award Nominee), Simu Liu (People's Choice Award Winner), Winston Duke (SAG Award Winner), and numerous other A-list actors. Created specifically for YouTube, Together has already attained nearly seven million views.

One of the most impressive part of the shot occurs near the end and was achieved by Jun stepping onto a GF16 crane and ascending twenty feet into the air to catch the final wide shot that gathered together all the cast. This awe inspiring shot was not the result of a drone by rather by well-honed skill and incredible talent.

Cinematographer Andrew Truong professes, "After back to back takes, Jun had the energy to keep going to make it better, with no complaining. I've worked with my steadicam operators and there are very few that have good attitudes because it requires a lot of physical and mental strength- Jun never complained once. I was really impressed at the skill and execution level of 'Together.' From that moment on, I continue to work with Jun and bring him on every single project where a steadicam or camera operator is in need. The ambition and strive to learn and be better is an important quality I look for in all of my crew members. They must always continue to want to make the shot better, in turn that's the only way I can be better. And I have found in Jun."

Impressed by Jun's performance on Together, Director Bao Nguyen quickly enlisted him for the subsequent Take Out. This TV show available on HBO Max and hosted by Daytime Emmy Award Nominee Lisa Ling (formerly host of CNN's This Is Life and ABC's Talk), explores Asian-American history through the lens of food.

Take Out shines in its visual language with scenes executed by Jun such as when Lisa Ling and her interviewee serpentine through a crowded night food market in Westminster in Orange County. It's nearly impossible to believe that this scene was not choreographed with actors performing an intertwining ballet of movements, but it is in actuality simply another example of Jun Li bringing extraordinary moment to what could have been a cumbersome interaction. Bao Nyugen professes, "I love to hear what Jun thinks about composition and camera movement when it comes to a challenging situation. He has a very unique sense of composition that has impressed me on multiple occasions. His aesthetic intuition consistently goes far beyond my expectation. He's absolutely a fantastic operator that every director would love to work with."

Most of us want to be the name and face that everyone knows and clamors to see but Jun Li seeks a different path. For him, it's the gratification of knowing that his work has elevated a scene or a performance by one of his collaborators to the level that audiences and critics point the praise towards them. Pushing himself to reimagine what is possible for a Steadicam Operator to achieve, this is the personal/professional reward that fulfills him and earns Jun Li the admiration and respect of those throughout the Film and TV community. His resume includes working with such names as Steve Carell (Oscar Nominee), Alicia Keys (Grammy Award Winner), Kanye West (Grammy Award Winner), Billie Eilish (Oscar Nominee and Grammy Award Winner), and so many more. While the vast majority of the public may never utter the name Jun Li, those who know, truly know how immensely gifted Jun Li is.

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