The MAG - Angelica M. George

Angelica M. George & “The Sound of Milwaukee"

by Shay Lopez

Filmmaker, Producer, Director, Writer and Podcaster Angelica M. George is an artist and creator originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her creative approach to filmmaking and life revolves around doing her best to educate and entertain while being innovative and always representing the underdogs. “I’m from Milwaukee, an underdog city. Being Black, being a woman, and being a Black woman is something I place within my work every chance I get.”

When asked about her journey of filmmaking it was clear that it started from Angelica’s early years. “Wow I really don’t know, I was always the kid who took a camera to school growing up. I grew up in the era of home videos so it was normal to record organic moments and wait to see what would happen next.” When Youtube developed, Angelica would make slideshows with music, “another form of storytelling, then I would record my best friends’ music performances. I was a kid when I started to develop my interest.”

Although she engaged with this art form from a young age she did not realize the effect until her undergraduate years when she was attending Clark Atlanta University (CAU). “At CAU I realized that I could really tell some stories and I did and I continue to do so. I’m thankful for my organic experiences with filmmaking as well as learning from the traditional aspects of school (both Clark Atlanta University and Savannah College of Art and Design).”

Angelica has completed a number of projects in the past including commercials, music videos, short films, and docuseries. Specifically, she highlights a docu-series titled “Black Men Smile,” a short film titled “I Knew,” a digital series titled “Maejor Mondays,” and lastly a short documentary titled “Up Next on the 1’s and 2’s” which explores the Life of DJs. [Links to view these projects are provided at the bottom of this article!]. While these projects all hold special meaning, Angelica’s latest project “The Sound of Milwaukee” is one that is coming soon!

“It’s a docu-series that explores Milwaukee’s music scene and talent. I’ve been trying to get this project off for a minute between anxiety, self-doubt, and financial backing. It’s been a journey. I can say today The Sound of Milwaukee docu-series is in a great place. We have amazing people who want to be part of the project from behind the scenes to in front of the camera. We also did a fundraising campaign which was an overwhelming but amazing experience. We plan to film in Milwaukee and shine a spotlight on the city in a positive way!”

The mission of the project “The Sound of Milwaukee” lies in being able to expose a larger audience to the talent of the city. “My city needs more positive exposure and I want to be a part of creating that.” While the mission is based on uplifting the city the inspiration is more personal:

“The inspiration for this project is life. My life experiences. I really grew up in Milwaukee and watched the music scene develop. I used to stay on MySpace looking up the newest artists coming from Milwaukee from Lil Gucci and everyone in between. My best friend was a rapper and I used to go to the studio with him. I also used to go to his concerts and film them, you know, preparing him to one day have footage for his documentary. I used to always tell him. I ultimately love music, I love to entertain, I love talking about my city, and I love to educate: I mixed all those things together and I came up with `The Sound of Milwaukee’.”

This project is one that is in the works and it has been a long process, “the development process has been tough from finding crewing to panning out the story, my doubt, people’s doubt of me, it’s been a lot but I know this project will be amazing and I’m grateful for the process.”

When reflecting on words of wisdom to share with other creatives Angelica wanted to say, “no matter where you are in life, I promise that you have gifts and talents. If you can be STILL for a day and just reflect please do! If you doubt yourself you’re not alone and don’t let anybody tell you differently. There will always be more regret in giving up than sticking with the journey.”