Rina Yang (born 1986) is a British cinematographer based in London. She became the first Asian woman to join the British Society of Cinematographers and was named a 2020 BAFTA Breakthrough. She was also the first woman cinematographer to be nominated for a BAFTA Cymru for fiction. She won a VMA for her work on Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero".
Early life Born to a Korean family, Yang grew up in Japan. As a creative child, her mother encouraged her to take up still life and portrait painting; she became interested in film at 16. Yang initially intended to study economics at university, but was inspired to leave Japan at 20 by a friend who lived in England and pursue a creative field. She graduated from the Met Film School with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Practical Filmmaking, awarded by the University of West London.
Career From 2012 to 2015, Yang began her career doing music videos for a number of folk, rock and electric artists. Her portfolio expanded significantly in 2016 to the likes of Corrine Bailey Rae, Blossoms and FKA Twigs. This included Raye's music video "I U US" directed by Charli XCX. The following year, Yang reunited with Raye for "You Don't Know Me" with Jax Jones and with FKA Twigs for one of several Nike campaigns Yang worked on. Yang also worked with artists such as Dua Lipa, Zara Larsson, Niall Horan, and Björk, and Sam Fender across 2017 and 2018.
Yang was credited with additional photography on the Channel 4 comedy-drama The End of the F***ing World (2017), marking her first television project, and had her first feature film project as second unit director of photography on the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). She earned a BAFTA Cymru nomination for her work on the Through the Gates installment of the anthology On the Edge (2018).
In 2019, Yang worked on three episodes of the Netflix crime drama Top Boy for its third series. She reunited with FKA Twigs for the music videos "Cellophane" and "Home with You", Charli XCX for "2099" with Troye Sivan, as well as Dua Lipa in 2020 for two tracks with Madonna. Yang filmed Stella Corradi's BBC One film Sitting in Limbo (2020) on the Windrush scandal as well as Nadia Hallgren's documentary Becoming.
Yang appeared on the British Vogue list of 12 Young Creatives in 2021 and joined the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) in 2022. Yang began working with Taylor Swift on All Too Well: The Short Film (2021), earning Yang her MTV VMA nomination. Yang was invited back for Swift's Midnights music videos the following year and won a VMA for "Anti-Hero". Also in 2022, she gained prominence as cinematographer of an episode of the HBO drama Euphoria and Nikyatu Jusu's psychological horror film Nanny. Yang further went into film with The Fire Inside (2024), for which she earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination.
Artistry In an interview, Yang named the Coen brothers' Fargo (1996), Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbour Totoro (1988), Yasujirō Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953), and Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express (1994) as some of her favourite films.
Personal life As of 2019, Yang was based in Clapton, East London.
Filmography Film Year Title Director Notes 2016 Lost Youth Taichi Kimura Short film 2017 Baby Mine Nour Wazzi Short film 2018 Bohemian Rhapsody As second unit d.o.p 2019 Kiss of the Rabbit God Andrew Thomas Huang Short film 2020 Becoming Nadia Hallgren Documentary Actress Daisy Lewis Short film 2022 Nanny Nikyatu Jusu 2024 The Fire Inside Rachel Morrison 2025 O'Dessa Geremy Jasper 2026 Mother Mary David Lowery With Andrew Droz Palermo
Television Year Title Director Notes 2017 The End of the F***ing World Jonathan Entwistle 2 episodes; as additional photography 2018 On the Edge Stella Corradi Anthology: Through the Gates 2019 Top Boy Aneil Karia 3 episodes 2020 Sitting in Limbo Stella Corradi Television film 2021 Super. Human. Short 2022 Euphoria Sam Levinson Episode: "A Thousand Little Trees of Blood"
Music videos Song Year Artist Notes "Life Size Ghosts" 2012 Mt Wolf "Shapeshift" 2013 "Hypoflight" "The Village" Tunng "Midnight Shallows" Mt Wolf "Nothing Stays the Same" 2014 Luke Sital-Singh "Last Orders" Nothing but Thieves "Who You Love" Kindess feat Robyn "I'll Be Back" 2015 Kindness "Bad Boyfriend" Spector "Red" Mt Wolf "Till the End" Lucy Rose "Love the Jobs You Hate" Honne "London Bars" Chase & Status "It Gets Cold" Eliza and the Bear "Be Apart" 2016 Porches "Green Aphrodisiac" Corinne Bailey Rae "In My Car" Gold Panda "Kicks" Lauren Aquilina "All Four Walls" Gorgon City feat Vaults "Milk & Honey" Billie Marten "At Night" MNEK "Charlemagne" Blossoms "Weekend" Louis the Child and Icona Pop "UDSM" Kloe "Liability" "Good Together" Honne "I, U, US" Raye Directed by Charli XCX "Not Gonna Break Me" Jamie N. Commons "Prima Donna" Vince Staples "Take Me for a Ride" Holy Oysters "ROOMs" FKA Twigs "Copper Kiss" Sälen "Garden" Emeli Sandé "Dye My Hair" Alma "Scared to Be Lonely" 2017 Martin Garrix and Dua Lipa "Thinking 'Bout You" Dua Lipa "In the Morning" Nao "You Don't Know Me" Jax Jones feat Raye "On My Mind" Disciples "Don't Let Me Be Yours" Zara Larsson "Sun of Jean" Loyle Carner "Too Much to Ask" Niall Horan "Arisen My Senses" Björk "In My View" 2018 Young Fathers "Blue Lights" Jorja Smith "Street Fighter Mas" Kamasi Washington "Dead Boys" Sam Fender As camera operator "Pure Water" Skepta "Cellophane" 2019 FKA Twigs Live at the Wallace Collection "2099" Charli XCX feat Troye Sivan "Home With You" FKA Twigs "Rocket Fuel" DJ Shadow feat De La Soul "Levitating (The Blessed Madonna Remix)" 2020 Dua Lipa feat Madonna "Club Future Nostalgia" "Diamonds" Sam Smith "Savior Complex" Phoebe Bridgers All Too Well: The Short Film 2021 Taylor Swift "Anti-Hero" 2022 "Bejeweled" "Lavender Haze" 2023 "Training Season" 2024 Dua Lipa "All over me" 2025 Haim "Gorgeous" Doja Cat
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 2019 BAFTA Cymru Best Photography and Lighting Through the Gates 2022 MTV Video Music Awards Best Cinematography All Too Well: The Short Film 2023 MTV Video Music Awards "Anti-Hero" Girls on Film Awards Best Cinematographer Nanny 2024 British Arrows Nike campaign Camerimage Golden Frog for Best Cinematography The Fire Inside 2025 Independent Spirit Awards Best Cinematography
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