Cathy Yan
Film director · 2 films (2018–2020)
Cathy Yan is a director whose work here spans Dead Pigs (2018) to Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020), across comedy and drama. All 221 frames from 2 films are indexed here, searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, colour and mood.
Cathy Yan is a filmmaker based in New York City, born in China and raised between Hong Kong and Washington, DC. She is known for Dead Pigs (2018) and DC Extended Universe Film Birds of Prey (2020).
Born 25 January 1983 · China
Directing style
Cathy Yan constructs tense, chaotic crime and action worlds primarily through eye-level medium shots and closeups, dropping the background into a shallow depth of field to keep the focus tightly locked on character blocking. Her interior-heavy, night-dominated scenes rely on a mix of practical fixtures, neon accents, and fluorescent sources, which cut through cool, desaturated color grades and teal-and-orange palettes. This lighting is grounded by a color scheme of deep teals, earthy browns, and sandy golds, punctuated by sharp hits of saturated red.
Awards
- Sundance World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Acting · 2018
Films directed by Cathy Yan
About Cathy Yan
When was Cathy Yan born?
Cathy Yan was born on 25 January 1983 in China.
What films has Cathy Yan directed?
FrameThrower holds stills from 2 of them: Dead Pigs (2018) and Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020).
What awards has Cathy Yan won?
Sundance World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Acting (2018).
Search every frame of Cathy Yan’s films
All 221 indexed frames from 2 films directed by Cathy Yan — searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, mood or plain language.