Continuity is A 501(c)3 organization expanding diversity in media production through skills-based training, mentorship, and opportunities for untapped talent. And they do that in part through a series of CREW Workshops that demystify and spotlight the variety of roles on a production set while jump-starting Missouri film industry careers.
We learn more from instructor and freelance filmmaker Angela Guo. In today’s marketing tip, you should probably be spending more on your website – and we’ll tell you where!
Register for the upcoming Continuity CREW KC Set Basics Workshop, on Sat., Dec. 14th, 2024 or check your local listings!
https://www.continuitystl.org/crew-workshop
https://angelajguo.com
IG: @continuityCREW
Transcript:
Welcome to the Small Business Miracles Podcast.
I’m Jeff Randolph.
This small business podcast is brought to you by EAG Advertising and Marketing.
We’re gonna talk about marketing and we’re also here to celebrate entrepreneurs.
We have marketing news and advice that business owners can use to keep moving forward.
This week we’re talking with Angela Guo.
She’s a freelance filmmaker and instructor at Continuity and they’re doing a crew workshop
to help teach you about the world of filmmaking.
But first, we’ve got another small business marketing tip to talk about.
For today’s tip, you should probably be spending more money on your website.
I know, for entrepreneurs it’s just another mouth to feed.
Can’t the website be done?
Well I’m here to say no.
The days of spending money on a website and then walking away from it are over.
In today’s competitive environment, your website is your digital home base.
It’s where people go before they do business with you.
If you’re in a BB environment and your main client contact leaves, that person’s replacement
is gonna go to your website, even if the original client stopped visiting during the first Bush administration.
In fact, in that BB world, a prospect can be between two thirds of the way and % of
the way through their decision process before they ever contact you.
And in the BC world, if you’re in a business to consumer world, man, you know that you
have to focus on this.
There is no other option for that.
So where you should probably be spending your budget, we’ve got some thoughts about that.
First, search engine optimization.
SEO.
You want to be found for both your brand name, which you likely do anyway, but also for the
thing that you do.
Often people don’t know who the players are in the market and you’re amongst your competitors.
They search for your category or your product.
You need to be found there.
On the first page.
All year long.
You should be spending more money on search engine optimization.
User experience is another place we might recommend.
Have you ever watched someone visit your site?
If it’s been a while, you may not have a good picture of what your customers are experiencing.
How about your website server speed?
Is that still looking good?
Make it easier for them to say yes to you.
Make it enjoyable for them to say yes to you.
You may also want to spend some money on mobile optimization.
If you don’t get this right, especially in the consumer world, you are in trouble.
New screen sizes, new devices mean that things can get jostled this way or that, and you
need to make sure your purchase buttons and contact buttons actually show up.
Content is another place.
Are you giving people a reason to come back to your site?
You can’t just do that with pictures of the chili cook-off on social media.
Give them thought leadership.
Give them more case studies.
Give the customers what they need to say yes to you.
And security.
At the very least, you need to keep up on it.
Regular backups, protecting data of your customers, that sort of thing.
We all appreciate that.
Now, I’ll pause there in our list.
Now, whether you’re a BB or BC organization, you should probably be spending more money
on your website.
Throw that in the budget and know that you’re doing the right thing.
That is our marketing tip for today.
And welcome back to the show.
I am here with Angela Guo.
She is a freelance filmmaker and instructor at Continuity.
You’re a writer, a producer, a filmmaker, a teacher.
Welcome to the show.
Thank you so much, Jeff.
It’s great to be on the show.
Why, thanks.
So, you’re here because you’re working with crew workshops and Continuity is an organization
and you’re putting on some workshops that are called crew workshops.
What can you tell us about that just so that everybody has a good understanding of what
we’re talking about here?
Yes.
So, we’re really excited to bring the second workshop that we’re doing in Kansas City.
It’s happening this Saturday.
I’m sorry, the following Saturday, the th.
th of December and
Who knows when you’re listening to this thing, but things happening all the time.
Go ahead.
Correct.
