KEVIN GEIGER | Fretful Laowai Summer Vacation Show
Today Kevin Geiger & I bring you a special “Fretful Laowai: Summer Vacation" edition of Big Fish! In it we discuss our new alliance on the movie I’m developing in France, film festivals, some recent guests on my new podcast “If I Knew You Better”, my appearance on “The Carl King Podcast”, and what the changing tides (personal, professional, international) mean for us both. We aim for fun, informative, & thoughtful too; hope you enjoy it!
KEVIN GEIGER links:
Peewee Frog books http://peeweefrog.com/news.html
Magic Dumpling Entertainment www.magicdumpling.com
BRENDAN DAVIS on “The Carl King Podcast”:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-carl-king-podcast/id1202709564?i=1000440895085
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/carlkingdom/brendan-davis-interview-carl-king-podcast-15-060619
or SEARCH it in your favorite podcatcher
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR listen / learn more below:
APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
STEVEN D. KATZ | Writing A Classic, Teaching Michael Jackson, & More
Steve Katz has possibly the most eclectic background and resume of anyone I’ve ever spoken to. His early influences in the 1960s, like Ray Harryhausen and Famous Monsters magazine, mixed with watching rehearsals at the nearby Westport Country Playhouse with visiting directors like Woody Allen to the influence and support of his parents to propel him into an artistic life from the very beginning. That led him to, among other things: learning film cameras via a cousin in New York who worked on TV shows like “Car 54, Where Are You?”; putting together psychedelic light shows in NYC at places like the Fillmore East and working with bands like The Grateful Dead, The Doors, The Byrds, and Sly & The Family Stone starting at age 19; playing bluegrass banjo; working on John McTiernan’s first film; befriending “Saturday Night Live” writing legend Michael O’Donoghue and seeing a legendary short film he directed, “The Clams”, go on to open a season of “SNL” and catch a big break as a TV writer; he continued to work and grow and eventually established himself as a writer-director-producer in Hollywood; created the first digital previz on the feature Clear and Present Danger; and eventually, all his experience brought him to - yes - China, where he has been involved in many projects big and small. But of all the references I just name-checked, the one that originally cemented Steve’s name in my mind back in the day was that he wrote a truly legendary cinema book called Film Directing: Shot by Shot, published by the then-upstart Michael Weise Productions. It was released in 1992, which is when I was in film school, and it instantly became required reading in my Film Production courses! It’s familiar blue cover was updated a few years ago to announce the new, 25th anniversary edition, which was freshly and thoroughly revised for the digital age. It’s easily the film book I have gifted to more people than any other, and it was a real treat to get to hear some of Steve’s stories in-depth. Among the crazy but true tales already mentioned, we scratch the surface on Steve’s several engagements as Michael Jackson’s personal filmmaking tutor - a story he has NEVER told before! Steve was resident at the Neverland Ranch for months at a time, was flown into luxury hotels to work with the star, sometimes just watching movies late at night. He also saw things in his time around MJ that will likely merit another show entirely, but we will have much more on that topic another day. We even overlap on his interest in the intersection between art and neuroscience, among many other wonky and highly specific topics. To top it off, he’s also a good friend of one of my best friends, Kevin Geiger, so the “small world” meter is off the charts with this one for me. More on all that later. For now, though, you can visit the blog post at https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources for links, contact information, and I hope you enjoy this epic conversation with Steven Katz!
STEVEN KATZ links:
BOOK - Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen by Steven D. Katz: https://mwp.com/product/film-directing-shot-shot-25th-anniversary-edition-visualizing-concept-screen/
WEB - https://www.shotbyshotbook.com
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR LISTEN here - APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
STEVE “CAPTAIN HOFF” HOFFMAN | From Hollywood to Silicon Valley to China
Millions of people in the tech & startup world know Steve Hoffman as “Captain Hoff” from Foundersspace, a leading incubator from Silicon Valley that is now omnipresent throughout China. But very few people know that his FIRST career was as a development executive in Hollywood, and this is the first time Steve’s talked about all this in-depth since beginning his China adventures.
