Illuminating Stories: The Artistry of Lighting Designer Weichao Zhao
Behind an unforgettable cinematic moment lies the artistry of light, and lighting designer Weichao Zhao has perfected the craft of making shadows and illumination. This talented artist has turned his passion for visual narrative into a notable career that spans features, experimental shorts, music videos, and vertical work. Zhao’s journey into lighting design began with his admiration while watching Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. The film showed him how light could function as a storyteller in its own right. “Lighting is not just about allowing the audience to see the actors’ faces,” Zhao reflects. “It’s about creating the atmosphere envisioned by the director and subtly guiding and shaping the audience’s emotions.” Initially unimpressive, the space transformed once the lights were set. “It was as if the lights had given it a soul,” Zhao recalls. That experience built his interest in being a lighting designer.
The breakthrough project that shaped his career was the science-fiction movie ISSAC, released in 2023. Being involved right from pre-production rendering to set programming gave full exposure to the role of a lighting designer. Production required designing a believable future world using only light, which left him responsible for controlling nearly 1,000 units of lighting across two DMX universes in real-time. “I employed a large network of practical fixtures, LED panels, and programmable effects to establish an otherworldly yet emotionally grounded atmosphere,” Zhao reflects. By breaking the light into interactive layers —foreground, mid-ground, and background — he created depth and movement that infused the room with a living, breathing quality, serving to enhance and never interrupt the flow of the story. Contrastingly Not That Rich (2023) presented a different kind of challenge. Based on realism, the movie utilized natural light extensively, so restraint and subtlety were necessary. The project strengthened his conviction that, at times, “knowing when not to light” is equal to taking risks with design.
Zhao always insists that creativity and technical proficiency are not opposites but allies. This philosophy is evident in his approach to both film and live events, where he envisions lighting not as a supporting element but as a core narrative language. His vision has been applied across diverse projects. In Home (2023), an experimental short film screened at the Festival de Cannes and the LA Shorts, Zhao used delicate changes in hue and brightness to reflect the protagonist’s emotions and inner world. For Swallowtail & Dragonfly (2022), he faced the challenge of recreating 1930s Shanghai on location in the United States. By methodically conducting lighting tests, cycling through various color temperatures, diffusions, and softness levels, he achieved the texture of an earlier era. The film’s recognition at the Veneto International Film Festival and the American Motion Picture Festival validated Zhao’s approach.
Zhao’s adaptability extends far beyond narrative film, where his craft continues to evolve through music videos and experimental endeavors. On projects such as Holy Wars (2023), Two Sides (2023), and Sharan (2023), Zhao takes advantage of the artistic liberty to experiment with rhythm, mood, and visual storytelling. Working closely with artists and directors, Zhao brings sound to life through light, determining means to replicate musical dynamics through meticulously composed visual decisions. In Holy Wars, inspired by Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, he created intense, color-saturated zones that divided the video into separate visual chapters, delivering audiences a cinematic narrative related to the music. Conversely, in “Two Sides,” he employed subtle tonal nuances and soft contrasts to reflect the dualities and tensions of the song, illustrating his attentiveness to atmosphere and meaning. His versatility is also seen in works such as EKG (2023), which premiered at FILMOUT San Diego LGBTQ Film Festival as well as at the Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. There, Zhao turned a silent, intimate moment into an emotionally intense one by manipulating a flickering light as the external manifestation of inner conflict. The soft blackout and return of illumination emphasized the characters’ subtext, and the emotions were felt almost tangibly by the audience. Through these diverse ventures, Zhao proves his ability to bridge the boundaries between music, film, and emotion, creating images that resonate well beyond the screen.
From Cannes- screened shorts to festival-honored features, from science fiction epics to intimate dramas, Weichao Zhao has demonstrated that lighting is not merely about visibility, but about vision. His work reflects a steadfast dedication to authenticity, emotion, and innovation, driven by a deep passion for film. As he continues to light up new worlds in film, live events, and music, Zhao is redefining what it takes to tell stories with light one frame at a time.
Read more about Weichao Zhao at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11166322/
