We recently connected with Dana Christian and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dana, thanks for joining us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

Most people tend to believe that the bigger your following is on social media, the faster you’ll become a fixture in the industry. The fact is, networking is still the number key in landing those major gigs. Yes. social media will make you look like a big deal, but it doesn’t always amount to getting the big deals. I have a very modest social media following and I rarely post on social media because I’m just too busy working to focus on something that’s not a money generator and time that’s consuming. I have seen some very cool, creative and inspiring pieces on social media, but when you really dissect who is really getting the attention of the brands, companies,, agencies and studios….it’s the creatives that have a good network, stay learning their craft and maintain consistency. Now there are some that have broken through with a viral piece to catch the attention of major studios, like Morgan Cooper who did the fan trailer for the Fresh Prince of Bel Air show titled Bel Air, but those stories are far and few when you think about all the content that’s floating around. I tell people that I haven’t had a business card since 1995, and I just created a website two years ago because I hated sending separate links and files of my work. all to say is, all of my jobs have came word of mouth by way of the networking I did over the course of the years out in the field meeting people up close and in person.

Dana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got my start at a local public access tv station in St. Louis. Mo.. While I was there I was a producer, camera operator, editor and every blue moon the host of a hip hop tv show called Phat Clips. The show had a strong local following and I was able to connect with both national and local artist. The St. Lunatics use to watch the show and when they got their deal I started capturing behind the scenes footage for them and creating promotional videos for the their record label at the time Universal Records. I also worked with Chingy, J’Kwon and almost anybody that was signed in St. Louis during our golden era of hip hop. I also was a casting director for all the major music videos that came in town back then, and that eventually progressed in me directing music videos. I’ve had the honor of directing videos featuring Yo Gotti, Johnny Gill, Ginuwine, Trey Songz, Bun B and slew of other national artist. As I continued to progress in my craft I caught the bug for doing unscripted content via a controversial fitness instructor years ago. I put together a make shift show trailer called Hot Mess Fitness/I Want to Date My Trainer that went viral on a national blog site called Media Take Out. We had a meeting with a production company but nothing happened. So a few people I knew reached out inquiring about doing sizzle reels for show ideals. I did two and we had production deals and one show actually had a pilot produced by the BET Network. Those all fell through due to format changes or just the production companies moved away from reality shows. But the one thing I realized is people still needed to tell their stories, but in a more authentic and empowering way, so I really started doing more docustyle pieces and it’s being going really well. Back in 2021 I directed and edited a piece for a non-profit organization called Hope Creates that helps youth recover fro substance by using art. The piece I did through the production company Storytrack for a kid named Blake won a Midwest Emmy. Now I’m taking that a step further and working with an amazing author turned screenplay writer Brenda Hampton to work on indie features and help create a more narrative based industry here in St. Louis. We have a lot of people creating content and telling small shorts and docs, but there just isn’t a consistent community that’s dedicated to telling feature length narratives and documentaries….and I hope to help make that a reality.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think non-creatives believe we as creatives don’t really work hard because they see the final products we produce as fun, experimental or as strictly entertainment. However, our brains never really turn off and even when you don’t physically see us working or clocking into a job that doesn’t mean we aren’t busy. Creating something from nothing is difficult, and then monetizing that something is a very draining process. And for clients and non-creatives that need the services of a creative please do your research to see if that person can truly deliver that need you want. It’s like going to a foot doctor when you need a heart transplant, every creative isn’t always an absolute authority in creating certain pieces of content. Also to clients, please be transparent about what you are willing to spend so you don’t waste your time or the time of a creative. When we ask what’s your budget don’t say “what’s your rate” knowing you already have a number in mind just to turn around and balk at the price a creative has given you. A lot of time when we ask “what’s your budget” it gives us a gage as to how far we need to go into our creative mind, equipment resource or crew listing to make what you need truly happen.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being a creative artist is having someone not only enjoy the work you deliver to them, but have them refer you to others. It goes back to that networking and word of mouth marketing which connects with people in a very human way that you can’t get from social media, a business card or even a website. Creatives are masters of illusions and social media makes it even easier to bs your way in the door. But when you come from behind those keyboards and computers screens, and get on a set with real people, no filter or cheat code can save you from what people experience. I’m big on making sure my clients and crew have a great experience, if they don’t for whatever reason I make sure to make it right.

Contact Info:

• Website: danachristianfilms.com
• Instagram: danachristian
• Facebook: dana christian
• Linkedin: dana christian
• Twitter: danachristian1

Image Credits
Sederrick Raphiel, Lance Omar Thurman and 5. Photography, Demetria Bryant and Jay Jones.