The lessons he's learned from his success shaping startups & stories are invaluable, & applicable regardless of your vocation or location.
I especially love his closing thoughts: “Are you putting your time into the most important things? Given who you are and where you are in your life, what's the most value you can be creating for the people around you and the world around you, and can you focus your energies on that instead of getting distracted by all these other things?”
This was a very fun and special conversation, so I hope you check it out.
STEVE HOFFMAN links -
Foundersspace:
WEB: http://www.foundersspace.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/foundersspace/
“Make Elephants Fly” Book: https://www.foundersspace.com/make-elephants-fly/
Steve Hoffman on “How China Works”: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com/005-silicon-valley-with-chinese-characteristics-steven-captain-hoff-hoffman
Steve Hoffman on “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com/043-steve-hoffman-aka-captain-hoff-yingying-li-brendan-davis
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR listen / learn more at APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
JAMES GOODNIGHT | Photography, China Car Culture, & Expat Life Hacks
James Goodnight is an Arts Center graduate who adventured around the US after school, but that was just the start. He moved to Beijing 10 years ago and built a career as a commercial photographer, specializing in car ads. He’s also a big fan of indoor watersports, and tells us all about that. James’ story involves a lot of synchronicities and I just had one of those days myself yesterday, so I share my own weirdly funny tale in the intro.
JAMES GOODNIGHT links:
Web: http://james-goodnight.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flywave_official/
Flywave WeChat: flywave_china
LISTEN -
“If I Knew You Better”: LISTEN - APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
“How China Works”: LISTEN - APPLE: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-iTunes / ANDROID: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com / SOUNDCLOUD: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-Soundcloud / STITCHER: https://tinyurl.com/hcw-stitcher / WEB PLAYER: https://www.howchinaworkspodcast.com
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”: APPLE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 / SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/brendan-davis-2 / STITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/brendan-davis/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom / WEB PLAYER: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com
LEE CHEN | Acting, Education, & The Benefits of Emigration
Lee Chen is a familiar face on US TV, but her own story is more impressive & incredible than the many shows she’s appeared in. For starters, she’s probably the only successful Hollywood actor who got their start in a "Chairman Mao Thought" propaganda performance troupe towards the end of the Cultural Revolution in China. She was born in Inner Mongolia, was a founding-class member of the Johns Hopkins Chinese Program at Nanjing University, then moved to the US for grad school - earning two Master’s degrees - and began a dual professional life as an academic and an actor. She landed in Chicago after grad school, and fell into studying acting at the famous Piven Theater Workshop. Lee worked and studied for years, moved to Hawaii for a second Masters, did every theater production she could, and finally moved to Hollywood. Today, Lee has built an eclectic film, TV, & theater career with roles ranging from the dramatic to the absurdly funny. She also worked diligently over a 20 year period to move her ENTIRE family - one by one - over to the US from China. I was lucky to meet Lee when she accepted a role in a small film I produced, and when I heard her incredible story I knew I had to get her on the mic to share it with you, too. I am cross-posting this show "If I Knew You Better" and my original China-focused podcast “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” too, but no matter where you hear it, I hope you enjoy it. DO NOT MISS this one!
LEE CHEN on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2011738/
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers or LISTEN - APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
“How China Works”: LISTEN - APPLE: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-iTunes / ANDROID: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com / SOUNDCLOUD: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-Soundcloud / STITCHER: https://tinyurl.com/hcw-stitcher / WEB PLAYER: https://www.howchinaworkspodcast.com
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”: APPLE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 / SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/brendan-davis-2 / STITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/brendan-davis/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom / WEB PLAYER: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com
KEVIN GEIGER | Revenge of the Fretful Laowai Radio Hour!
Returning champion Kevin Geiger (Magic Dumpling, Peewee Frog; ex-Disney) is back for another freewheeling China chat! We start with an outline and let it rip from there. Big fun, and a big reason I rebooted the podcast. We talk about returning home & expat ennui (hence the “Fretful Laowai” show handle), our new projects, how to (and how NOT to) package and produce a feature film (note: it really helps if you hire a rockstar cinematographer, and then he brings on partners who’ve worked on Green Book, the latest Star Wars, Interstellar, etc) and lastly: how to tell if you’ve been in China for too damn long. Enjoy!
