Grace Gao graduated film school the same day a major industry strike was announced. Two years later, she runs her own studio.

In this episode, Grace — founder of Celestine Pictures — talks about what it was like to watch her career stall right out of the gate, and how she built something new instead of waiting for the industry to recover. She and Pauline dig into the short, addictive video dramas taking over phones right now (you've probably scrolled past one without realizing it), and how Grace went from writing them for free to running a studio that's produced hundreds of them.

They also get into how AI actually fits into her creative process — what it helps with, what it doesn't touch, and why "AI-native" doesn't mean what most people assume.

The conversation opens up further from there: growing up between three countries, what it's like being the child of immigrants who fully backed a risky creative career, and Grace's honest breakdown of risk — how she decides when to take a leap and when to hold back.

It closes with Grace's own "permission slip" moment: her advice for anyone waiting for someone else's approval to start.

If you've ever felt stuck waiting for the "right time," this one's for you.

GUEST LINKS

Connect with Grace Gao:
Instagram
LinkedIn

Celestine Pictures:
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube