“Show Notes”
Christian is an expert in cinematic storytelling. They don’tjust look beautiful, but sell beautifully. Christian started as an insurance broker and then moved on to setting up his own business. But eventually, he thought something was missing. He didn’t start knowing he wanted to move into filmmaking, he just knew he wanted to do something different. Based on a childhood memory, he went to film and started by setting up a green screen studio. He did this with no training or knowledge about filming.
He got a breakthrough through his network and was introduced to people who organise an elite tennis tournament. He did lots of filming there and created a film to tempt next year’s sponsors. That went very well, and things expanded from there. He did all the editing and everything by himself. He said he had the imagination but just needed to learn the technical skills.
After the breakthrough, it became much easier. He had work to show, he had a great connection from previous businesses, and the business took off. In 2019, he was introduced to his first end hi-fi client. He has then moved into that area as a niche. When shooting these products, and in all his work, he makes a story. He spends a long time finding out who the target market is and what they are interested in.
He doesn’t have an agent, people tend to pick up the phone, having seen his work.
Sam asks if getting the initial big client is important. He says it is very helpful. Try things to get that initial work with a big client. Do some low-priced work for a big client to get a foot in the door. But make sure you explain what the cost should be.
Christian is based in Malaysia and travels most months. He has a second base in Germany, which he uses to access the rest of Europe. He is usually in Europe every other month, and from Germany, he can easily access most of Europe.
Sam asks about how his network from his previous business helped him in his film business. He says it has helped a lot. He said it also helped that he understood how to build and run a business.
Christian says he doesn’t have employees, but he does have freelancers that he works with. In terms of equipment, he says when he started, he bought lots of expensive equipment which he hardly ever uses. He says what you need is a camera, two or three lights, and some good sound. He was awarded best branded content director just a couple of weeks ago. Christian also has his project, a 42-minute film called Seconds in Eternity. It has gained 33 awards at film festivals. It isn’t available to the pubic at the moment as it is showing in film festivals.
You can find Christian here
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“Show Transcription”
Sam: Hello, Marcus. How are you doing today?
Marcus: Oh, I’m fine. How are you?
Sam: Excellent. Very, very good. And we’ve got a guest today, Marcus, so today we’ve got with us, Christian Hsu. Hi, Christian.
Christian: Hi, Sam. Thank you so much for having me.
Sam: That’s right. Welcome to the show. And with usual with our guests, would you like to introduce yourself?
Christian: Well, yes, of course, I will. Hi, my name is Christian Hsu. I’m a filmmaker, producer and expert in cinematic storytelling. I work with companies and creatives to craft films that are not just look beautiful, but they also sell beautifully. So that’s what I’m doing.
Sam: Amazing. And so do you have any photography as part of your work or is it all moving image work?
Christian: No, it’s photography is really like visual only means film, film, movies, commercials. They are not still photography.
Sam: OK, excellent. And then do you want to take us through a little bit of how you got to where you are today? A little bit of your story. Where did it all begin?
Christian: Well, OK. Sure, I will. I will keep it as short as possible. So I will try to cut straight to the chase after school. I’ve been doing something totally different and I haven’t been in the creative industry from the start. So I’ve been selling insurances as an insurance broker, but there was one time in my life where I’ve been building up companies and so on. But then I felt like how can I put that? I felt like something is missing in my life. And even though I’ve been doing a good job, I guess, I had many sales and I enjoyed life and, yeah, financially, everything was fine. There was still something missing here. And when that hit in, I’ve been at some kind of crossroads in my life where I needed to decide should I go on doing what I don’t like to do, which was, yeah, selling financial stuff or, yeah, or should I do what? And back then I decided to, yeah, actually, I haven’t had any plan what I wanted to do. So when I was sitting, I still remember with my old Sony laptop, I’ve been sitting in the office and I’ve been thinking like, God, yeah, OK. And now where is the next spot? And and then it came up a memory from my childhood and it was me playing with Lego bricks, but not like like the usual kids, like building police stations and fire stations and stuff like that. And I remember how I built film studios and film sets when I was a kid. So once I had this memory coming back to me, I couldn’t get rid of it anymore. And one month later, I plunged into the cold water and started building up a green screen studio. Back then I was in Germany, 50 square meter, rather small. But it was a start. And from then it was really crazy, to be honest. I’ve been introduced. I mean, I had no idea about filming. I all I knew was from YouTube and from reading blogs and articles about how to do this and that and what do you need. And of course, I also contacted people in the industry who know about that. But one month later, I’ve been introduced to a business partner of a business partner from my old from my old work and my old companies that I had back then. And he was doing he was working for a company who sets up the Mallorca Open, the WTA Mallorca Open, which was back then the last grass tournament. Sorry.