KEVIN GEIGER links:
Peewee Frog books http://peeweefrog.com/news.html
Magic Dumpling Entertainment www.magicdumpling.com
Huhu Studios http://huhustudios.com
《神隐桃花源》“Shen Yin Tao Hua Yuan” / “Hidden in the Peach Blossom Garden” https://www.awn.com/blog/breaking-boundaries-beijing
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR listen / learn more below:
LISTEN - APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
“How China Works”: LISTEN - APPLE: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-iTunes / ANDROID: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com / SOUNDCLOUD: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-Soundcloud / STITCHER: https://tinyurl.com/hcw-stitcher / WEB PLAYER: https://www.howchinaworkspodcast.com
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”: APPLE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 / SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/brendan-davis-2 / STITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/brendan-davis/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom / WEB PLAYER: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com
RAYMOND MA on “If I Knew You Better” | Bonus Episode
To introduce “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” listeners to my NEW, globally-focused podcast “If I Knew You Better”, I decided to share this particular China-related episode with actor Raymond Ma. Raymond has worked with everyone from Ali Wong & Awkwafina to Chuck Lorre & Aaron Sorkin. He was born in Hong Kong & lives in Los Angeles. He’s talented, kind, and very funny, and if you've seen US television, you've seen Raymond somewhere. His credits include “Lost”, the plays Chinglish and Joy Luck Club, hit comedy “Fresh Off The Boat”, where he played Randall Park’s father, among many other shows. I first became aware of Raymond by name from his recurring in what remains my favorite TV show ever, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” from Aaron Sorkin.
Whether on TV with an often hilariously deadpan persona, or sitting with him just chatting, Raymond totally cracks me up. And speaking of funny, his current projects have him working with some of the funniest people in the work the movie Always Be My Maybe, with Ali Wong and Randall Park (again) that comes out in the summer, and recently he’s wrapped roles on the new Chuck Lorre (“Big Bang Theory”) TV pilot, AND a TV commercial with the hilarious Awkwafina.
Raymond gets very candid in the talk. We talk about racism and how that has and hasn’t affected him, the value of sometimes subverting racial expectations in the name of art, and he even talks about being homeless for a brief time, which inspired his beautiful, award-winning short film as director and producer titled “I Don’t Have A Phone”.
Raymond Ma on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0530882/
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR listen / learn more below:
LISTEN - APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website/ LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” LISTEN - APPLE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 / SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/brendan-davis-2 / STITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/brendan-davis/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom / WEB PLAYER: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com
BFMK Reboot! | BRENDAN DAVIS
This week I talk about rebooting “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”, my other show (w/Yingying Li) “How China Works”, my NEW show “If I Knew You Better”, & I tell a pretty incredible “moving to China / crazy synchronicity" story which I’ve never told on the mic before.
Why?
Because right now is a special moment in history - for China, for everyone who deals with China on the world stage, and for all of us who are affected - whether as casual observers or as active participants with skin in the game. So since there’s so much at stake and so much to talk about, I'm rebooting “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” while I am back IN China for the time being, and will continue to feed it as I travel and meet China-related guests who best fit here.
One such guest is Raymond Ma, an actor in Los Angeles who was born and raised in Hong King. He’s an old friend and he’s last week’s guest on my other solo podcast, “If I Knew You Better”. His interview is one that I think listeners of this show would especially enjoy, so I wanted to mention it here and make you aware of it.
Raymond Ma
I also talk about “How China Works”, the show I co-host and produce with Yingying Li, and some of the great guests we have coming up. Last week’s guest was entrepreneur Chris “Lu Yi” Oniya, this week’s guest is world-renowned monetary policy advisor and consultant Dr. Frank-Jürgen Richter (a former Director of the World Economic Forum, which organizes and hosts the annual conference @ Davos), and we have many more great guests in our archives and coming up as well.
