Meet Art Vega of Perception Studio in Long Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Art Vega.

Art, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in Mexico City, Mexico where I spent my early childhood running around with other kids my age. When I was eight years old, I moved to California with my mother; that is where my story truly begins. My passion for Puppetry and Filmmaking started at a very young age. I would often spend hours entertaining myself (usually spawned by an unnecessarily long grounding sentence) by using stop-motion puppets to create short films.

I loved puppetry as well as behind the scenes programs often attached to the ends of VHS’s. I loved to find out how things worked and how movie magic was made, so I found myself often trying to recreate the techniques and processes demonstrated by those behind the scenes specials. Later on, when I was in college, I saw an audition posted for The Walt Disney Company.

The audition was for a new show that would be debuting in Disney’s California Adventure Park at The Disneyland Resort. I went to that audition and was cast as the Opening Cast for Playhouse Disney Live on Stage! which starred characters from Bear in the Big Blue House, Rolie Polie Olie, Little Einsteins, and The Book of Pooh. Over the next few years, I honed and perfected my craft while also teaching others how to become the best performers they could.

Teaching really became a passion of mine while working at The Disneyland Resort. I was the top Puppet Specialist who was in charge of teaching new puppeteers who came to the Disneyland Resort and helping the already skilled puppeteers grow and learn even more about the art of puppetry. I went on to perform in multiple shows and Parades at The Disneyland Resort where I was recognized for my talent and ability to work well as part of a team.

This recognition eventually led to my becoming a part of the cast of The Muppets, The Muppets: Most Wanted, and The Muppets Television Series. I was even lucky enough to perform as Kermit the Frog in a live show at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood as a part of the pre-show for the two most recent Muppet Films. I’ve been very lucky to have worked with many reputable actors and comedians (Lady GaGa, Tina Fey, Amy Adams, etc.) as well as the entire Cast of Muppeteers.

In addition to Puppetry, I have also continued to develop my skills as a filmmaker. I currently create content and produce a YouTube web series for children called Princess Perplexity in which kids help Disney Princesses navigate the modern world after being transported by magic from their fairytale world. I have also filmed and edited videos for other YouTubers such as Kids Imagine Nation, Disney Dan, and Chris Villain. In addition to fun kid-friendly content, I also create content for Corporations (both video and photos) to help them showcase their business and service offered.

I often film Real Estate videos, How-To videos or cover Live Events that can then be uploaded to their websites or YouTube. The most recent project that I am working on is called “Stupefy… A Potter Puppet Parody” with the talented Genviéve Flati. “Stupefy… A Potter Puppet Parody” is the most current venture of Perception Studio, a company that I formed along with my two partners, Danny Montooth, and Ryan Keiser. I have been very lucky where my life has taken me, but I have also worked very hard and have constantly strived to learn as much as I can about things that interest me.

Has it been a smooth road?
Starting your own business and working as a freelancer has been a struggle from time to time. There are amazing highs, and sometimes some scary lows. Finding a balance and knowing when to keep pushing has been the greatest learning experience for me so far.

I have been meeting more people like myself recently, people who are out on their own, adventuring the world of entertainment and business. Getting to know them has given me a great perspective and a greater appreciation for working on my own projects. While the road will continue to be hard, I truly enjoy working for my own company.

Right now, our biggest challenge/obstacle is reaching a wider audience and finding more/new clients, but I’m confident we’re on the right track.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Perception Studio – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
It originally started as a show called Perception Check on Twitch in which we played Dungeons & Dragons with Puppets (yes the puppets play Dungeons & Dragons!). After about a year, Perception Check wasn’t the only show we were producing on our Twitch channel and we decided to offer more than just live entertainment. That was when Perception Studio was born.

We now produce live content via our Twitch channel, build commissioned puppets for clients, and fabricate set pieces, props, and basically anything else people ask us to create for them. In addition to building puppets and props, we also have a pool of very talented puppeteers who we often recommend to perform those puppets, including Danny and myself. Puppetry is truly a specialized art form that, with the right puppeteer performing, can look completely effortless and believable.

I believe that what sets us apart from so many other similar companies is the level of individual experience each of our partners brings to the company. The fact that not only are we fabricators but also content creators and producers set us apart from companies that only focus on one or the other. There are very few puppet content creators who are pushing forward in new media, such as YouTube and Twitch, and we feel as though that is the next frontier to explore new media.

This is only the beginning of Perception Studio and we hope to grow and create many more things in the coming years!

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Los Angeles is a beautiful city filled with a multitude of cultural diversity. This leads to an exuberant amount of diversity in every aspect of the word. From the variety of foods you can choose from to eat to the amazing cultural experiences you can find, Los Angeles truly is a melting pot of differences and that is what sets L.A. apart from a lot of other cities.

Now, if you were to ask ANYONE in Los Angeles (or Southern California for that matter), what the worst part of living here is, I am confident that the majority of them would say “Traffic”… and that is my answer too! Los Angeles is such a commuter city, that there is always an abundance of cars on the road at any given time – even 3 am! The sheer amount of traveling around the city people do in cars is astounding.

This also leads to roads needing repairs often, which, in turn, results in more traffic… it’s a vicious cycle, but, you know, you get used to it (especially if you have a good podcast, music or audiobook to listen to!).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.PerceptionStudio.Design, www.TheArtVega.com
• Email: ArtVega@gmail.com
• Instagram: @PerceptStudio @ArtVega
• Twitter: @PerceptStudio @ArtVega

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.