Connecting with Local Creatives
v1: Jacob Tran
by Victoria Tran
Jacob has been a friend of mine throughout college because of an organization we’re in called FSA (Filipino Student Association). We were at different universities but both made hype videos for our separate schools’ organizations and became friends through our love for the art and our org. He has been a huge inspiration to me and seeing him constantly grow exponentially in everything he does amazes me! Thank you Jacob for letting me interview you for our first segment of Connecting w/ Local Creatives!
Q: How old are you and what’s your go-to boba order?
A: I’m 22 years old and my order is Oolong Milk Tea with Egg Pudding and Mini Boba, less sweet and less ice.
Q: You recently graduated from UTD and definitely went above and beyond, standing out with your graduation VIDEO. Can you tell us what you graduated with, your thought process with the video, and what your next move is as you step into the adult world?
A: So recently I graduated with B.A. in Arts, Technology and Emerging Communications with a focus in Design and Production and what I am trying to do is creative work for advertising and/or fashion agencies. I had my fair share of doing creative stuff in-house and I just wanna dip my toes in something new. My dream job is becoming a senior art director for Nike or any other dope fashion brands. That being said, recently I’ve been gearing my work towards fashion and I thought it would be the perfect chance to explore some themes and showcasing my current skill set whenever I took my graduation pictures. Everyone does graduation photos but have you ever seen a graduation video?? I just wanted to make one last thing as an undergrad and I am happy that I did so. When you do watch the video you’ll get an urban street style vibe; everything is up in your face and fast paced. It’s short and sweet but it’s filled with energy. I believe that this video is a strong extension of who I am. Feel free to watch the video here:
Q: So how did you first get into photography and videography? Who inspires you and how do you incorporate their influence into your work?
A: What got me into photography and videography was actually my dance friends I’ve met my freshman year. I thought they were so cool being able to b-boy and I thought I would give dancing a try; however, I quickly realized that I was very uncoordinated and dancing was not for me. One day my friends wanted to make a video because we watched some dude dance to this awesome remix of Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People and we wanted to make something like that (If you haven’t seen that video please go watch it). I borrowed my dad’s camcorder and from there it was history. I fell in love with making videos. I didn’t really pick up photography until I bought my first DSLR. It’s been really fun exploring and learning photography and videography.
One of my biggest inspirations is Australian musician, producer and photographer: Ta-ku. I found out about him on Soundcloud(?) and when he dropped the album “Songs To Break Up To”, it just hit so right. I ended up quickly following him on instagram and about a year later he picked up photography and I quickly realized how much of a talent dope guy he was. He was someone I wanted to be. If you didn’t know Ta-ku is a multi-disciplinary artist from Perth, Australia. Having risen to prominence as one of the world’s most in-demand beatmakers, he has found himself curator of a rapidly expanding creative empire. This storytelling gene is key. Once reserved as currency for his music, Ta-ku now applies it to a diverse range of passion projects that encompass creative direction, photography, videography, design, business and fashion. I just look up to this guy because I am someone who loves a bunch of different things and he really layouts the level of what I can strive to achieve in life. Other notable inspirations are Tim Walker, David LaChapelle, Vivienne Balla and Tamas Sabo. If you have the time, definitely check out their stuff.
Q: What has your biggest obstacle been for your growth?
A: As much I hate to admit this, my biggest obstacle that I realized was incorrectly prioritizing certain aspects of my life. I continue to strive for a more balanced life, finding myself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, which in return, helps me become more creative.
Q: Tell us about your latest project, ISO400.
A: iso400 is a passion project I started January 2020 with Patrick and Joe in my little apartment in Richardson. It was our passion in wanting to become better at photography and videography that made us want to create these zines. The notion of printing our work allows it to live longer which is something we wanted to cultivate in this hyper-connected digital age we live in.
For more information visit our website www.iso400.club!
Q: You’ve been featured in a couple of galleries before, are there any recent galleries you’ve been a part of?