So, what it is is, Continuity, we are a nonprofit with a mission to expand diversity in the
media production industry.
So, we provide skill-based training and we also do mentoring and we facilitate different
opportunities to untapped talent.
So, our goal is to really grow our media production industry here in Missouri and hopefully we’ll
be able to foster a diverse and friendly environment and so everyone can thrive.
So, our workshop is basically a one-day intensive workshop to kind of give you an idea of what
it means to work in the film and TV industry or the media production in general.
So, I think a lot of people are maybe they’re interested in getting involved in making their
own content or they have aspiration to be a director, to make movies or TV shows, music
videos, things like that and they didn’t quite know where to start or maybe they’re intimidated
by what that means and we’re here to kind of demystify all that and in addition to that,
we’re here to kind of provide you with practical-based training and knowledge so you can have the
confidence and have the know-how to start pursuing your first job in the industry and
we just love to meet new people.
If you come to our workshop, you’ll meet a lot of like-minded people and we’re just
really hoping to kind of foster that community and we hope to see you there.
I’m already pitching it.
You should be.
It seems like such an interesting workshop to put on too because you are helping somebody
see like behind the scenes to a certain extent, right?
You’re helping them go, this is what a film or TV set looks like.
These are all the jobs that are there.
Here are ones that you may like and really kind of helping them figure out if this is
important to them, if this is a career path or if this is a hobby, a passion that they
could work after.
Give us a sense of why the program is so important because you’re helping Missouri’s film community.
What is everybody getting out of this?
Why is this so important to do?
I think it’s a good way of just dipping your toes in the water, so to speak.
Once again, going back to what it’s like to be a filmmaker, a content creator, we kind
of give you really like the most practical tools that you need to start that process.
I will compare that with film school.
I personally graduated from film school and there’s always an ongoing debate like do you
need film school?
The answer is not necessarily.
It’s really just up to you.
What kind of learning environment is the most beneficial to you?
What I’ve noticed as someone who went through film school and then started working in the
industry is that film school, a lot of times they don’t provide you with practical knowledge
because being a filmmaker, especially if you decide to be a freelance filmmaker, you’re
basically operating as a business on your own.
You are an entrepreneur.
I think that is the most important aspect of succeeding in our industry.
Not only are you creative, but you need to be able to handle the business side of how
to run yourself as a business and how do you maintain your financial stability while you
are doing that?
How do you bill your client?
How much are you supposed to bill them?
What do you use to set your invoice to them?
When do you send an invoice?
I’m a guy right now.
They didn’t teach me that in school, but we will be.
I know, we’re not just going to talk about how to make movies and how to create this
imagery to convey what you have in your head.
Those are all great.
We all kind of pursue this because we are storytellers.
We are compelled to tell certain stories that we have.
I think the practical side of understanding how to negotiate your rate and how do you
decide if you want to be filing your taxes as an independent contractor or should you
start your own LLC?
Those are all really important things to think about.
How do you return your clients?
How do you start looking for different jobs?
If you get one job in a commercial and that job ended, now what?
The element of networking and meeting like-minded people is also really important to foster
an environment where you can build a strong group of people that can support each other.
I think of all things, that element is very essential and that is something that we are
focusing on uniquely when we’re building our community workshops.
I think that aspect is unique.
Another thing that we’re doing is that we are the first state recognized apprenticeship
program.
We’re providing the first state recognized apprenticeship program for our participants.
If you come to our workshops, you’re then considered a registered apprentice with continuity.
What that means is when we do have projects that are coming into the states, you will
be part of that database of people that we will be able to reach out to to let you know,
hey, this project is coming in and they’re looking for the production assistant positions
and they’ll be, our people will be the first to be contacted.
Of course, it’s not a one-sided communication.
They stay in contact with us and then we will be able to give you the latest information
as soon as we receive it.
The other aspect of the apprenticeship, which I forgot to mention, is that in Missouri
passed a film incentive bill.
What that means is, like somewhat similar to say Atlanta, Georgia, how they became a
film hub is because they have a generous film incentive bill as well.