In terms of what’s changing here specifically, my goal for version 2.0 of “BFMK” is to go deeper with a wider range of guests, including those with contrary opinions to my own, such as this week’s upcoming interview with journalist Tom McGregor (a writer who is both pro-China AND pro-Trump, amazingly), in an effort to have more meaningful discussions about things that matter.
In a sentence: for version 2.0, I want “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” to have less of a “my China story” vibe, and to be more of a lasting record of this time we are all living through, regardless of where we call home.
This is a short episode, but it packs a lot of info. I hope you’ll check it out, and that you enjoy it if you do. Thanks!
SEARCH “If I Knew You Better” in all podcatchers OR listen / learn more below:
LISTEN - APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-knew-you-better/id1457785319 / WEB PLAYER: http://ifiknewyoubetter.libsyn.com/website / LINKS https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/knew-resources
Raymond Ma on IMDb https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0530882/
“How China Works”:
LISTEN - APPLE: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-iTunes / ANDROID: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com / SOUNDCLOUD: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-Soundcloud / STITCHER: https://tinyurl.com/hcw-stitcher / WEB PLAYER: https://www.howchinaworkspodcast.com
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom”:
APPLE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 / SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/brendan-davis-2 / STITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/brendan-davis/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom / WEB PLAYER: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com
CARL KING | Creating Your Own Path (series finale)
CARL KING is a true polymath: someone who’s professionally good at many things. He’s a screenwriter, published book author, composer, engineer, director, producer, & more. Carl has worked with numerous legends in the progressive music and geek culture scenes, including Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, Kevin Smith, the late Jon Schnepp, Brendon Small, and many others. And among his massive credits list, Carl created our theme music! So since Carl’s work (with drums by Mike Stone!) is the FIRST thing you hear on this podcast, I thought it made sense to have him on as my LAST regular guest on the show, too. Wait - last show, you say? What!? More details in the show. Enjoy!
CARL KING links:
WEB: http://carlkingdom.com
MUSIC: https://shop.carlkingdom.com/collections/digital-downloads/products/sir-millard-mulch-how-to-sell-collection-2-failure-digital-download
MIKE STONE on Drums!
https://www.facebook.com/mike.stone1
BFMK Links:
APPLE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/brendan-davis-2
STITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/brendan-davis/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom
WEB PLAYER: http://bigfishmiddlekingdom.libsyn.com
BRENDAN DAVIS | 2019 Kickoff, aka My Birthday Show
Welcome to 2019! I'm in Los Angeles this week & for awhile in general, so I’m making some other changes & expanding the idea of what’s possible. Check out today’s show, which doubles as my January solocast, to hear all the latest. Cheers!
APPLE: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-iTUNES / SOUNDCLOUD: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-Soundcloud / STITCHER: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-Stitcher / WEB: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-Web
BRENDAN DAVIS | “Big Fish Side Dish”: Los Angeles
#080 - “Big Fish Side Dish”: Los Angeles | BRENDAN DAVIS
Today I’m dropping this hot take on my recent trip to LA as my November solo show. The actual details of the project I was there for are under wraps for now, but the trip itself is the star of THIS show - so I hope you enjoy my sleep-deprived tangential ramblings. 😄
Greg Blanche insta: gregateit
FIND the “How China Works” podcast with Yingying Li & Brendan Davis at:
APPLE / iTUNES: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-iTunes / SOUNDCLOUD: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-Soundcloud / ANDROID & EVERYWHERE: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com / WEBSITE: https://www.howchinaworkspodcast.com
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
SUBSCRIBE on iTUNES: https://tinyurl.com/BFMK-iTUNES
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-link
BRENDAN DAVIS | October Solo Show
#69 - October Solo Show | BRENDAN DAVIS
While most of China is on vacation enjoying National Golden Week, a yearly holiday celebrating the founding of the PRC, I’ve been busier than usual. So I decided to do a short solo show to play catch-up on what’s happening, what’s going on, and what’s coming up. A regular show plus another “Big Fish Side Dish” are coming up next week!