Marcus: Is that tennis?
Christian: Yes, women’s tennis association, the WTA Mallorca Open. And it was the last grass tournament before Wimbledon. So the whole elite in the world was joining because they needed some practice under under competition. So and I’ve been been there and I needed to film the background, means the VIP parties, how they cheer, do the trailer for next year selling that tournament to the sponsors again. And it turned out that I’ve been doing that rather well. And I did that for the for the whole three years. The Mallorca Open took place in Mallorca. And, yeah, that was like, I don’t know, the universe opening some gate for me saying, OK, Christian, now you now you’re finally where you want to be. So here you go. From there I picked it up.
Sam: And then but literally you’re pretty much picking up a camera the first time pointing it around the place and giving it a go.
Christian: Actually, yes.
Marcus: Wow, it’s pretty incredible. And this is where you are on your own at that point, Christian. We are doing the b-roll on your own. Yes, editing, you’re going to go and edit it.
Christian: Everything by myself, everything by myself. But I always I guess I always had a good eye for for a frame and visuals. So, yeah, and my imagination was also not so bad. So I’ve been I’ve been using this talent and I just all I needed to learn was how to use the camera, how to do sound, how to put the lights there, which was a lot. But yeah, I’m happy.
Marcus: You had the idea you had. So you had the ideas. And really, it was just a question of learning how to take to it technically. When when when was this, Christian?
Christian: That was 2015. That is 10 years ago now.
Marcus: Thank you, Christian. Yeah. So 2015, there you are. You’re doing you’re working for a major tournament, a major company doing your first jobs. Take us from there. How did you evolve from there?
Christian: Well, to be honest, it was rather easy after that, because one time you work with such a major brand company and the people behind, you have some something to show. I mean, I’ve been in the situation that I knew many business people already from what I’ve done before, and that certainly helped me to pick up pace having a company before. I mean, I’m self-employed since 2010. So back then, five years ago, I had already experienced in. Yeah, we had limited companies together with a business partner. And all of this, I also helped me to grow my business after that. But what I had to to show was, of course, see, I’ve worked with this kind of company and I know how to do it. And from that on, I had the chance to work for some big German keynote speakers and film their events, help them produce back then online courses that they can sell online to their audience. And yeah, and from there, it basically started. And then in 2019, I’ve been introduced also from another business partner to my first ever high end client, HiFi, high end client. And from that time on, what I do now, I would say 70, 60, 70 percent is in the high end HiFi industry.
Sam: HiFi, as in sound sound.
Christian: Yeah, sound speakers, receivers. But I mean, we all know JBL and Bose as some brands. But those kind of companies, they sit higher. They target real luxury clients like Ben Williamson, Focar.
Marcus: Lane, people like that.
Christian: Yeah, yeah. It’s like it’s like Cartier in the HiFi. HiFi.
Marcus: Wow. OK. And obviously, yeah, I mean, beautiful stuff to photograph. You know, look at the look around and look for your website and look at your photography and your filming. And yeah, I mean, it’s beautiful stuff to film. But also a little bit difficult to sort of create something, you know, innovative through that as well, maybe.