That would entice different productions, larger production, to bring their projects to your
city, to your state and to spend money to do production there.
That is what we have instilled in our state now.
We are really just anticipating and start to build that network of people that are ready
for more demand that are already coming into our state.
That’s what we’re doing.
Well, good job, Missouri.
Hey, thanks for bringing more film work to Missouri, everyone.
Thank you.
I’m really excited.
As you’re working with, take us into the room if you would, because as you’re working with
future filmmakers, what kind of aha moments are you seeing in the crowd as you’re walking
them through all of the different roles and responsibilities and all of the firehose worth
of information that you’re delivering to somebody at the time?
What are those aha moments that you’re seeing?
I think the aha moment that I’ve experienced, I’ve witnessed, is the change, that click
in their mind when they realize that filmmaking is a collaborative process.
I think it might be the most collaborative creative discipline out of all the creative
discipline because there are so many aspects of it.
It takes so many different talented people to put a good movie together.
I think a lot of times when we just start our journey as a storyteller, as a filmmaker,
there’s that perception that you have to do everything on your own.
That you’re the lone…
This is me.
I am doing all of this myself.
You’re the lone hero.
This is my story.
This is my burden to carry.
Even though all of the names scrolling by on the credits at the end of a film would
suggest otherwise, you feel that.
You come to a workshop, you would start to understand what those title means because
sometimes you look through that credit and you’re like, what is a gaffer?
What is a best boy?
What does it even mean?
You will find out if you come to our workshop because we do break it down.
We give you a breakdown of what the overall big picture of the production structure looks
like, what each department is responsible for.
You can start getting a better idea of what that means and potentially what are some other
positions within the production structure that you might be interested in.
I think I really love seeing that aha moment where they’re like, oh, I don’t need to do
this on my own.
I don’t need to be one person, production team from start to finish.
I can actually collaborate with like-minded people, like-minded peers and make things
better and make it so that we can all grow as a storyteller.
I think that is the most rewarding aha moment is when I see them connecting with each other.
You made the connection earlier to the entrepreneur and that you’re the CEO, you’re in charge
of the production, but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything.
You don’t have to be your own grip.
You can do everything that you need to do by hiring the right people and making sure
that you’re managing those people.
Absolutely.
Let’s talk about your film career for a second though because your bio says that your voice
is quiet and understated and that your introspective nature allows you to tell stories with a philosophical
exploration.
Tell us about your creative process and just kind of how you approach a new project.
What goes through your mind as you’re either finding that inspiration or getting into some
task?
I think going back as a filmmaker, as a freelancer, we usually have two types of projects, at
least a rough category.
One of them we’ll call a passion project.
What that is is something that we ourselves are just dying to create.
To score and hide that you have to tell.
The other one is jobs that you take.
Not that they’re not good.
Sure, sure.
But there’s jobs that you take for consistent income and then there’s also the one special
project.
The one special passion project that you’re building towards to convey.
The passion project and then you have some ad agency who has a great idea for a commercial
and we just need to execute it.
We talk to someone like you.
And then or there’s sometimes this documentary that comes into town and with a certain subject
matter.
I think for me, approaching any project, my first question that I will ask is what is
this project trying to say?
What is the goal of it?
And then I would approach it from that direction.
So whether it’s a commercial or if it’s a short film or if it’s a feature film, I always
approach it in that way.
What are you trying to convey here?
And once I figure that out, then that is how I approach every question, every problem solving
situation.
So are we working towards that goal?
Or are we now kind of veering off because of certain difficulty that we’re encountering,
whether it’s a logistic difficulty or if it’s like a creative difference.
So I think it is very important to stay connected to the original goal.
And in that way, you will be able to create something at the end that is cohesive and
is telling the story that you want to tell.
So that is always my approach.
I always ask myself that question first before deciding on any kind of decisions.
Very focused, very focused on the end goal.
And I guess especially if you’re shooting a larger project and you’re shooting things
out of sequence, you may lose sight of that.
It may be easier to lose sight of that in the moment.
Tell me about you right now.
Are you working on any film projects right now that we should know about and be paying
attention to?
