Eddy M. Gana Jr is a member of the Sunday Jump family. Eddy and his partner Stephanie Sajor (who is also Sunday Jump family) tour as a spoken word duo called Steady. I can recall seeing Eddy and Stephanie perform at Tuesday Night Cafe when they were a part of a spoken word group that had four members. I wish I could recall the name of that group. But what I can remember is that they represented UC Irvine and Kababayan when they performed. I knew that they were much younger than Mike and I, however I couldn't help but get a little misty eyed to see a new generation of spoken word artists coming out of UCI. Because yes, a long long time ago there were spoken word pieces written by myself and Mike.
It's an amazing thing to see generation after generation of UCI alum come out and community organize in Los Angeles. Props to Eddy and Stephanie for doing their thing and for organizing Sunday Jump every month in Historic-Filipinotown. I hope you all enjoy this Oblivious Interview! Oblivious meets Eddy M. Gana Jr.
Name(s):
Eddy M. Gana Jr., Eddy G., Flip Image Affiliations (arts org, fun things you do, etc) : Going into our third year, I am a co-founder and the resident host of Sunday Jump, a Filipino-founded open mic series based in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles. Currently, I am the chairperson of Kabataang maka-Bayan or KmB, Pro-People Youth fighting for Pilipin@ Studies and justice and equity for Filipino-American veterans, widows, and their families. As a UCI Anteater alumnus, I joined the USC Trojan family in the Master of Social Work program. I have coined the term, Ante-Jan. Fun things I do? I like words. I like writing words and speaking words. I am a spoken word artist and emcee. Word. What's the one word you are guilty of using too much? Word. Just kidding! It's a tie between "stories" and "community.” How did you end up doing what you are doing now? It started with Pilipino Youth Coalition (PYC) of South Alameda County. I remember folks my age speaking about it in my Tagalog class. I was a sophomore in high school then, and I wanted to try meeting folks in a club that is not related to school. PYC was it. I didn't only get to make new friends, but also learned about my culture, history, and about myself. Eventually, the friends I made found out that I rapped and invited me to sign up for the open mic at Paddy's, a local coffee chop around the corner. I was nervous. I remember shaking, but with their encouragement, I went on the mic.
Which member of the Wu-Tang Clan best describes your personality?
Method Man. I love laughing. I love cracking jokes with the homies. I think about his friendship with Redman (although not a member of the Wu-Tang Clan), and how they are always clowning. That's life. There are issues that we have to address seriously, but self-care is important too. Laugh and live to rhyme another day. Dogs or Cats, who wins? Why? Dogs because they do not break fragile ornaments and I don’t have to take a picture of the cat next to the mess to prove that I didn’t break it, but then look like I did it because I took that picture. My family’s cat, Mellow, is cool though. What is the best part of any given day for you? When I get that sudden feeling to write in the middle of the night. Even if I get less sleep, it’s worth it and I actually wake up the next day with more energy because poetry is my therapy. In a zombie apocalypse who would you want on your survival team? No matter where we are, Janice will direct us by going straight then making a right to get to safety. Stephanie will prepare our routes and ration our food and supplies as necessary. Xuan will know where to find and how to acquire resources. Vatche will mediate any conflict within the group. In the event of an outbreak, Gwen-Florelei will have the greatest ideas for how to kill the zombies. Gian will document our journey along the way. If we are ever cornered in an alley, JP and Emily will always be down to help. PAF will be everyone’s go-to nap pillow. I’m pretty confident that an open mic will happen during the zombie apocalypse.
What is the last thing you searched for on google?
“Hunger strikes” because of this: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/The-Black-Student-Union-at-SFSU-started-it-all-3274175.php?cmpid=fb-desktop. We cannot talk about the Third World Liberation Front without the Black Student Union. We cannot talk about the importance of Pilipin@ Studies without Ethnic Studies. We cannot talk about the Civil Rights Movement without anti-blackness. The histories of our communities are different, but not isolated. Our beliefs align more than you may think. If you could talk to your high school self, what would you say? I love time travel films, like Back to the Future and Looper. I believe that it is possible for the future to change so I won’t say anything too specific. What I can say is appreciate the free time you have now. What is the best thing or meal you ever ate? Strip House in Las Vegas for Stephanie’s and my 5th anniversary in 2012. Mmmmm, steak. What is a memorable project that you are working on or have worked on? During Spring 2012, I requested PTO for one week and used the entire time to write and record songs for my first ever mixtape. I was experimenting with a new name, Double-I (which later I reverted back to Flip Image). The mixtape is called, “Break Time’s Over.” My personal favorite is “Best Day Ever (Best Trip Ever Remix)” because it always brings back memories of the Philippines. In this song, I reflected about my experiences with my Martin and Gana family and used footage from the trip to create this music video:
On top of my job, grad school, performing, and community organizing, I’ve been contemplating about making another mixtape. Another break time may soon be in order.
