Ang Does It All
A Conversation with Multimedia Storyteller and 2019 Outfest Outreach Intern
Ang does it all: writing, graphic design, filmmaking and social media. As a community college student, Ang wrote and designed for three student publications, created short films and managed several social media accounts. They tell stories across mediums and platforms — on the big screen and your phone screen.
Last summer, LGBTQ+ film festival Outfest selected Ang to be one of their Outreach Interns. Ang was tasked with assisting with their social media and marketing the events.
Ang chatted with us about what it was like to work as an Outfest Outreach Intern, what kind of content creation they did and how they landed the in-demand internship.
How did you find your way to all these creative paths?
Growing up, I loved telling stories through writing or art. I used to make comics for kids in my class. As I got older, I started joining clubs that were all about telling stories, such as my high school’s video production team and newspaper. That was the start of when I learned the basics of everything I do now and where I developed a love for multimedia that continued to strengthen in college.
You were a 2019 Outfest Fellow, directed and produced a film and even assisted in managing Outfest’s social media as an Outreach Intern. What was that like?
It was literally the most exciting, exhilarating and at times exhausting experience of my life. I’ve loved Outfest since I was young, so this was a dream come true. As a fellow, it was my first time really venturing into professional filmmaking, and at times, it was rough because I had a lot to learn. Regardless, everyone was so supportive, and I came out with a forever family of other queer creatives. It’s honestly changed my life and made me a significantly braver and much better person. As their intern, I feel similarly. I still had a lot to learn, but everyone was so supportive and taught me so much.
What did you do as an Outfest Outreach Intern?
I worked alongside our Communications Manager to do outreach with our members, other film festivals and non-profits, and spread the word about Outfest to the community. I also provided materials to filmmakers and non-profits.
Did you have to follow their style guide for social media?
Yes and no. My boss Andrae was in charge of our Instagram and Twitter posts, but whenever I was covering events on Insta stories, Andrae would give me a shot list of things he wanted to see. He’d also give me a run-down of talent to get coverage of. How I got that coverage was totally dependent on me though, and it ranged from Boomerangs to video shout-outs to pics. There was no rigid thing, and I was given a lot of freedom, which I was thankful and excited about. Especially because Andrae was open to all the ideas I had.
What other marketing work did you do?
I helped a lot with Instagram story coverage, but I was also a point of contact for our photographers and videographers and social media volunteers at our remote venues (our main hub was the TCL Chinese Theater) to make sure coverage was done. My biggest projects were building press collaterals for all the films and events to use and building press kits for our community collaborators.
What advice do you have for people who are applying to communications internships?
Definitely apply for the program I did with LA Arts Commission. I think what they’re doing is incredible, which is providing paid full-time internships to students, especially if you’re in an art-related field. They work their asses off to give the interns a good experience. They also recently included community college students into the mix, which I think is cool.
Also, just take the leap. There’s going to be heartbreak, but don’t let that stop you. I was lucky Outfest called me back, especially because they were definitely one of my top choices (and it’s literally a dream come true for me), but I applied to like seven other internship positions. I literally sat in front of my laptop and wrote seven different cover letters to people until 2 am. I heard back from two. Again, there’s going to be heartbreak — but just keep pushing. That one call could change your whole life, and it did for me.
What other creative jobs and internship positions have you worked as?
I was the editor-in-chief of three of my college’s publications (Side note: I worked alongside Ang at one of those publications!) as well as an Outfest Outreach Intern, an OutSet Fellow, and a Consulting Intern for Young Invincibles. I’m also a contributor to a few digital publications. I’ve done work as a screenwriter and producer for my friends.
Do you have any tips for people with similar interests?
I have such bad imposter syndrome that my anxiety gets the best of me, and I think I don’t belong in a space. But you do. Find your support systems, connect with the people around you, and just really love your work and the community you’re in and take everything you can in and make it the best experience as possible. You’ll definitely have some terrible times, and that’s normal, but don’t beat yourself up about the mistakes you might make and keep pushing forward. Also if you’re working in social media, invest in battery packs! I have five now and two extra iPhone chargers.
What is the most impactful thing you’ve ever created (for either yourself or for others)?
There’s a lot of little things people have told me in my career that just means a lot to me. For example, someone once messaged me that my stories helped her when her depression was really bad. That’s always stuck to me. A few people I’ve featured have personally gone out of their way to say thank you for getting to know them and tell their story. It just leaves a warm feeling. Also all the stuff I did for Outfest, I’ve met so many wonderful and kind people who gave positive feedback about stuff I created.
