Liu Huaigu, the Dream Catcher

In 2018, Liu directed WKU ’s first graduation micro film “Letter”, and participated in the production of CCTV ’s “The Firsts in Life” in the summer of 2019. Just after 2020, as an intern, he joined the short video we media team — “Cat’s Kitchen”, which has 51 million fans … On the film of life, he expresses with the lens, leaving his own unique image. Nearing graduation, he received the offer from Shanghai Media Group(SMG).

Dream is the best booster

“Don’t be limited by your major. Many choices are not set in stone. Practice is the best way to tell you the truth. It can intuitively make you feel whether you are suitable for the industry and job or not.” Liu told the journalist. Who would have thought that this young man from Wenzhou, who is walking on the road of film and television production, is a student majoring in marketing? For Liu, every choice in life and every experience will not be useless.

Why does he like photography and filming? His reason is very straight. He is eager to record a state with photos. The states may be a couple meeting, a passerby’s hurry, or a crowded bus. Behind these states, the mixed emotions permeate. Liu imagines the story of the people in the photos, and also looks forward to the story that the people watching the photos associate with.

Learning the ABC of filming depends on self-study. He drew lessons from videos in YouTube and Bilibili, bought online courses, studied in projects with students from related majors abroad, and also practiced offline in a Wenzhou’s local wedding imaging company. Day by day, Liu’s works are gradually refined in visual angle, and the composition and light and shadow also become more coordinated.

On campus, he joined the Public Relations Department of Student Ambassadors, the “Moment” Filming Department of Student Media and Design Center, and produced a series of videos, such as “Breakfast” and “Travel with US”. He gradually showed his edge and became the filming expert in WKU. In the summer of 2018, he filmed WKU’s first graduation micro film “Letter”.

Always be prepared

The birth of “Letter” made Liu’s work presented in front of more audiences for the first time. In the past, he only needed to consider whether the composition was beautiful, but now he has to arrange directing, shooting, editing, color matching, etc., and needs to consider the coordination of the scene and all the work in the later stage. Liu said frankly that these are difficulties he had never imagined. But after getting familiar with the team members, they understood each other better, and the shooting gradually went on the right track. Finally, the micro film also won him a significant award, the second prize of the “Moving · Graduation Season” Micro Video Creation Competition. This experience also made Liu realize the importance of teamwork. He realized how helpful it is for self-improvement by being in the right team.

Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. With the previous experiences, he quickly seized the opportunity when it came. When he participated in an event of WKU’s innovation network speech platform WIN, he met a guest, who was later the director of “The Firsts in Life”. Later, Liu received and agreed to the director’s internship invitation. In the professional team of “The Firsts in Life”, he plans the progress with the director and occasionally participates in a small part of the shooting.

In January of this year, Liu joined the creative team of “Cat’s Kitchen”. With the combination of “one person, one cat” and a warm and healing style, “Cat’s Kitchen” has become the most eye-catching head IP in the domestic gourmet self-media. He admitted that “Cat’s Kitchen” is a space for young people to exchange ideas and learn from each other. For him, this is undoubtedly the best stage for him. Now, he is surrounded by fresh knowledge every day, and learning in the team has become an instinct. “If you have an interesting team and work with a group of interesting people, even if the current work is boring and rigid, life will be full of happiness,” he said.

See the world through the lens

Looking through Liu’s Moments of WeChat, you will find many beautiful photos that can be saved directly as wallpapers. His footprints covers all over the world, and the photos that he takes record various cities. He seldom goes to places of interest, but he is interested in fascinating places that are little known. Liu is keen on photographing local people, and also likes to communicate with them and listen to their stories.

The journey brings you not only visual enjoyment, but also a variety of people. Therefore, every holiday, in addition to traveling, Liu will also go to various summits and expos around the world to find like-minded friends there. In his view, connections, though sound worldly, are real resources. This is exactly what happened when he joined the team of “The Firsts in Life”. Today, Liu has traveled through 13 countries and met a group of like-minded partners.

At present, Liu has received the offer from Shanghai Media group(SMG). But he is still not satisfied with the status quo. In addition to photography and video production, he also wants to start his own business and set up his own video company in the future.

“Every time I take a picture, every time I send out a resume, every time I go to a country, I am changing.” After all, for him, if he dares to chase his dreams, there is nothing impossible!