I am working on a documentary that I’m producing with two of my collaborators.
It is not quite ready yet, but we are focusing on bringing awareness to a community of aphasia
recovering people.
So what aphasia is, is a broad category of a medical condition that you might experience
after brain trauma, either through accidents or maybe you’ve had a stroke.
And after that, you might experience a condition where you are having difficulty conveying
what you’re trying to say through language.
You just, some people are more severe than the other.
Some people might just have difficulty just plucking the right word from their brain.
So I’m talking to you right now, Jeff, and I’m trying to say, oh, this is really exciting.
But I just could not for the life of me pluck out the word exciting.
So instead I’ll say something that is completely unrelated or I would just not be able to complete
that sentence.
That is kind of a condition of someone who is struggling with aphasia.
So that is something you have to have like ongoing therapy to kind of to improve upon
is something that you have to for your entire life.
It’s an ongoing struggle to continue to improve your ability to communicate.
And it’s almost kind of like a invisible condition.
So sometimes you might meet someone and you’re talking to them and you’re just wondering
like this person is being very strange right now.
Like what are you trying to say?
What are you trying to convey?
They might be suffering from aphasia.
They might be recovering from aphasia.
So we’re really trying to shine a light on that community.
And also like how do you how do you communicate someone when you see that that’s happening?
How do you communicate without taking their voice away?
So you don’t want to be you don’t want to put words in their mouth like literally.
But how do you make it so that they can still communicate with you and without them feeling
less than without them feeling invisible?
So we’re working on that documentary to try to convey that message to try to kind of give
everyone a better idea of what it’s like to live with aphasia and like what can you do?
What can we do as a community to make our society more welcoming of people that are
recovering from aphasia?
Outstanding.
Well I look forward to this.
This will be exciting for everybody.
We’ll all stay tuned.
We’ll get your contact information at the end when we tell everyone where they can go
find you and and we’ll make sure that we know and we’re taking a look for it.
Until then, how about we bring some visibility to you and we’ll see if we can’t learn a
little bit more about you in the lightning round.
Are you ready for the lightning round?
Maybe?
Question mark?
Question mark?
Possibly?
Nothing to be afraid about in the lightning round.
You just have no way of knowing what we might ask in the lightning round.
So in as a first question, let’s we’ll keep talking about film for a minute.
In this podcast in the past, I have asked people about that movie, that one movie that
if you turn the channel and you see that that movie is on, you will be watching the entire
thing.
You will not turn that movie off.
It will stay on until that movie is over.
You just can’t turn it off.
Do you have that movie?
What is that movie for you?
And is it mainstream enough that the rest of us have seen it?
Oh, that is a really good question.
And that’s what the lightning round is all about.
Yes, that’s a really good question.
As you can tell, I can’t quite hold up that movie title yet.
So I’m just buying time by saying things.
So I really love a movie that I would definitely watch if I see it on TV.
Probably in the mood for love.
It’s directed by Wong Kauai.
He’s a Hong Kong director.
I think another one that is really well known of his movie is Chungking Express.
You’re familiar with it?
Yeah, basically, if it’s a Wong Kauai movie, if I see it on TV, if I see it that they’re
showing it in the movie theater, because repertory screenings are really popular now, which is
great.
I love it.
I love repertory screenings.
Yeah, if I see anything that’s with Wong Kauai in it, I’m seeing it.
I think he’s the one that actually inspired me to become a filmmaker without me noticing
it, without me realizing it.
When I was a kid, I grew up in China.
I don’t think we brought that up.
I was going to in a moment, in fact.
Oh, okay.
Yes.
So when I was a kid, I grew up in Guangzhou, China.
His movies are definitely on TV.
That’s how popular he is.
I think the most impressive aspect about Wong Kauai is he is a really good example of a
director who can merge the artistic element of a storytelling method with a more approachable
commercial way of conveying it on the big screen.
So it’s not something that is hard to approach for people.
It’s appealing for the masses, at least in my opinion.
I remember seeing his movie, probably Chungking Express, because that one is always on TV
when I was a kid.