Christian: Yes. Of course, I mean, at the end, to me, it’s all about storytelling. Nowadays, it’s so easy to pick up a camera and do a rather good shoot. I mean, you just need some training and you just need some basic knowledge. But what you really need is a story that sells. So when it comes to to, yeah, to working for my clients, what I do mostly at the beginning is having long conversations with them, with the marketing team to let me know, who is your target group? Who am I talking to as a filmmaker? Who is listening, watching my stuff? And nowadays with marketing, I don’t need to tell you. That’s so tailored to niches. We can I mean, 20 years ago or 10 years, even 10 years ago, we’ve been shooting with a huge gun on the audience. And if you hit some guys, yeah, it was nice. And then they will sell that they will buy some of your product. But now I mean, you can target that so good that 50 percent or maybe even more of your of your audience is actually interested in those kind of things. And that is making it for me, making it, well, easier to target them directly, but also to tell the story that matters for them.
Sam: Yeah.
Christian: And that is actually something that I really like.
Sam: Yeah. So you can really think. So who is this film for? And it’s not just the marketing side. It’s the creative side, too, because then you can really get inside their head and think, yes, what are they interested in? What do they like? How am I going to? Yeah. And that really brings together, doesn’t it? That marketing and that creative side to to produce something that really engages on both in both ways.
Christian: Yes. And I really like that. I mean, for example, one of my clients is McIntosh Labs from the US. I don’t know if you have heard of them. They produce receivers and and and streamers. And it’s very manly. It’s very masculine. So the target group with chrome, you know, and black metal, it looks like the target group. They are they are men. So all you need to do basically is put them into a lunch club atmosphere. Yeah. Put that that receiver there. Some cigars on Chesterfield’s sofa, a fireplace in the back. And that’s it. You celebrate it. Well, at the same time, Bang and Olufsen, another client of mine, they have a very diverse target group, men and women, almost 50 50. So really more.
Marcus: I guess because it looks like Bang and Olufsen, is that they’ve got a very feminine form, you know, a lot of curves. Innovative design.
Christian: Yes. And and Marcus, the main thing is the customer with those with this company, the customer can decide which would they want to have on their loudspeaker, on their device. What kind of is it more acrylic or do I want metal or how do I want to have it look like? So and that’s when the wife came come in. I mean, they are all luxury luxury clients that they have. Mostly is is married couples that buy those kind of things. And then, of course, the lady will decide, oh, honey, look, that looks so nice. We need to have it. So it’s a totally different approach when you do a film for them versus the first company I mentioned out of typically high five client, which is which can be quite a once in a while.
Marcus: Yeah.
Christian: Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.
Marcus: To work with these high profile clients. Are you do you have an agent that you work with to procure the work or do you get it yourself?
Christian: I’m getting it myself. I’m I’m very lucky to say that mostly people pick up their phone and calling me and asking me, is that you doing that? And this video for this and this company, then I can say, yes, that was me. And then the next question is, can you do that for us, too?
Sam: So so it’s your work is out there with big brands that’s being seen. And then obviously, competitors are looking at their competitors going, what are they doing? And they’re looking at your films and go, whoa, we like that film. We want some of that.
Christian: Yes. And I guess it’s it’s a kind of standard in the in the genre or in what I’m doing, because I’m not getting calls from FNB clients asking me, oh, you did that video for a car name when the Bentley drive there. Can you do that for us with mineral water bottles? That’s that’s a totally different thing. And I also have paid my highest respect because it FNB is something totally different from what I do. You know.
Marcus: What’s FNB. So what’s FNB?
Christian: OK, food and beverage. Yeah. So if you if you are doing, I don’t know, shots for Coca Cola or for Burger King, it’s totally different. It’s it’s it’s a whole different world. You will be maybe locked in in the studio for a week until you have this until you have this video of the cheese dropping down, you know.
Marcus: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, Sam, Sam, it’s what we’ve talked about on this show so many times, isn’t it? You know, nice it down, really nice it down.