Many thanks to Eddy for this interview. Folks should definitely check out Sunday Jump this Sunday, November 1st! You can RSVP here: Sunday Jump.
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AJ Calomay is one of these dudes that I see at film festivals. But before that, he was someone who I would see at Filipino American events. Specifically PCNs. As someone who has done my fair share of PCN (hello five years of college PCNs at UCI) AJ was a frequent guest at these events because UCI normally had PCN filmed. AJ was a part of the company that produced PCN videos! When I moved back to LA, AJ would be at a lot of the same community events and parties that we would end up at. Beyond the Filipino American connection, I would run into AJ at random shows. Like at Oddball Comedy festival in Irvine or at other shows at the Hollywood Bowl. I knew AJ worked as an assistant editor and when I asked him what show he worked on he said "Oh this show on USA. It's called Covert Affairs." I freaked out. I was like "I totally know that show! I watch it!!" Which was much to his surprise, because I don't think AJ had met anyone who had seen the show. But as a fan of all things USA Network (Characters Welcome. Yes I know the tagline.) I totally knew Covert Affairs. The show has since been cancelled, but AJ is now an assistant editor with my new favorite USA Network show Mr. Robot. DUDE. GO WATCH IT NOW. Mr. Robot is amazing. It took all my energy not to hit him up for spoilers! (Side note: I can't wait for Season 2!!) AJ is also an example that your major in college doesn't necessarily lead to your future career. He was a Psychobiology major and now he's an editor. Yeah that path isn't exactly direct. When students would come into my office freaked out about what career they needed to go with, I always though of AJ. Hope you all enjoy this interview! Oblivious meets AJ Calomay Name A.J. Calomay. Arthur, if you know me from high school (because of roll call!) Affiliations (arts org, fun things you do, etc) : Xylophone Films (founder) and Kid Heroes Productions (producer). We've been producing and editing music videos, shorts films, commercials, documentaries and features since 2001. Mostly community based projects. But lately with Xylophone I've been working with companies such as Xbox and Fandango, editing content. Other affiliations -- Theta Delta Beta brotherhood, and every Fil-Am based entertainment networking group for the last 15 years, hah. What's the one word you are guilty of using too much? "Umm". I was never quite the orator so when I explain things it takes me awhile. Especially when I talk about editing. A lot of the process can't always be explained clearly. Or when I get asked what I want to eat. LA has too many options. I gotta pause to think about it. How did you end up doing what you are doing now? PCN videos! Started editing at UCLA, because of Pilipino Cultural Night videos and videos for other orgs on campus. Shoutout to Bahay Bidyo, Samahang, SPEAR, Theta and Unicamp for letting me edit your projects while I was there as well as the other schools we produced videos for - CSUN, Long Beach St, Cal St Fullerton and UCI. I was able to practice and develop a craft in a comfortable space. But really, before college, my cousins Loyd and BJ Calomay shot home-made thriller movies, skate boarding and travel videos. So I was familiar with the concept of movie making at an early age. And then later on, early in my college years, I was influenced by films such as "Diary of a Gangsta Sucka" by John Castro, "the Debut" by Gene Cajayon, and "The Flip Side" by Rod Pulido. I met Patricio Ginelsa in 2000 and he told me about his movie "Lumpia" that he had shot a few years back. It seemed like a fun project and a good fit. I cut a trailer for the movie that made some rounds on the internet back then and even in the VC Film Fest! That started my journey working with Patricio. About 50-some projects later I'm very proud of the body of work we've produced in the last 15 years, with strong narrative and a variety of styles and genres. Also, I've been lucky to be steadily working in the post-production industry here in LA for the last 15 years, everything from MTV to Disney to Speed Racer, and now in scripted TV with Covert Affairs and Mr Robot. I've learned so much from all these great producers and editors. Having an outlet for creativity in the "industry" and with my community work is crucial for me, and it enables me to mentor and share what I've learned, which in turn helps Xylophone Films grow and evolve. Which member of the Wu-Tang Clan best describes your personality? The RZA because I like orchestrating and bringing people together Dogs or Cats, who wins? Why? Dogs all the way, I'm allergic to cats. What is the best part of any given day for you? Moments when I can just shut off and not be working or thinking about work. Even when it's stepping away from the editing station during the work week to enjoy a lunch, or hanging with my wife, Anna, on a lazy Sunday morning. In a zombie apocalypse who would you want on your survival team? Speaking of my wife, I'll want her because she's done the zombie run at Comic-Con a few times, watches "The Walking Dead" with me so she knows the rules. Plus she knows solar. We'll need solar panels to survive. What is the last thing you searched for on google? "Lakers training camp 2015". It's been a long summer, I need my fix! If you could talk to your high school self, what would say?