A: Recently I was included in the “Gimme Shelter” Exhibition by the SP/N Gallery. A few pieces of my work from the first volume of iso400 was featured in this exhibit and those pieces are commentary about how the business world continues to propagate patriarchy with concepts like the on-going glass ceiling of women’s salaries. This year, due to Covid-19, the show is only available as a virtual exhibition on the platform Artsteps as the SP/N Gallery is closed for the summer. This is a great experience for me and I am happy I am able to share with you guys no matter where you are. My gallery ID is I-B, feel free to check it out!
https://www.artsteps.com/view/5ebd9cf1aab2174a3abc7689
“I borrowed my dad’s camcorder and from there it was history. I fell in love with making videos..”
On top of photography and videography, Jacob is also a DJ/producer under the name of JCVB. He’s played in front of crowds live at local shows such as Who’s Who and draws an audience to his Twitch for his virtual sets. What CAN'T he do??
Q: What inspired you to start getting into music?
A: A lot of people don’t know but I’ve always been into music my entire life. Was trained classically on piano for 11 years and did percussion all throughout middle school and highschool. I have always enjoyed live music and the performance factor to it. It wasn’t until college that I took interest in DJing and producing. Thank you to Joe and Anthony for being really great mentors to me. Truly learned so much from them these past 3 years.
Q: Do you have a favorite genre to play? Why?
A: Lately my favorite genre to play has been house music. Why? It’s just easy on the back and ears!
Quick side note: I have a strong appreciation for house music as it was pioneered by black djs during the 80s and 90s. As an individual who enjoys EDM, we need to continue to spread the “PLUR” to all aspects of life. We need to collectively join together to ensure equality and respect for all. In recent cases, we have to reexamine and greatly change the systems in place that allows the state to disproportionate murder black people and people of color. #BlackLivesMatter
Q: You’ve played live plenty of times in front of people and I’m sure you were nervous for your very first show. Do you still get the nerves or are you comfortable with your skills and just go with the flow?
A: For the first time I performed in front of a huge crowd I was so nervous. That day my controller got messed up and 30 minutes before my set time my computer crapped out. I was so frickin’ stressed out. Thanks to my team for helping me figure it out ASAP. Once I pressed the play button and the crowd started to get hyped, so much weight was lifted off my shoulders. I feel like I am now at the level where I’m competent enough on the deck where I can just go with the flow. Don’t get me wrong I still get anxious before but it’s truly once I get into the music it’s all fun.
Q: You have a new remix out on Soundcloud called “The Start”. Is this your first mix you’ve ever made?
A: The Start remix I did was the first song I felt comfortable enough to release hahah
You can listen to Jacob’s remix on his Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/its-jcvb/the-start-jcvb-remix
Q: What was the learning curve like when making this remix? Would you say producing or mixing is harder?
A: Definitely producing is way harder than mixing. Believe or not there’s a lot more science behind producing than you think. You really gotta understand how the sound wave works to create cool sh*t. I started my journey in producing 2-3 years ago and I barely scraped the surface of the knowledge of producing music. The remix didn’t take long to start and finish but it was really the foundational knowledge of what to do and where to place things that took me forever to understand. Very fortunate that my parents forced me to learn an instrument as a kid because there’s no way in hell that I would be able to pick up music theory at this age. Sound design is just so cool.
Q: Any advice for anybody wanting to start to pursue art? (music, photography, video, etc)
A: My biggest advice for anybody wanting to pursue art is to never stop learning and to never stop practicing. Art is like a plant. The seed in which is your curiosity to create is the first step. Now all you need to do is to water that curiosity and be patient with your craft. Eventually your plant will grow really big and you’ll have better confidence in what you do.
If you’re ever feeling stuck with your craft try to learn something new about it. I find that learning something and trying to apply that knowledge to the craft helps me become better. Don’t know how to shoot in manual? Learn and Practice. Don’t know how to use Lightroom? Learn and Practice. Don’t know how to side-chain your synths to your drums? Learn and Practice! My last piece of advice is don’t be afraid to take a break from your craft. Sometimes it’s those breaks that help you reset your creativity and help inspire you to start creating again. Don’t compare yourself to others because this is your art and you are doing it on your own timeline.
“...don’t be afraid to take a break from your craft. Sometimes it’s those breaks that help you reset your creativity and help inspire you to start creating again.”
Thank you for reading! Shout out to Jacob for being awesome and letting me interview him for this segment of Connecting with Local Creatives! Please show him some love and check out his socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacob_tran/
Website: www.jacob-tran.com