Sam: Yeah, definitely. And then I think one of the big things you’re saying, Christian, as well, is landing that initial big client was such a massive thing. And that is helping you more. So initially, yeah, it wasn’t it was the open tennis. But once that led you to other big brands. And then once you got into that high five sector, yeah, it’s a it’s a small group of businesses that clearly are keeping an eye on each other. So, I mean, do you think if if photographers, videographers are looking for high end clients, do you think a tactic really is they’ve got to work hard and get that initial big client? And that that is such a massive kind of opener getting that.
Christian: And I would say yes, yes and no at the same time, because it’s all about what what what you do from this. But of course, having a foot in the door is definitely helping anyone. And from there, you can take it. I mean, if you if you just start out, maybe you can try to do some social media content for a big company and get it at the beginning. You need to you need to find ways of, yeah, of doing that. Maybe not for free, but for a rather small price to get a foot into the door. And then once you show what you’re capable of doing, then you can proceed it from, yeah, can take it from there.
Sam: And we’ve talked a lot about the kind of do you give things free and reduced price? I think one of the things we’ve come up with a lot is that if you do things for free and reduced price, that’s great. But make sure it’s for the right people. Don’t just do it for people. But also tell them how much it should be, you know, it should be this. But I’m going to you know, I’m going to give it so that so when they talk to the people, they’re aware what the real price is, not that then everyone thinks, oh, what do you do for this people?
Christian: Yes. And the next thing I 100 percent agree. And the next thing is they will be also asked how much they have paid. And if they then tell, oh, that campaign was ten thousand, but we got it for three thousand, for example, oh, how did you do that? And oh, you negotiated it. But OK, the other people know it’s actually ten grand.
Marcus: Yeah. Sure. Christian, you’re talking from is from Germany at the moment, but you do a lot of traveling. Tell me, tell me about where you’re based or where you move to, where you shoot.
Christian: OK, OK, OK. That’s that’s a bit maybe different from from other people. Yeah, I’m based in Malaysia, actually, in Southeast Asia, and I’m traveling usually once a month. So it means one month I’m in Germany, then one month I’m back home. But when I’m in Germany, I mean, German is my and I’m German, so Germany is my second base. But from here, I go to the UK, I go to Spain, I go to Italy, France, Denmark, Poland, Slovakia for filming.
So I have my clients, Switzerland. I have my clients all over Europe, actually, which makes Germany as a base kind of ideal because you’re you know, best. You’re in the UK, you know, best. It’s quite easy to reach. And mostly I can even bring my car. I don’t need to fly. UK is different. I don’t want to take my car there. It’s a headache already, you know, because my car is left, left side, left hand drive.
Marcus: OK, yeah. All right.
Christian: So if I’m taking my car, I’m very used to driving right hand drive car because of Malaysia having the same like in UK. But if you’re having the car with a steering wheel on the wrong side and then your drive, it’s very confusing.
Sam: I mean, the only other thing I want to correct is from kind of how you get your clients, that major brand was clearly a big point. But the other thing you’ve mentioned, I think, is your network. Clearly, you came into the business already with a really good network from your previous business. And that that network seems to have really helped you.
Christian: Yes, yes. Of course, that also helps. I’ve been I’ve been also asked before about what impact does it have when you’re an entrepreneur or I mean, I yeah, I built up companies as well in the coaching area before we called it coaching, but we sold real estate insurance and gold and silver and stuff like that. Financial instruments, let’s say. And I would say that helped a lot. I believe that helped a lot because you know already the structure on how to build up that company. If you’re starting out with filmmaking and you’re you’re starting, actually, you’re starting two things at the same time. You have to build up your company and you have to be that filmmaker that gets clients and do the good things and do the right things for the customers. It’s it’s for sure. It helped me that I know already what how is it with building up a company for five years and then I can focus on, OK, what is the basic fundamentals I need to learn to to be good in filmmaking?
Marcus: Yeah, excellent. Christian, may I just turn attention just to talking about the way you work? So maybe just a brief outline of the kind of equipment that you’re using and do you have a team of people that you work with or do you work?