"Hang on to those paisley shirts" What is the best thing or meal you ever ate? Wow, too many. Just check my instagram at @ajxy :) What is a memorable project that you are working on or have worked on? I just finished up at the tv show Mr Robot on USA Network. It was definitely an exciting ride since people didn't know what it was at first, or even wanted to give it a chance. But the first season has been a hit and people are still discovering it. It's eerily captured the zeitgeist of how we live with technology, sprinkled with themes of dysfunction and disconnect. And there's a good 'ol family drama in there as well. On the Xylophone/Kid Heroes side, "Lumpia 2" is the next big project for us. After the amazing Kickstarter awhile back, where the community came through for us big time, we're still prepping things. It's definitely not an easy process to get a film completely off the ground but we're making progress. It's still happening. Also, with my Xylophone crew, we've been editing featurettes and pieces on upcoming movies at Comic-Con the last several years with Xbox and now Fandango and IMDB. I'm super proud of this crew since they've done a lot of work with the community projects and they've gone into the maelstrom of Comic-Con, and thrived. In 2003 I went to Chicago with Mike for the APIA Spoken Word summit. Mike had gone to the first summit in 2001. This Chicago trip was my graduation gift from my parents. Many things happened during this trip, but most importantly I got to meet so many amazing people. One of these amazing people was Lily Prijoles, who at the time was a part 8th Wonder, a spoken word group from the Bay area. Our paths would cross again when 8th wonder performed at FPAC. As I write this I can't believe that all that happened over 12 years ago! Many things have changed. We could probably track our relationships through our online profiles! Blogger to xanga to livejournal to friendster to myspace to facebook to instagram to twitter to tumblr to whatever the future brings. Filipino Food & Bakery, the restaurant that Lily runs with her family, is partnering up with DJ Neil Armstrong for a Brunch & a Mixtape pop up event at her family's bakery! Folks in the San Diego area should definitely check this out this Sunday, October 25th. Diners all get a copy of Neil Armstrong's latest mixtape on a mini Ube Taro Coconut USB drive from Nomad Donuts. I am so jealous that I have plans this Sunday. I would totally be there if I was free. Folks tell me how it is! I'm so excited to share this interview with everyone! Oblivious meets Lily Prijoles. Affiliations (arts org, fun things you do, etc) : I run Filipino Food & Bakery with my Kuya & parents, a co-founder/Ate-mus Prime of KAMP (Kuya Ate Mentorship Program - Education program teaching Philippine & FilAm History to Filipino Language Students of San Diego), indentured Crew member for Xylophone/Kid Heroes productions, Word sayer for 8th Wonder, etc etc... For fun... I enjoy various forms of ice cream. I try to make things with my sewing machine, drive around to clear my head & look at stationary stuff from Staples to Daiso. What's the one word you are guilty of using too much? Like most people, I say "SORRY" a bit more than I should... I don't really mean to softly bump into your elbow or stand in your way when watching TV, there is just no other word that encompasses that inconvenience. I also say "Hella Crazy"...like Hella a lot. Lately, I've been saying "Amazing" which is residual from Happy Endings' "Ah-mah-zing" & from that show I love saying "YIKES on Bikes". It's not 1 word, but it's not as fun of a phrase without the other words. How did you end up doing what you are doing now? In terms of the restaurant, I'm in a mafia family and they finally found a way to "...pull me back in...". In regards to KAMP, it is my passion, passing on our community's his/herstory to the next generation, whether through presentations, movie screenings, open mics, etc...THEN combining those things! *Poof* that's how I ended up doing what I am doing now. Which member of the Wu-Tang Clan best describes your personality? According to buzzfeed's quiz, and the 2 times I took the quiz, I am either like Rza or Method Man. I'd like to think I take on each of their personalities dependent on the day. Although, I wasn't as much of a Wu Head as I was a De La Soul head. Dogs or Cats, who wins? Why? No offense to my cat homies, but my bestie is my dog named Drogo (from Game of Thrones). Therefore, I would have his back, & depending on the battle, dogs would have a slight edge on winning...as long as it was an ice cream eating contest...it is, isn't it? What is the best part of any given day for you? The part of the day where I get to eat ice cream... In a zombie apocalypse who would you want on your survival team? Based on Walking Dead characters, I would want Michone & Glen... and (from a different network) those Treehouse Builder guys. As far as I can assume, I don't think Zombies can climb trees, unless they were parkour zombies... but I would like to try living in treehouses. Michone would cover security. Glen could do the scavenger hunts & be married to me. Being elevated like that would allow us to watch the herds movements. Farming is still a possibility, with walls around the gardens. But until that happens... What is the last thing you searched for on google?
