01 Sep 2023
We are pleased to welcome and introduce new faculty members to the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, the Academy of Film and Creative Technology, School of Film and TV Arts. They are Tian Leng and Morgan Peline. Having them on board, the School can further improve the teaching quality, expand the faculty capacity, and provide an excellent education for our programmes.
Tian Leng
Courses taught
- FTA 240 – Production Techniques for Digital Media
- FTA 119 - TV Graphic Design and Special Effects
- FTA 219 – Visual Effects Craft
Research interests
My research objective is to express the sociocultural experiences with digital media in the age of media convergence through the means of computer-generated images and sound.
Bio
Tian Leng is a media technologist and artist. His research interest concerns the changing form of media production in the age of metaverse as it relates to the development of visual effects and 3D animation. He situates his creative and technical endeavors around different approaches, such as visual effects, virtual production, camera motion control, motion capture, and 3D audio. Tian Leng provides creative and technical solutions on in-camera visual effects, LED wall technology, and interactive installations for projects across the media industries. He studied entertainment technology and film and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the City University of New York.
Morgan Peline
Courses taught
Morgan will teach the Art of Cinematography and supervise student’s Collaborative Projects
Research interests
Currently, Morgan is researching modes of financing micro/low budget Chinese European feature film co-productions.
Bio
I hold an MA in Film Production (Fiction) from the Northern Film School, Leeds Beckett University, England. An MA in Cinematography from the English National Film and Television School, where I was mentored by Brian Tufano BSC (Brian Tufano BSC (BAFTA winner for Billy Elliot) and Billy Williams BSC (Oscar winner for Gandhi). And an MA with Distinction in Global Film and Television from the University of Hertfordshire.
In 2007, I was invited to the Budapest Cinematography Masterclass. My mentors were Vilmos Zsigmond ASC (Oscar winner for Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and Elemér Ragályi HSC (Emmy winner for Rasputin).
I have worked in the English film and television industry as a Camera Assistant and since graduating NFTS, I have worked as a freelance Director of Photography.
In 2022, I was artist-in-residence in Cinematic Design & Immersive Videography at the School of Film and Television of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
I have taught cinematography at City University of Hong Kong, the Academy of Film of Baptist University of Hong Kong, the Open University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Hong Kong Institute for Vocational Education, the Hong Kong Design Institute, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and Lasalle College of the Arts of Singapore.
TALK
Why teaching at XJTLU/SoFTA？
Tian: I’m delighted to join the SoFTA faculty at XJTLU. As a media professional, I believe that our creative and technological innovation play a critical role in understanding the rapid shift in both real and virtual worlds. The university’s commitment to prepare students to address global challenges and exploring new models for higher education aligns with my principles in research and practices.
Morgan: I am a Frenchman, whose father is French, whose mother is Hong Kong Chinese, who grew up in Hong Kong speaking English, French and Cantonese whilst studying in British style international schools, and who eventually went live and study in the UK.
As someone who is at his core the essence of multicultural diversity, I find XJTLU’s east meets west philosophy fascinating. I am intrigued to find out what kinds of future filmmakers this innovative teaching model will produce and hope to participate in training the next generation of talented storytellers.
Your expectations for teaching at SoFTA…
Tian: I’m excited to share my passion for digital media with my students. I’d like to build my teaching upon encouraging creativity, developing hands-on skills, and promoting digital learning. Also, I look forward to working with students to bring many approaches and processes into digital art projects.
Morgan: I hope to learn as much from my students as they learn from me.
Please say something to our students…
Tian: Practices and a work journal will keep you inspired.
Morgan: Always remember, you are the hero(ine) of your own story! You can’t have everything you want in life, but you can have anything. Now go and get it! 😉
Edited by Wenzhen Li
Photos provided by Tian Leng and Morgan Peline
01 Sep 2023