Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivette Lopez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ivette. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I always knew that I wanted to be a writer. Growing up in Fresno, a small Central Valley city, I learned that storytelling was a powerful tool, especially when trying to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots. Everything in my hometown was (and still is) very polarized. You’re either super liberal or super conservative, very well-off or on the poverty line, and so on. That fascinated me, but also bothered me. I suppose my way of “doing my part” was to share the “opposing parts’” stories, especially those that weren’t heard as often or as loudly. I quickly found myself on the newspaper staff in both my high school and collegiate papers. In the beginning, I wanted to be a newspaper reporter, but that dream faded pretty quickly. So then, I left the small town and moved to Los Angeles.
Here in LA, I attended Santa Monica College for a year and got my first LA job as a production intern for TimeWarner Cable. I hauled cables up and down football and soccer fields for live shoots. It was there where I learned everything about production: from producing segments, live interviews and shoots, logging tape, voiceovers to editing. The hours were long and rough, especially while carrying a full load at school. But, I met some of the best people there that I consider mentors to this day.
While still at TimeWarner, I transferred to Cal State Northridge, where I received my degree in Journalism. After graduation, I was hired by KPCC, one of the NPR affiliates in Los Angeles. Radio was something new and completely out of my comfort zone, but I found that it was another form of storytelling. I worked on “Airtalk” hosted by Larry Mantle, where I produced different segments about breaking news, culture, politics and the like. During my time at the station, we interviewed people like Hillary Clinton, George Takei, Lauren Bacall, and many more.
NPR/KPCC gave me the skills I needed to learn how to produce under extreme time pressures and constraints. After I left the station, I freelanced for a while and I co-founded an urban cycling podcast called CycleFeed. There, we featured the stories of minority cyclists who host sanctioned and unsanctioned races around Los Angeles, all on one-geared, BRAKELESS bikes. The entire scene was incredibly rich in stories, and had a lot of the same cultural nuances people of color face daily. We grew the company from scratch, on $25 microphones and zero capital, to a local favorite with thousands of downloads and pockets in Thailand, Europe and Latin America.
Around the same time that we launched the podcast, I began volunteering at a local non-profit organization in Venice Beach, teaching introductory filmmaking classes. This experience was incredibly fulfilling and was my way to pass on the little knowledge that I had. My students were and still are some of the most talented content creators I’ve ever come across.
Around the same time, I got accepted to USC Annenberg’s Master’s in Strategic Public Relations program. I wanted to learn how to build a brand, gain resources and become a better producer.
Although my heart was fully into CycleFeed, circumstances arose that forced me to dissolve CycleFeed and split ways with my partner. It was a tough decision, heartbreaking; but looking back it has been one of the best decisions I have made for myself.
Leaving a project that I had poured so much into left me feeling uneasy. I scrounged up some cash, packed my bags and took off to Europe for a month after my summer course at the non-profit ended. I was completely lost, jaded, and with no idea as to what to do next. Up until that point, I felt my life had been a series of puzzle pieces, and I wasn’t quite sure how they fit together. I knew I loved teaching, and I knew I loved content creation and PR, but I wasn’t sure how these fit to make one big picture.
During my time in Europe, I found myself befriending people that worked with the refugee population. I met incredible young people with amazing stories that I ended up following after my trip.
Coming back home to LA last August, I knew that I wanted to end my studies and the rest of 2017 on a positive note. I was very fortunate to find a position at Warner Bros. Entertainment in Burbank, where I began working in Internal Communications. Then, this summer, I was promoted to Communications Specialist, which means that I get to tell all of the stories of the amazing people that work in the Studio. I am blessed to work with the most amazing and talented group of people every single day.
Meeting these kids and young adults inspired me to continue storytelling and create a workshop like the one I taught in Venice, but abroad. This past June, my close friend and colleague Alex Ramirez and I were able to launch our first ever photography workshop with children that have been affected by war-torn countries in Fulda, Germany. Our workshop consisted of around 15 students, from all over the globe, that learned how powerful content creation can be. It was important for us to have the students learn the basics of photography, but most of all, to teach the students that art can be a powerful tool in storytelling, especially when it comes to amplifying their own voices.
My journey, as long and unpredictable as it has been, has always taught me to be open to new things. The importance lies in having your passions close and your values closer. I know that my passion lies in telling stories, no matter the medium, the person, or location. At the end of the day, as long as I keep this close to heart, I know I’ll be fine regardless of what the future holds.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This journey has definitely not been a smooth road. However, it has made the ride much more exciting.
Our experience in production, along with our work in the non-profit in Los Angeles, gave us a basic guideline of operation for our workshops. However, we quickly learned that running a non-profit is much different than working in one.
I feel that our biggest obstacles have never been what we expect them to be. For instance, I remember when we were in the planning stages of Parallaxe, and we felt that asking young adults and kids to commit to four hour workshops would be the most difficult part of the entire process. Instead, we found that finding people that would provide the space and willingness to collaborate from a distance the hardest. At the end of the day, the big question people have is, “Why? Why do this in a foreign country, with people you have no connection to, with no binding social or economic gain?”
After many face-to-face interactions, mountain-high piles of emails, phone calls and skype conversations, we were able to explain that providing a space for young people to amplify their voices is not a regional concern, but a worldwide effort that benefits us all. Organizations such as Wohn ZImmer in Germany, who graciously collaborate with us are the reason we can operate and make a difference each day.
Parallaxe – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Parallaxe is a community of artists that come together and provide arts education to young people that have been affected by atrocities, primarily war. Any person with a need who would like to learn how to create stories using various multimedia platforms such as photography and videography is welcome. Parallaxe is all about stories: both the stories of our students, but also the stories of the world around us. We hope that after taking one of our workshops, young people can feel empowered through the use of new technologies, but most importantly, have a safe space to call and cultivate their voice.
What sets us apart from others is that our arts instructors are working professionals in the industry, looking for nothing more than to pass on their skills to others. Our pride stems from the dedication our partners and arts instructors have towards the students and subject matter, and also the hard work our students pour into every single story they produce.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is a tricky thing to define.
I truly believe that success is a state of mind – a combination of many things. It is a balance between passion, love, work and pure bliss. One can have all the money in the world and still be unsuccessful if it is acquired through something that doesn’t provide you any sort of satisfaction.
Ultimately what makes success tricky to define is its ever-moving end point. I think success is something that evolves as you do, something that one redefines as soon as goals are met and new ones are set. However, success is also being humble and grateful for all that you have, while still being open to new opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@theparallaxe.org
- Instagram: @theparallaxe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theparallaxe/
Image Credit:
Photos by Alex Ramirez and Ivette Lopez
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.