W-9 tax forms If you could talk to your high school self, what would say? Graduate early and go to college already. And always stay weird. What is the best thing or meal you ever ate? I can't ever have a best thing or meal I ever ate, unless I have eaten everything in the world... so I can't put that cap on yummy foods yet, but what I can say I've been craving lately is my friend's vegan food truck No Worries. Filipino Food is supposed to be meaty; chicken, pork, beef, seafood is kind of in that category, but to translate those meaty dishes into Vegan fare is pretty challenging. And to some Filipino food purists, it can be blasphemous, but it's possible. Isagani Pugao captures all the flavors that are true to most traditional dishes, it's just the meat that's different. And his reason for creating his dishes makes the food even more delicious, to make something healthy for our parents, whose diets have to change due to health conditions. I WORK in a Filipino Restaurant, and I CRAVE Vegan Filipino food from the Bay. That is good food! filipinoveganfood.com What is a memorable project that you are working on or have worked on? Earlier in my life I was/am part of a group called 8th Wonder. A performance poetry group out of the Bay area. Working with those 7 pin@ys, allowed me to travel & meet so many different people from all over the country & outside the country. I never thought an introvert, like me, would be performing on stage on a regular basis like that. I get serious stage fright. And to even have the privilege to perform/present in Singapore, I would never have an experience like it. A little later than that, I worked for the Debut tour, which took me all over the country as well (in my Honda Civic) and was privileged to meet even more people from the Filipin@ community and saw how those communities worked. To this day, those interactions influenced how I do work in the community here in San Diego. Currently, we are underway with Lumpia 2 with Patricio Ginelsa, which is totally exciting and totally top secret. And 8th Wonder still keeps in touch, and are working on things... I met Kim Baglieri years ago when she worked at SIPA with Mike. We were all in our mid-twenties trying to figure out our lives as we went through our own quarter life crisis'. We were all community organizers with the local Filipino American community in Los Angeles. When Kim says she loves cats, she isn't joking. I can remember going over to her house in Angelino Heights and laughing at how bad my allergies were set off by her cats. I remember nerding out because Kim's house back then was next to an apartment building that was featured in the film Chinatown. Kim's residence in Los Angeles was for a short period of time. We definitely miss her. NYC is lucky to have this east coast girl back out there. Kim is an amazing visual artist who works in different mediums. You can follow her work on her tumblr (mga lola). You can aslo purchase her artwork at her Saatchi Art site (Kim Baglieri). You can also learn about her work on her site (KimBaglieri.com) and her Teaching Artist and Training Internship page from Community Word Project page. Name(s) Kim Baglieri Affiliations (arts org, fun things you do, etc) I am currently starting out as a middle-school Teaching Artist through Dreamyard Project in the Bronx, after having taught a high-school film project through South of the Navy Yard Artists in a Brooklyn public high school. I was trained as a Teaching Artist by Community-Word Project's Teaching Artist Training and Internship Program. It's so rad and inspiring to work with eager and creative young folks who naturally have a passion for a better world! I am pursuing my MFA in Hunter College's Integrated Media Arts program. From time to time I do community arts projects with Damayan Migrant Workers Association. In 2014, we worked with Tools for Action to create a giant inflatable mop for the People's Climate March that begged the question 'who deals with the economic mess caused by climate change?' Migrant domestic workers, like the Filipino workers forced abroad after Typhoon Haiyan, are the amongst those trying to rebuild their communities and economy back home. Also I make paintings and experimental documentaries and animations. What's the one word you are guilty of using too much? "Cat", "cats", "my cat", "my cats". I utter these words every 15 minutes or so. How did you end up doing what you are doing now? I have always loved working with young people, but have always wanted it to be at the intersection of arts, media work and social justice. Working with SIPA and KmB in LA rooted me in Filipino community and youth work but I didn't get to do too much art with folks. When I moved to NY I was exposed to the realities faced by Filipino domestic workers and youth by working