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and rate / leave a nice REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-link
“Big Fish Side Dish”: Punk Rock | JONATHAN GARRISON
#068 - “Big Fish Side Dish”: Punk Rock | JONATHAN GARRISON
In this inaugural episode of “BIG FISH SIDE DISH”*, Jonathan Garrison and I riff on how punk rock and other hardcore music helped shape our childhoods and changed our life trajectories. A 12-pack of Harbin Beer might’ve been involved. In a related note, you get to hear how much I curse when I don’t pay attention and mind my manners. Enjoy.
*”Big Fish Side Dish” is a companion show to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” that invites a previous show guest to sit down for a more casual conversation focused on a specific topic - unedited and uncensored.
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and rate / leave a nice REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview
GUEST:
Jon Garrison / En Route: http://www.enroute-global.com/
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links
ERIC SELLEY | Comedy from Beijing to Toronto
Eric Selley has his degree in education from Toronto and works as a truly professional teacher here in Beijing, but these days he is becoming best-known as a comedian. Eric brings a great energy and a fresh perspective to the recent comedy-themed episodes of “BFMK” and shares his thoughts on joke writing, the differences between audiences in Toronto, NYC, Australia, and China, and much more. Enjoy!
This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link in the show notes, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and rate / leave a nice REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview
GUEST Links:
Eric Selley on Instagram: ericjselley
Comedy Club China / WeChat Official Account: comedyclubchina
Website: www.comedyclubchina.com
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
ELLIOTT ZAAGMAN | Tech Writing & Leadership Training in China
To lift directly from his LinkedIn, which says it far better than I ever could: Elliott Zaagman is best known as an executive coach, corporate trainer, and writer who focuses on how Chinese leaders and organizations interact with their global employees and the public. He focuses on leadership development, HR, and PR and is both an enthusiastic evangelist for, and honest critic of, China's tech industry.
Elliott is wicked smart and insightful, very funny, and we have one of the most real conversations - ranging from the curious debt structures in many Chinese businesses to the notable underrepresentation of Asian faces at the Bilderberg Meetings - that I've had on the show. Great talk. Enjoy!
This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link in the show notes, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and rate / leave a nice REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview
GUEST Links:
Elliott Zaagman on Twitter: @ElliottZaagman
Elliott Zaagman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-zaagman
Read: https://technode.com/2018/09/13/chinas-tech-is-addicted-to-debt/
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
DAVID JACOBS | Comedy Club China
David Jacobs grew up in an idyllic part of Virginia, began traveling on a fluke, and ended up in China - where he’s stayed far longer than he ever expected. Along the way, he became a key part of the Beijing comedy scene, where he currently manages Comedy Club China (CCC). CCC is responsible for hosting open mics and quality gigs many nights a week as well as bringing in ever-bigger names for special shows, helping to expand the scene and push the boundaries of what’s possible here.
This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link in the show notes, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and rate / leave a nice REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview
GUEST Links:
David Jacobs / Comedy Club China
WeChat Official Account: comedyclubchina
Website: www.comedyclubchina.com
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
CHRISTIANA ZHU | Plant-Based Food in China
#064 - Plant-Based Food in China | Christiana Zhu
Christiana Zhu has taken an unusual path to becoming the creator of Yeyo, a plant-based coconut yogurt that is one of my new favorite things. She’s a Kiwi of Chinese ancestry who first moved to China to apply her unique perspectives in the marketing and tourism industry, but a major health scare and the lack of local food options to deal with her challenges steered her towards embarking on the cool journey she’s on today with her company Marvelous Foods. As an omnivore myself I especially respect that she promotes plant-based foods primarily as a healthy addition to ANY diet, and I’m eager to taste whatever new flavors of Yeyo's fro-yo variety that she whips up next. Enjoy!