Christian: OK, well, starting with the team, I have a few freelancers I always rely on and I’m very happy with them, but I don’t have the typical employee yeah, a kind of lifestyle because for me it it doesn’t make sense. I’m one month in Europe, let’s say, filming, doing a lot. And then I’m one month not there. But if you have employees, you need to pay them all the time. And then there is maybe not even work for them when I’m not here. So it doesn’t make any sense for me. I will rely on freelancers and which, yeah, which is perfectly fine for me. When it comes to equipment. Yeah, when I started out, I thought I need just everything.
I bought a big cinema camera and a slider and the gimbal and the drone, of course, drone footage, very nice aerial view. And I bought another stabilizer, you know, those kind of steady cams. I think I used it at the time. It’s so ridiculous. And three microphones and another 50 lights because I had a green screen studio. So, of course, you need lights everywhere, like as it is on TV sets. And crazy, I can tell you crazy, what I spent money for this was so hilarious because what you need at the end to do a good job is a camera, maybe two or three lights and a good sound. And that’s it. And then you need to go out and shoot.
But for me, it was always like, oh, OK, now I should good already. But if I have that slider, then I’m really good. Yeah, ridiculous.
Sam: So, boys with noise syndrome at the start.
Christian: Definitely.
Marcus: And I see behind you there that you’ve got some awards.
Christian: Oh, yeah.
Marcus: On your show that tell me about your latest award that you won.
Christian: My latest award is just well, let me see now is ninth. So it’s like 10 days ago. I’ve been awarded best branded content director in Europe of 2025 from Evergreen Awards, which is yeah, I’m very grateful for that to be to be recognized in the industry, of course, and awarded regularly. I mean, right now I’m OK. What I haven’t told you, I’m also doing some kind of my own project, which is not commercial project so far, which is right now a film small 42 minutes film. I just finished in February this year. It’s called Seconds in Eternity.
And right now it’s on festival journeys and so on for one year. Until now, we made it to have 33 awards around 33 awards for it. Not always best film, but we are best directing, best sound design, best actress, best actor, but also best indie feature film and something like that. It’s it’s quite nice. It’s a nice journey, Christian. OK, the film is about an older woman that struggles with aging and want to reclaim back youth. It’s a film noir style. And she is like, yeah, I don’t want to tell too much about it. But without spoiling something.
She is watching a younger life. There is she’s watching a young lady enjoying life. And she want to take over that life because that young woman, she got so much energy of it of life and she want to take back that life. And yeah, it turns even into a potential murder. And but with a very life affirming note at the end, it’s it’s an ode to life.
Sam: And can we is that available to watch to stream?
Christian: Not yet, I’m afraid. This year, it’s still in film festival journeys. And therefore you are not allowed to to show that publicly yet. I hope we can we can make it for next Christmas. That would be would be nice.
Sam: OK, well, get back in touch with the show and tell us when it’s available.
Christian: All right. Absolutely.
Sam: Amazing. Well, I think we’re kind of coming to the end of the show, then, aren’t we? That has there’s been all sorts there, both kind of creative from the creative side and from the business and marketing side. All sorts of listeners take away. Thank you so much, Christian. Thank you.
Christian: Thank you, Sam. Thank you, Marcus. It was a pleasure to be on your show. I really enjoyed it.
Sam: And listeners, we have revamped our newsletter. So you definitely need to shoot to the top newsletter. The main thing is, of course, it makes sure that the podcast gets to your inbox every week so you don’t miss it back. Clearly, it’s the most important thing. But now we also have brought back the hints and tips from Marcus and the eye. They are longer and you get even more information back. And Marcus is busy every month scouring the newspapers or websites of the photography world for photography news. So you every week get the podcast, get marketing hints and tips from Sam. You get photography hints and tips from Marcus. You get photography news markets. There is all sorts in there.
You do need to sign up. Go to the top dot com and join the newsletter. Christian, thank you so much for joining us.
Marcus: Well said.
Christian: And thank you, Sam.
Sam: Marcus, I’ll see you next week.
Christian: Thank you. Bye bye.
Marcus: See you next week. Thank you, Christian.