with Ugnayan ng mga anak ng bayan (now Ugnayan Youth) and Damayan. I also became more serious about my art and filmmaking practice. So it was a natural transition to doing Teaching Artist (a NY phenomenon?) work where I get to teach art skills to youth and encourage them to bring out their voices and unique perspectives on the world and issues they face. I also make films and animations now because they make me feel like dancing- I love the movement in them- and tend to work on film more than painting. Which member of the Wu-Tang Clan best describes your personality? I'm not sure but we're all from Staten Island. Dogs or Cats, who wins? Why? Cats, hands down. Because I have 3 and they're my soulmates and are fierce hunters of random household objects like socks and curtain ties, which they kill with great pride. Plus their toes smell good. What is the best part of any given day for you? Weekends- My morning coffee and neighborhood stroll- I'm pretty committed to my morning routine. Weekdays- usually the last 20 minutes of teaching a class, or my morning hour of working on my animation project. In a zombie apocalypse who would you want on your survival team? My partner Leah Obias. She could survive anything. Isn't that romantic? What is the last thing you searched for on google? Venus retrograde If you could talk to your high school self, what would say? You are cool, actually. Keep it up. What is the best thing or meal you ever ate?
Definitely Ethiopian food from Meskerem in LA. Nothing in life makes me happier. Expect for Ethiopian food from Ghenet in Brooklyn. And my Lola's salmon head sinigang that I haven't had since 2007 or so, before she passed away. What is a memorable project that you are working on or have worked on? Right now I'm working on a film about a friendship between two elder Filipin@ immigrant woman who are domestic workers. It dives into their rich imaginative life and reframes their past interactions with nature and society through a queer, feminist lens. Jenny San Angel has saved my life more than once. For you see Jenny works miracles. She repairs phones, which is especially helpful for us mere mortals who have a tendency of being klutzy and create problems for ourselves like cracking screens! Besides her magical phone fixing abilities, she's also an amazing artist, musician, and also system admin pro. My favorite thing about Jenny is that she is always doing something awesome. It's quite inspiring. I remember when she was fixing my phone she mentioned how she also ran this karaoke business and I was like wait you have a full time gig, you do phone repairs, you play in all these bands, AND you have a side hustle on top of your side hustle?! Bottom line is Jenny is rad and I'm so happy to share this Oblivious Interview with everyone! Oblivious meets Jenny San Angel Affiliations (arts org, fun things you do, etc): During the day I work as a sysadmin at USC setting up VMware ESX hosts, VDI pools, and making sure servers are up and running. Outside of "business hours" I have a film production company called JSA Productions, concentrating mainly on live music, or music videos, but we’ve also filmed a couple of weddings here and there. Last film project I worked on was "For The Love of Unicorns," directed by Erin O’Brien. http://www.fortheloveofunicorns.com/ I'm also Wild PCS Level III certified to fix mobile devices like iPhones, iPads, Droids which I've been doing on the side for several years now (you can look me up on facebook under JSA Repairs). https://www.facebook.com/jsarepairs Here’s me fixing a phone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiuYOhNrzBI On the music end of things, I play keys, drums, guitar, and sing vocals for Band Moto. I also have a guitar duo project with Grace Umali (we’re like the Pinay Indigo Girls). ;) You can listen to some old and new stuff here https://soundcloud.com/jenny-san-angel Here’s a song recording by Glenn Suravech I was lucky enough to be asked to sing vocals for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gic_IpG7nzU Here’s a song by Sue Jin I play percussion for https://soundcloud.com/suejin/worthy What's the one word you are guilty of using too much? "Sorry." I have a bad habit of using that word before a sentences for really lame things. Like someone will say, "darn, we’re out of beer." And I'll say, "Sorry, I should have bought more beer." Or there'll be a potluck and someone will ask if I have balsamic vinaigrette and I'll say, "sorry, I should have went to the store and anticipated that you would need balsamic vinaigrette" - but no, I didn't, and this pot luck is so much less then what it could have been. It is probably a control thing, I like to anticipate a multitude of scenarios that could occur for a given event. Sometimes I just need to LET GO!! How did