322 - Christin Baker - Producer, Director, Writer - Making The First Ever Rom-Com With LGBTQ Leads, The Power Of Practical Knowledge In Film, and Using Screenwriting Contests To Feed Development

Hello, Hello!  In this episode, we have a conversation with Producer, Director, and Writer Christin Baker. We talk about her new streaming service DIVABoxOffice.TV, her new film 'Merry & Gay,' her secrets to longevity in filmmaking, what qualifies as a Lesbian film, using screenwriting contests as a development force-multiplier, why short films aren't worthy of outside investment, practical knowledge versus academic knowledge, and the problem of Google, Bing, and other search engines conflating LGBTQ films with porn. Enjoy!    Follow Christin's work: Instagram Facebook Twitter Tello Films Diva Box Office     I Hate New Year’s (film) Season of Love (film) Christmas at the Ranch (film) Merry & Gay (film)   The MAKE IT podcast is brought to you by the Voice of the Filmmaker program, which is sponsored by Women in Film and Television, Nashville (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization). If you like what we're doing, please donate here: www.bonsai.film/donate. How you can continue to enjoy MAKE IT content: Subscribe to the MAKE IT YouTube channel. Subscribe to the MAKE IT Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe to our newsletter at www.bonsai.film/subscribe.   The MAKE IT podcast amplifies the voice of the filmmaker by exploring the filmmaking journeys of actors, writers, directors, producers, and a host of other creatives from across the film industry. We provide a platform for filmmakers to provide advice, lessons learned, personal reflections, and insights through our Filmmaker Conversations, Mistakes in the Making, Industry Insights, Indie Talks, and Film Investment Series. We are the go-to film podcast for independent creatives!     —   More On Christin Baker An award-winning director and Emmy-nominated producer, Christin Baker is passionate about telling relevant and meaningful stories. Most recently, Christin partnered with DIVA Media Group for the Dec. 1, 2022, relaunch of the LGBTQ+ streaming network DIVABoxOffice.tv. As CEO of the company, she will also premiere her fourth queer holiday romcom, Merry & Gay.  Since the age of 13, when her family purchased their first VHS camcorder, Christin has been playing with storytelling, directing music videos and SNL parodies with neighborhood kids. In 2009, she launched her own production and digital distribution company, Tello Films, and the first streaming channel to make movies and other programming for the queer female community. TelloFilms.com was the first lesbian network to receive an Emmy nomination in 2017 for the series Secs & EXECS. In 2019, the series Riley Parra, which she produced and directed, was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards.  Under Christin’s guidance Tello Films was the leader in creating original queer content as well as creating a platform for monetizing niche entertainment. Passionate about directing, Christin was awarded Best Director for her work on Maybelle at the 2016 London Raindance Film Festival.  She is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and has had the pleasure to work with such film icons such as Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman), Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troy, Star Trek), Amanda Righetti (The Mentalist), Archie Kao (CSI, Chicago Med, the Blue Power Ranger) and Janina Gavankar (Big Sky, The Morning Show).    Shownotes: Richard Overton Secrets to Life (video) Nancylee Myatt (producer) Cowgirl Up (tv series) Diva Magazine Making Movies is Hard Podcast Kali Bailey (writer) Passion Flix Patty Jenkins (director) Wonder Women (film) Greta Gerwig (actress) Little Women (2019 film) Taika Waititi (director) Jojo Rabbit (film) Thor: Ragnarok (film) Blue Ocean Shift by W. Chan Kim (book)