VICKY FENG
Producer
Bloomberg Originals
"It was great to work with Chin Hor. Within a short period of time, he quickly put together a crew and sorted out gear and logistics. He and his team delivered what I asked for with precision, creativity and dedication.
As an experienced cinematographer, he understands how to navigate in a sometimes complicated environment in Malaysia. I would like to work with him again and highly recommend him to other producers."
MAHI RAMAKRISHNAN
Multiple award winning filmmaker/investigative journalist/media consultant
"The most important thing for a filmmaker is to find a Director of Photography who understands the assignment; someone who can translate an idea into footage. Chin Hor is such a person.
Each frame speaks of an in-depth meaning and engages in a distinct manner with the viewers. Chin Hor has an innate ability to convey deep emotions through his videography and adds to making a film even more compelling.
Chin Hor is also easy to work with, accommodating and tries really hard to help ensure a film hits its mark.
If you are looking for a Director of Photography for a film or documentary especially, or any other video, Chin Hor is the go-to person. Now that I have worked with him, I simply cannot bring myself to work with someone else."
GEORGE PEARTON
Freelance Producing Director / Senior Producer at TBD Media
"Great communication and really cooperative in difficult times. Took remote direction really well and produced great results! Would recommend!"
LINA TEOH
Executive Director at MyDocs (The Malaysian Documentary Association)
"I met Chin Hor over 12 years ago, on one of the first documentary productions I ever worked on. We were both young & eager to learn and shared a strong work ethic which created a bond between us immediately. Over the years he has become more than just a work colleague and is now a dear friend.
Over the years I have seen him grow from a young hardworking apprentice DOP into a confident, highly skilled and capable professional documentary cinematographer, able to now teach others.
He is extremely reliable and will always put in 110% into everything that he does. If he is on your team you know he will bend over backwards to get the best for you. He is honest, straight to the point and takes care of his gear impeccably!
There are many things I hold dear about Chin Hor, but what I admire about him most is his complete dedication and respect for the art form of documentary story telling. There are not many cinematographers who have such a natural instinct in how to capture enough variation of shots for a good documentary edit. And that is why I respect and appreciate him as an important part of my production team.
He has been there for me in many bizarre situations and I would trust him with my life. I can't recommend him enough as one of the best documentary cinematographers I've ever worked with."
INDRANI KOPAL
Founder // Director
Far East Documentary Centre
"I finally had the opportunity to work with Chin Hor for the first time, although I have known him for 20 years since his student days. Anyone from Malaysia's documentary scene would be very familiar with his work that often gets screened at the Malaysia's annual documentary film festival, FFF.
I have always known the quality he brings to the screen, but working with Chin Hor closely last 10 days taught me how important is it for me to hire a DOP who has a sense of visual language. It is a craft, an art and a sensibility that I often desire with my director of photography, and it's rare. It's a sensibility that a documentary film director like me truly appreciates.
Chin Hor got me, got my vision, and because my film are often pure observational, I require and demand the highest standard of conduct on set, professionalism, visual articulation, timeliness, and most importantly intuition, all which he has. It was an incredible experience! A DOP for documentary requires these skillsets and I am glad he has mastered them.
I highly recommed Chin Hor for any documentary filming and storytelling. Good work Chin Hor! Thank you for taking the project to another level."
JOHNNY LOPEZ
DIRECTOR // PRODUCER
"I have worked with Chin Hor on various jobs over the past few years, and have always found him to be an excellent operator, not only in the level of creative input he brings to the project, but in his ability to mould himself to any situation the job requires.
He has an ease of character, always making the talent feel comfortable, which is vitally important to us. He also works with the crew as if they have known him for years. A valuable asset to any production."
A. LEE
DIRECTOR//
PRODUCER
"Chin Hor knows how to tell a story visually. On location, he is always listening and paying full attention which enables him to capture all the right images.
He thinks from the producer and the editor's perspective and is always one step ahead of others. I highly recommend Chin Hor."
GLORIA KURNIK
VISUAL STORYTELLER // DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
"Chin Hor is one of the most reliable people I ever worked with. He is extremely professional and always delivers more than was asked from him. He has an admirable approach that really few camera operators do - making sure you are always covered in the edit, giving you the whole scope of angles, takes and sequences that you can use.
He's more than just a DOP, as he understands every aspect of production and makes sure that by fulfilling his job to the highest standards, he makes lives of post-production crew easier. It's always a pleasure to work with Chin Hor and I just wish we had more opportunities to do so. He's number one on my recommendation list."
ALEX MINTON
DIRECTOR//
PRODUCER
"I'm very pleased to be able write a reference for Chin Hor and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him on the basis of his extensive skills and experience, but also for that all-important quality on an intensive shoot with a small crew - he's a friendly, fun person to spend time with. He was director of photography on our ten-day Malaysian wildlife shoot in early 2015 for a presenter-led doc on venomous snakes, and his technical ability, eye for visuals and sense of story have resulted in some fantastic finished sequences.