you end up doing what you are doing now? A lot of what I do now is a direct result of the influences of many. When I was a kid, my mom played guitar and sang folks songs, “This land is your land,” “Where have all the Flowers gone” - lots of hippie stuff. That got me into liking the Beatles and learning guitar. My dad is an architect so that’s where I inherited my art skills with graphics design, painting, drawing. Which member of the Wu-Tang Clan best describes your personality? I would say Ghostface because he does so much behind the scenes that bring all the members together, and he is involved in so many things aside from Wu-Tang Clan, like acting, storytelling, and writing. He's also an emotional person which I believe I am. Some may say it’s a strength, but then again I can be over sensitive (to a fault). Dogs or Cats, who wins? Why? Dogs. I like both, but I'm super allergic to cats. I break out in hives all over and my eyes get bug- eyed. It ain’t pretty. Although, I’ve been bit by a Rottweiler and a Pit Bull - I will always be a dog person. What is the best part of any given day for you? The best part of any given day for me is when I learn something new. I consider myself a work in progress and as much as possible I like to learn new things, especially related to technology, or music. At work, it would be learning a new skill, or at the rehearsal studio, learning a new song. In a zombie apocalypse who would you want on your survival team? That’s a hard question. Celebrity-wise, I think I’d want Doona Bae’s character, Sun Bak from Sense8, because she’s a badass and can break desks in half with her bare hands. Or Hawkeye because he can kill zombies with a bow and arrow and he’s small and fast. From my friends, I would say, pretty much all my hard-core gaming friends, like Jennifer Kekumu, Josh Livingston, Edren Sumagaysay, especially, the 1st person shooter peeps. Oh and artist, director, bioartist Julia Reodica - she’d be great at making us look and smell like zombies enough to walk right by them. You’d definitely want her on your side. Here’s her website https://eyebeam.org/people/julia-reodica Oh and my friend Nyssa Wilson, because you do not want to mess with her. If she has your back, you are in good hands. What is the last thing you searched for on google?
The download for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5. I know, pretty boring. If you could talk to your high school self, what would say? High School Self, you're going to worry way too much about what other people think. It’s not going to matter in 10 years what anyone thinks of you, so quit worrying! Also, you’re going grow up to be a “foodie.” You don’t know what it is now, but you will. Believe you me, you will. Warning: This may affect you being able to fit in your clothes. Yep. Sorry about that. What is the best thing or meal you ever ate? Mike Jury’s braised short rib lasagna and garlic bread. Heavenly. What is a memorable project that you are working on or have worked on? Recently, I got to play drums for a gay wedding. This was shortly after same-sex marriage became legal nationwide on June 26th, 2015. I felt like I was part of history. Also, it was the most fabulous wedding I’ve ever been to, not to mention they hired WAR for the reception band. Also, I got to play drums for one of my favorite musical theater peeps in the universe, Deb Nishimura. She sang “Always” by Irving Berlin and I got goosebumps. Here’s a pic of my drums I got from Chris Wabich. Probably one of the best drummers in the world. http://www.innovativepercussion.com/artists/chris_wabich I have been a fan of Genevieve Santos for years. There was a really cool boutique in Chinatown called Flock Shop that would sell her work. She made these Valentine's day cards that I picked up and had them framed. Through random USC connections we were able to connect and I commissioned her to do a piece as my wedding gift to Mike. I explained that we loved the movie Ponyo. In our relationship Mike is Sosuke and I'm Ponyo. The fact that she would yell out "HAM!" had us rolling in our seats because when I get hangry, I can do that in real life. Mike and I are Disney geeks so I asked that Genevieve include the balloon element from Up plus a Mickey balloon. She also included our favorite animals. Mike's favorite animal is a sea otter and one of my favorite animals is the narwhal. What was awesome about our piece was that she not only created what I wanted, but since the characters in the piece were taking a selfie, she included the selife! It's so cool. Mike totally loved my surprise gift to him. These pieces have never really left us either! My icon when folk gchat me is actually the selfie pic. And Mike's image on his gchat is the group picture. Genevieve does this really great calendars every year. I try my