American Cinematographer - March 2009 - (Page 48) A Life Full of Miracles Top: Liu poses with camera operator/future ASC member Lowell Peterson (center), 2nd AC Lex Rawlins (right) and 1st AC Doug Scott (seated) on the set of the NBC series The Duck Factory. Middle: Liu enjoys a light moment with actor Ed Asner on the set of Lou Grant. Bottom: Liu checks the light for a Lou Grant exterior. ends of the silent cinema. By the time he reached high school, he had begun experimenting with his brother’s 8mm Kodak camera. “I was fascinated with moving pictures, but I never thought I would end up in the business,” he says. “I was very fortunate.” Inspired by Walter Pidgeon’s portrayal of a U.S. ambassador to Mexico in Holiday in Mexico (1946), Liu set his sights on a career in diplomacy, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. Upon graduating, however, he realized that such a career did not align with his principles. “The saying was, ‘An ambassador is an honest man sent abroad to tell lies,’” he notes. “When I heard that, I decided it wasn’t for me.” In 1949, Liu made his way to Hong Kong and took his first steps toward a career in filmmaking. A friend brought him to Great Wall Studio, where he found work as a boom man in the sound department. Great Wall was also home to Chuang Kuo Chuen, who financed, wrote, directed and shot features, and in 1951, when Chuang was offered a chance to be the director of photography on a film in Taiwan, Liu worked as his assistant. The two remained close, and in 1957, Liu married Chuang’s daughter, Ivy. In 1959, sponsored by the National Academy of Arts and Crafts in Taiwan, Liu made his first trip to the United States, with the understanding that he would teach others upon his return to Taiwan. With the U.S. government paying his tuition, he was sent to the University of Southern California, where one of his professors, Herbert Farmer, encouraged him to pursue a graduate degree. Liu subsequently earned a master’s in film from USC. During his studies, Liu met Howe and Wise, and a few years later, when Wise went to Taiwan to make The Sand Pebbles 48 March 2009
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