On a shoot where filming plans were liable to change on a daily basis, flexibility was key and Chin Hor immediately rose to any challenges that came our way - night shoots with limited lighting, building quick sets for macro close-ups, filming on boats, in cars and so on. He's a great team-player, happy to receive direction but also to make his own creative decisions.
I enjoyed working with him in the field and hope for the opportunity to do so again, but the last word should go to the editor, who was extremely pleased with the footage he had to work with and said "I can tell this material has been shot with the final sequence in mind - it practically edits itself!"
DEBORAH DAVIES
PRODUCER
"I am delighted to write a recommendation for Chin Hor. He was the main cameraman on a major two part documentary for Channel News Asia investigating the threat to Asia from ISIS. The programmes were always going to be challenging, not least because there were very few natural picture sequences to film. Despite this, Chin Hor made the two programmes look fantastic.
I filmed with him in Malaysia and Indonesia and he was a delight to work with. His technical skills are top notch, matched by the array of kit he provides. He has a wonderful eye. My "test" of a good cameraman is always to ask myself, "Am I surprised when I see the rushes, even though I was there when he filmed things?" And the answer was a resounding yes, he made dull scenes interesting and saw things I'd missed.
Just as important, his social skills meant he made all our interviewees feel at ease, which shows in the interviews. He worked horribly long hours, with very anti-social starts and wraps and irregular meals without ever losing his enthusiasm for the project.
I very much hope to work with him on future projects."
MICHAEL ROSS ROBINSON
PRODUCER - DIRECTOR - CAMERAMAN - EDITOR
SQUID INK MEDIA
"I was lucky enough to work with Cinematographer, Chin Hor, on a recent shoot in the jungles of Sabah and was constantly impressed by his professionalism, skill and dedication. I would not hesitate to recommend him for any shoot where image quality and teamwork are paramount, a great asset to any professional production!"
"I spent 13 days in the jungle areas filming wildlife and multi-camera cooking sequences with Chin Hor, who did an excellent job and was easy to get along with and very professional. We were filming wild animals with ex-BBC host Nigel Marven and a local Malaysian Chef Anis Nabilah. Chinhor has plenty of experience working in difficult situations and with a variety of gear and was easily one of the best young shooters I've met in Asia."
JULIUS LANDAU
DIRECTOR
"Chin Hor's work speaks for itself, you can instantly tell that he has a great eye and is passionate about his craft. But what elevates Chin Hor above his peers is his knack for visual storytelling; he goes beyond just shooting pretty pictures, he helps you create beautiful sequences in the service of a narrative.
Willing to go the distance to make a great show, Chin Hor is a valuable asset to any production and I look forward to many more projects with him."
BRAD DILLON, ACS
DIRECTOR/DOP
MOST WANTED PICTURES
"I had the good fortune of having Chin Hor as my Camera Assistant on two National Geographic Channel productions in Malaysia - Smart Tunnel & Amongst the Great Apes with Michelle Yeoh, both produced by the good folks at Kuala Lumpur based production company 'Novista' for NGCI.
These two productions were considerably different in nature. One spending long periods of time deep underground on giant tunnel boring machines in unpleasant, filthy, unbearably hot conditions, all at a moments notice of being alerted to a new element of drama unfolding below ground. The other, a natural history project shooting Orang-utans in the wilds of Borneo, again in unbearably hot conditions, but this time in leech infested dense tropical rain-forests. Adding to the mix was the task of ensuring one of Hollywood's famed beautiful actresses, Malaysia's own Michelle Yeoh, looked magic every time the lens captured a glimpse of her.
Chin Hor was an incredible help to me in the field & to the productions. I set big expectations for him, as I do of myself, always looking to achieve exceptional image quality, while keeping things cool & casual on set & meeting the demands of the schedule we are working to. What I really like; he's always thinking, always trying to anticipate what might be helpful, whether it be a small kick of a bounce board, a set of low legs available, blocking a lens flair, keeping us out of harms way of a herd of pygmy elephants, ensuring all on board the crew shooting boat are perfectly still or just making sure we've got water available when we have a break. Chin Hor works hard, he's dedicated, always keen to learn how things can be done better, more creatively or aesthetically pleasing; a consummate professional dedicated to the craft of cinematography. At the end of every long day he'd be busy hosing down & cleaning kit from top to toe to ensure it would continue to perform for us the next day. He's very personable, gels with everyone on the production, and loves a laugh. He shot pick up material in pre & in post for both of these productions. We achieved great images and content on the two projects which went on to help both win several awards in a number of countries.
Looking forward to the next time we're out there together again Chin Hor. Thanks mate!"
LYN TAN
THREE WISE BEES
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
" I recently had the pleasure of working with Chin Hor on a short filming project in Malaysia. Over the course of our liaison and time during shoots , it was apparent he possesses strong work ethics and an undeniable passion for his craft.
He strives to deliver the best he can under pressing circumstances, while remaining flexible with any last minute changes. I would have no hesitation recommending Chin Hor to production houses seeking his service."