best to pick one up annually. I love seeing her adventures on instagram (@lepetitelefant) Her work has a whimsical feel to it. When it comes to art, I am usually drawn to things that make me happy. Genevieve's art totally doees that. I can't wait for you all to meet her! Oblivious meets Genevieve Santos Affiliations I’m part of the SJMade CreateSpace in San Jose, where I have my studio-retail space. I take classes at Animation Collaborative, learning from artists I look up to (they work at Pixar). I love long bike rides, being pushed to go camping by my more outdoorsy friends, and meeting my crafty colleagues to talk shop, always over ice cream. What's the one word you are guilty of using too much? I use the phrase “I’m so sorry for the delayed response” in emails too often. My schedule has me traveling everywhere so it’s rather difficult keeping on top of my inboxes. I will try to be better!! How did you end up doing what you are doing now? I draw because I love animation, and it’s always been that way. As a kid, I taped my favorite cartoons onto VHS tapes, and rewatched episodes frame by frame to study how it worked. I never stopped drawing. After graduating from USC, I worked at New Line Cinema for two years. The company was absorbed by Warner Bros. but luckily and thankfully, I had money saved and a plan to start my business. It was the perfect kick in the butt. I moved to NYC, and traveled around Southeast Asia, all the while building the foundation of my business. Which member of the Wu-Tang Clan best describes your personality? GZA, in the way he is with words, I aspire to be with drawing. Dogs or Cats, who wins? Why? I used to hate cats until I had one. I love their independent spirit, sassiness, and the fact that you have to earn their affection. What is the best part of any given day for you? Hands down the best part of my day is when I get to draw. I try to draw 2-4 hours a day. It’s tough to find the time sometimes but it’s important, and you can only get better by putting in the mileage. In a zombie apocalypse who would you want on your survival team? For the zombie apocalypse, I’d pick Ronda Rousey, the muscle, my boyfriend Kevin because you always need someone who’s got your back, The Doctor from Doctor Who as the getaway/brains, and Mindy Kaling because I so much want to be her friend! What is the last thing you searched for on google? An episode of Doctor Who featuring 2-dimensional aliens. GENIUS IDEA! I had to know who wrote it. If you could talk to your high school self, what would say? You got it good, and don’t be so scared. You’ll regret nothing. What is the best thing or meal you ever ate? Two things: Hokkaido ice cream in Sapporo, and sushi at Jiro’s. In the US, I love The Girl and The Goat. I go multiple nights in a row whenever I’m in Chicago. Yes, it’s that good. What is a memorable project that you are working on or have worked on? I recently wrapped my Advanced Character Design class with Chris Sasaki (!!!). We had 8 weeks to research, design, and model packet a character. I’ve never worked so hard, invested so much time to a single project, but I loved every moment. I drew until the wee hours, did my homework at hostels, in the car during road trips, and even visited a Taxidermy studio for research. I fell in love with drawing again, and it was the happiest I’d been. It helped me realize that I want to switch gears a bit and go back to school for animation. So right now, the big project on my plate is my portfolio & application. YIKES! Genevieve also shared about her experience living in the Philippines:
I am so incredibly proud to be a Filipino American. I've visited the Philippines twice for several months at a time, and have filled piles of sketchbooks inspired by my time there. I have a Halo Halo print series, Maligayang Pasko and Maraming Salamat cards, and touch on other Asian cuisines like boba and ramen. Growing up, I noticed that the children's books, dolls, and commercials featured girls who, well, didn't look like me. So in my illustrations, I try to draw my own life and the rich diversity I grew up in the Bay Area. It's very important to me. Check out Genevieve at these upcoming shows: • The Urban Epicurean Festival, Nov. 7-8 at Fort Mason in San Francisco, CA • "Dreams" group art show at Leanna Lin's Wonderland, Eagle Rock, CA. Show opens Nov. 7. Runs Nov. 7-Dec. 24 • Pop-Up Shop at Leanna Lin's Wonderland for Small BusinessSaturday, Nov. 28. And she also has her new studio/shop which is open by appointment only. If you are in the San Jose area I totally recommend you check it out! It’s at the SJMade CreateSpace, 1020 The Alameda, San Jose, CA |
Oblivious InterviewsHere's where I talk to really awesome people and share their stories with you! Archives
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