Faculty
Quyen Tran is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer who prioritizes story above all else. She splits her time between features and television, having shot multiple pilots and series for HBO, Netflix, and FX. Her feature cinematography credits include PALM SPRINGS (Hulu), starring Andy Samberg and J.K. Simmons, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and broke the record for the highest-selling Sundance film; the Columbia Pictures release LIFE IN A YEAR, starring Jaden Smith and Carla Delevingne; and the upcoming film BROTHERS, starring Josh Brolin, Brendan Fraser, and Peter Dinklage. Other recent credits include the STAR WARS Disney+ series AHSOKA starring Rosario Dawson and David Tennant; the FX/Hulu series A TEACHER starring Rooney Mara; the acclaimed award-winning Netflix limited series MAID starring Margaret Qualley; the Apple+ series ROAR; the Starz comedy MINX; the pilot for the Peabody Award-winning Netflix drama UNBELIEVABLE, directed by Lisa Cholodenko and starring Kaitlyn Dever, Toni Collette and Merritt Weaver; the HBO series CAMPING with Jennifer Garner; and the HBO series HERE AND NOW.
Her directing credits include MAID (Netflix), ROAR (Apple+), and the upcoming Netflix limited series THE MADNESS.
In the documentary world, Tran is a frequent collaborator of director Grace Lee, whose film AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS, won the distinguished Peabody Award. Recently, Tran traveled to a refugee camp in Kenya to document a story about girls’ education for the nonprofit organization Girl Rising. She is passionate about mentoring, frequently appearing as a guest speaker for universities and high schools between projects. She is an official mentor for Project Involve in addition to having informal mentees.
Beginning her career as a still photographer, Tran gained acclaim for her stunning images of the heartbreaking destruction of 9/11. She strives for emotive cinematography, capturing the humanity and truth of each moment, regardless of the subject matter. She has shot films throughout the United States and all over the world, including New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Canada, Thailand, Japan, China, Russia, Italy and Vietnam.
Tran was featured in American Cinematographer as an ASC Rising Star in 2017 and was named in Variety’s 10 DPs to Watch 2019. She also was awarded the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, UCLA.
When she isn’t on set, Tran is an avid gardener, baker, cook, and mother. She is highly involved in charitable work through her ongoing “DOUGH-rectors Of Photography” fundraiser for the L.A. Food Bank which has helped to generate over 100,000 meals.