This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link below, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and rate / leave a nice REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview
GUEST Links:
Christiana Zhu on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christiana-zhu-4a2b9917
Yeyo - Official Account on WeChat: Yeyo-Yogurt
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
CHOZIE MA | The Master of Experience
#063 - The Master of Experience | Chozie Ma
Chozie Ma is a master of so many realms of experience - musical, audio-visual, VVIP travel, and more - that it was hard to know where to start with our interview, but his wonderful hospitality made it really fun to find our way through his narrative. Chozie - short for “Chinese Aussie”, which summaries his cultural heritage - spent a few weeks in India right after our interview and is on a sailboat somewhere between Spain and Italy as I type this, which gives some idea of the adventurous spirit that led him to make the amazing life he has created for himself. He first found success as a DJ, promoter and then club owner in China, but that is just the beginning. This was a really inspiring interview for me to do and I hope you enjoy it as well.
This week’s show is sponsored by “The Complete Podcasting Course”, my new learning program on Udemy.com. Find it via the link below, and if you want a discount coupon to get the course for only $10 USD, contact me and I’ll hook you up.
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and leave a REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
SPONSOR:
“The Complete Podcasting Course” - https://www.udemy.com/complete-podcasting-course/learn/v4/overview
GUEST Links:
Chozie Ma online - www.oracleprojects.com
Facebook: Chozie Dj
Instagram: Chozie_ma
Chozie Ma MUSIC:
“Funky Disco Love” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76162&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
“The Path” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76168&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
“Walking Backwards” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76160&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
“We Partyyy!” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76166&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
“One Night in Beijing” - https://h.xiami.com/song.html?id=1770324556&ch=wechat&autoPlay=1&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
“Making Me Hight” - https://music.163.com/m/song?id=76157&market=wechatsearch&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
Chozie Ma VIDEO:
Making of “One Night in Beijing” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkEKO5q6W5I
First-Class Party Prep in Seoul - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch4bU9n6XJg
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
IGOR TORGESON | Comedy & Acting from D.C. to L.A.
Igor Torgeson is a writer, actor and filmmaker from Los Angeles. He is an old friend and we had a great time catching up and chatting here in China recently. Igor talks about his journey in the comedy world, shares his hot take on Beijing, and we even talk a little about what the shifting cultural dynamics back home mean for the entertainment business at large. We had a great time recording this one, and some of the outtakes were so funny that I left them in. Enjoy!
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and leave a REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
GUEST:
Igor Torgeson online: http://IgorTorgeson.com
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:
“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/
GIANLUIGI PERRONE | International Filmmaking in China
This week’s guest has been on my wish list since I first had the idea for the show, and we finally made it happen. Italian writer-director-producer Gianluigi Perrone is something of a Renaissance man. He’s been an author, the screenwriter of cult film Morituris, a film critic and editor of Italian genre journal Nocturno, a director or producer of both occult projects like The 7th Night of Thelema as well as family films, and he’s now a pioneering director and creator of VR projects in China, who applies his passion for and training in neuroscience to his cinematic efforts. In his wide and varied career so far he’s worked with, been mentored by, or has significantly crossed paths with cinema legends like Argento, Bava, Jodorowsky, and Tarantino, among others, and he is a fascinating guy to chat with.
Gian is someone who I see too infrequently, and whenever we sit down, several hours pass and I don't even notice. When we met for this show, we talked for over an hour before we started, then we recorded for an hour and a half, and then we talked a good while afterwards. It’s always a blast to chat with him, and there are far more funny stories in this show than in a usual episode. Gian’s experiences and insights on the state of the film market in China - and on the real secrets of how to do business here in general, and on the shift to longer-term thinking that’s happening here and what that means for all of us in particular - are GOLD. Hint: read The Art Of War. Great show! Enjoy.
Please SUBSCRIBE to “Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” and leave a REVIEW at Apple Podcasts / iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-fish-in-the-middle-kingdom/id1237037187?mt=2 or search and subscribe wherever YOU get your podcasts!
GUEST -
GIANLUIGI PERRONE / PolyhedronVR:
https://www.polyhedronvrstudio.com/
“BFMK" HOST / SHOW:“Big Fish in the Middle Kingdom” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMiddleKingdom/
Brendan Davis on WeChat: BrendanDavis
Brendan Davis on Twitter: @VeritasInLux
Other links to LISTEN: https://www.crazyinagoodway.com/podcast-links/