A native of Southern California, Jean Kim has always had an interest in films, but her interest in filmmaking came much later. As a student at the University of California, Davis (where she earned her BA in Women and Gender Studies), Jean was drawn to filmmaking through video production and Film Studies courses. Towards the end of her stay there, she belonged to a feminist video production collective on campus and was a volunteer producer at Davis Community Television, the local cable access station.
Jean received her MFA from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where she concentrated her studies in cinematography. In addition to crewing on more projects than she can remember, Jean has shot several projects both in school and upon graduating, including several USC thesis projects, independent narrative projects, and documentaries. Jean also received the honor of becoming a Film Independent Fellow through their Project:Involve program, receiving mentorship from cinematographer Alexander Gruszynski, ASC.
Jean is experienced in photographing on both film and video, and is capable of producing a variety of styles. Her preferences as a filmmaker go beyond the boundaries of any film genre. The projects she chooses vary in the types of stories told and the directors' visual styles. When it comes down to it, Jean likes shooting projects that have stories she cares about and can invest herself in.