We recently connected with Christin Baker and have shared our conversation below.
Christin , thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?
As a female, LGBTQ filmmaker I have had many haters and nay-sayers. As I started my platform for Lesbians/Queer women, people thought I should include gay men and some thought I should include straight women. I had so many people give me advice as to what I should do, but in my heart I just knew that what I was doing was right for me and the stories I wanted to tell. I knew it would mean that I might not have as many subscribers to my platform or not as many people see my projects, but it’s what I was passionate about and I wanted to follow my passion. I have also had people call me names on social media or tell me this content is gross. It gives me all the reason I need to keep making movies for the lesbian/queer community for Tello Films. When people feel like they can “other” an entire community it means they don’t have empathy or an understanding of another community. When we have stories that reflect the community it makes members of the community feel seen and it can create empathy for those who don’t know gay people. It’s one of the missions in my life and that’s what keeps me going.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the CEO of Tello Films, which is a streaming platform for Lesbian/ Queer women. We have been around for 16 years and we are the longest running LGBTQ Streaming platform and we have more original narrative content than any LGBTQ streaming platform. We are passionate about telling stories for our community and supporting indie lesbian /queer stories. We have the largest collection of LGBTQ Lesbian Holiday RomComs of any platform and have one we are releasing this season.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. I started small. I made web series and shorts so that I could learn with smaller projects instead of trying to make my first feature out of the gate. 2. I wasn’t afraid to fail. I can give you a list of things that worked and a list that didn’t work and a list of things that worked once but not twice. I just keep going and trying what I can to keep going and learn as much as I can as this crazy industry changes.
3. I kept a full-time job before I did Tello Films full-time. I knew I wanted to give the company time to breathe and I didn’t have deep pocket investors. I kept a full-time or contract job for 12 years to have additional income before doing Tello Films full-time. It is still scary sometimes but I have years of experience.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for crew! Indie crew people who want to work on a passion project. I have created an awesome film family in Nashville and am always looking for more people to join us. I love people who want to stretch their skillset and aren’t afraid to try.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tellofilms.com
- Instagram: @tellofilms.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tellofilms
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christin-baker-5671254/
- Twitter: @tellofilms
Image Credits
Nat Taylor