I was always watching it.
When you’re younger, you don’t really understand, not really, not completely, what they’re trying
to say.
It’s all about nostalgia, all about things that you lost that you can’t really recover
or you’re trying to get over a certain emotional state that you’re in right now.
So you have grief, longing, loneliness.
As a child, you don’t really understand what that means.
But somehow, the way that he conveys it, I just glued to the screen.
I just glued to the screen, not understanding what I was watching, but loving it.
So yes, Wong Kauai.
I saw a stat at one point that was true at that point in time.
I don’t know what the numbers are anymore, but it was a Disney stat.
And that Disney stat was that the average child who watches a Disney film will watch
that Disney film, that one Disney film, times on average.
And you watch that a billion times.
You’re watching that times.
And of course, as a parent, you also get to watch it times.
But you watch that movie times.
And it isn’t until you come back and visit that later in life and it’s on and you’re
watching it and you’re going, oh, I missed that entire section of subtext in this film
because I wasn’t ready for it or I wasn’t there yet.
And now I can appreciate so much more of it.
I think there is a skill to being able to tell that kind of a story.
That is outstanding.
Something that you can watch again and again and get something new out of every time.
Let’s go ahead and talk about your upbringing then because you are originally from Guangzhou.
But your bio also says that your bicultural experience in St. Louis compels you to produce
films with a unique perspective.
Now, I understand St. Louis, but what was the biggest cultural shock that you faced
coming from China to here, to Missouri?
The biggest cultural shock, how quiet it is.
I remember, so I moved here the first year of high school.
When our plane landed at Lampert Airport here in St. Louis and we exited from the airport,
we got on the cab and on our way to our new apartment, I was really confused because Guangzhou
is a really big bustling metropolis.
Everywhere you go, there’s noise.
Everywhere you go, there’s people.
And when we were driving through the highway in St. Louis, it was just calm and green,
greenery everywhere.
And there’s no tall buildings everywhere obstructing your view.
Most of the buildings are relatively not that tall.
You need to be able to see the Gateway Arch from wherever you are.
I get it.
Yes, and it’s nice.
It’s nice.
I really enjoyed it.
Now, I definitely consider myself a Missourian, a St. Louisan.
Every time I travel or I go out for another job and I come back and I exit from that airport
and I see that quality, there’s definitely a voice inside me that says, okay, you’re
home now.
You can relax.
Yeah, I think that’s what it’s like.
Welcome, welcome, of course.
I imagine that the biggest cultural shock would have been Provel cheese, but that could
be different.
The cheese that goes on St. Louis style pizzas.
I thought that would be it.
I don’t personally understand it.
So you don’t like Emost pizza is what you’re trying to tell me.
I just can’t.
And I realize that’s fighting words for a lot of people.
You’re safe with me.
I feel indifferent about Emost pizza.
You remain neutral.
It’s fine.
What has been the best transition or the best cultural shock?
The thing that you…
Oh, let’s see.
Is there something that you’re like, oh man, I will miss this if I end up going back?
I think just really, it’s kind of cliche, but in Mitwassener, we are really nice.
We are really nice people.
It’s true.
Walking down the street, if you do meet someone and you make eye contact with them, they will
always smile and say hello to you.
That is not the case when you’re in bigger cities, definitely.
For better or for worse, people are just walking with intent, walking with a purpose and everyone
just busy and on their way to something else that they’re doing.
I think that friendly aspect of being a Midwestern state, that is something I would miss if I
don’t live here anymore.
Again, welcome.
We’re happy to have you.
Stay as long as you’d like.
When you’re in a movie theater and you’re watching a film, when do you leave?
Do you leave when the movie is over, but before the lights come up?
Or do you stay and watch every bit of those credits until the lights turn on and things
are over and it’s time to go?
I definitely stay and watch the credits.
You’re not just saying that.
Oh no, no.
If I see someone, if I’m with a friend, okay, this is a thing.
This is a deal breaker for me.
If I go and watch a movie with a friend or just an acquaintance that might potentially
become a friend.
