Tell me a little bit about your background and how you ended up choosing your field.
Xiangwu Xie is a Bi-cultural film producer and artist passionate about storytelling. She has experience across different industries. Her work ranges from theatre drama to filmmaking. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Performing Arts from Shenyang Conservatory of Music, Liaoning, China. With enthusiasm for filmmaking, she went to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Atlanta to achieve a master’s degree in film and television.
The acting experience gives her a precise vision of directing actors in her works. She has directed and produced dozens of short films, commercials, and music videos over the past few years.
As a producer, the film she produced, “Wings,” has been nominated for Cannes World Film Festival and entered finalist in Flicker’s Rhode Island International Film Festival, NewFilmmakers NY Film Festival, and Student Los Angeles Film Awards.
What were the biggest initial hurdles and how did you overcome them?
As a filmmaker, the first obstacle after graduation is how to feed yourself. It’s hilarious that an artist is talking about money. But it’s the real world. I finger it out when I graduated. So I move to LA to find more opportunities. In the beginning, I knew no one in LA, I had to start from zero. I constantly checked the crew call on Facebook and the chat group on WeChat. I began to work as PA, BTS photographer, actor, scripty, basically anything I could do on a film set. Besides being a filmmaker, I also started posting content as a portrait photographer on Xiaohongshu and Instagram. The freelance job helps me to pay my bills. Moreover, image expression gives more different aspects of visual language.
As time went on, I knew more and more amazing filmmakers who had the same thoughts as me. And I found that lots of filmmakers in LA are talking about their own race. So I start collaborating with the Asian group, trying to tell our own story.
Who is your hero and why?
I started my film career when I entered my graduate university — SCAD. I met great friends, professors, and colleagues there. When I was finishing my master’s degree, I learned the film production experience and how you maintain relationships with people. When I first came to the United States, I had no friends. SCAD, as a platform, gives me various ways to meet aluminum working in the industry. Even though I’m in LA now, I always meet the person from SCAD, and we create content together now. It’s an essential beginning of my career.
What is the one mantra that you live your life by?
I’ll say, “Do not give up any chance.” We have seen lots of chances around you every day. If you scroll your phone now, you will see hundreds of hiring posts on Facebook or Indeed. But most of the time, you ignore it or think, “I’ll do it later.” But for me, I will never apply it later. After missing some brilliant opportunists, I started to be brave, trust myself and catch the chance every second. I got lots of work and opportunities to meet great filmmakers from short posts and events. So I think even if a chance doesn’t change your whole life, it will lead you to a different person or road, constantly changing your career.
What is your business all about?
Now I’m working in an LA-based video production company – Unreal Imagine, as a producer. Our business includes commercials, branded videos, fashion films, celebrity productions, and short film production. We have a full-service team (pre-production, shooting, post-production), stage, and equipment rental. We are the most professional Bi-cultural production company that can provide the best marketing for Chinese businesses to promote themselves in the USA.
How can you be reached if someone is interested in your products or services?
Please feel free to reach out xianguxx@gmail.com / Ins: Xiangwu_Xie for more information.
Daily magazine for entrepreneurs and business owners