Okay, two deal breaker.
Okay.
I’m very particular when I go to see movies.
First, if you want to enjoy a snack or beverage, please choose a snack that is not going to
be very loud when you eat it in the movie theater.
If you’re drinking a beverage, please also make sure that you’re not making audible noise
when you’re doing that.
Those are fighting noises for me.
I will fight you.
I will tell you to just please exit from the left.
I will see you after the film is over.
The second thing is I always insist on staying and watching the credits because I am very
fascinated by how big of a team is involved in a movie and how do they divide up?
It’s always organized because if you say it’s a Marvel movie, there’s so much CGI involved,
I am interested in finding out who’s doing what.
You can get a really good sense of idea of how they divided up the different responsibilities
by watching credits.
If you don’t watch it, then you miss out on that experience of figuring out, okay, well,
so they have a team of people at least doing a certain CGI scene or sometimes there’s
multiple locations involved in a movie and you’re wondering, hey, where are all these
locations?
You can also get an idea by paying attention to the end credits because they will have
a B team location, B unit, or Toronto unit or something.
You’re like, oh, yes, I knew it.
This is not New York.
If I’m on a vacation in that house, I have to go to Oregon or Vancouver.
I knew you were trying to fool me and tell me that’s New York.
That is not New York.
Those questions can be answered by paying attention to the end credits.
I definitely enjoyed that experience.
One last question about mentorship, really, because one of the benefits of the crew workshops
that you’re putting on with Continuity is really some of that mentorship.
You’re helping people meet a future mentor potentially.
People are forming bonds all over the place.
Did you have a teacher or a mentor who taught you a lesson that has stayed with you to this
day?
Oh, definitely.
My favorite.
I actually worked with one of my favorite professors.
As part of one of my many hats that I wear as a freelance filmmaker, I also work for
my alma mater, Webster University film series.
I worked as a coordinator.
What we do is we operate as a nonprofit film theater.
We show different art house films and foreign films.
We also work with local filmmakers through our campuses auditorium.
That’s the interesting aspect.
My supervisor at that job right now at film series, he used to be my professor.
He taught me film study.
I learned so much about the different approach of making documentary through him.
I think he’s definitely an instrumental person in my journey when I first started.
My journey of becoming a filmmaker and my approach to how to approach that process.
Great story.
Absolutely.
With that, I’m going to take you out of the lightning round if that’s all right with you.
There was nothing to be afraid of in the lightning round.
You survived the lightning round.
Well done.
Let me do it this way.
We’ll wrap things up by having you tell people where they can find more information about
continuity, about crew workshops that are coming up either very, very soon or potentially
in a different city, different location and where they can find more information about
you.
Where will you send people to get more information?
Yes.
I’m very excited to announce that we are doing another Kansas City continuity crew workshop
and it’s coming up next Saturday, next Saturday the th.
Our registration is still open.
If you want to come on in and join us, please do.
You can find us through Instagram.
Our handle is at continuity crew.
That’s C-R-E-W, continuity crew.
You’ll be able to find all the information that you need about us through our Instagram
account.
We hope to see you there.
What about you personally, because if we’re looking for that next film, you do have several
short films on your website as well.
I’ll expect to look there for more information.
Where can they find you there?
You can find more information about me through my website, which is angelajguo.com.
Angelajguo.com and continuity crew can find us.
All of the different places, everywhere you can look.
Highly recommend.
Do go take a look.
See if this is a thing for you.
See if this is a new hobby, a new passion, a new career.
There could be all kinds of different ways you can go.
Angela Guo, freelance filmmaker and instructor at continuity.
Thanks for being with us on the podcast.
Thank you so much for having me, Jeff.
Good times.
All right.
Thank you.
And that is our show.
Thanks to our guest, Angela, and you should check out the crew workshops.
That could be a lot of fun.
Thank you for listening to the small business miracles podcast.
And remember to subscribe, leave us a five star rating and review.
Drop us a line on the website at eagadv.com if you have any thoughts.
Until then, we’ll be out here helping entrepreneurs with another small business miracle.