Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Sandoval.
Hi Jose, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
There’s a picture of my mom grinning at her baby shower in the 90s when she was pregnant with me and still living in Mexico at the time. Someone had gifted my mom a clown and based on that gift alone, somehow she had a feeling that I was going to be different. And boy, was she right — she got a stilt-walking, film-loving, entertainment industry-obsessed son!
My imagination ran wild with all the bedtime stories my mom would tell me as a kid. It’s one of the major reasons why I grew up as creative as I did, my all-time favorite being El Enano Saltarín (aka Rumpelstiltskin in English). Then, my mother just had to then introduce me to the wonderful world World of Disney.
This included watching the Spanish versions of the Disney classics, on VHS obviously, and yearly family trips to Disneyland (*grieves in inflation*). I was always so excited to watch their parades, both at home and in the motherland! Looking back, their characters and dancers had this amazing ability to transport me to a magical world, so much that I would hide away in my room and put on my own Disney shows. I’d even wrap my legs in towels to resemble a mermaid and cover my entire face with lotion to resemble a clown!
Eventually, all those parades, movie-watching and storytelling inspired me to become a self-performer, entrepreneur, and yes, even a costume designer.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My dream was to go to UC San Diego. Major? I wasn’t sure, but always dreamt about having that college experience of going away, meeting new people, and learning new things. But as my friends were preparing for college, I realized that I needed to be there for my family. My father struggled with addiction, causing him to lose everything. I went from being the older brother to a father figure to my five siblings. For the next five years, life was my teacher and my dreams were hung up on the rack. Out of hardship, I discovered new ways to follow my dreams, and I learned how to run a business on my own!
Experiencing life as a gay, Hispanic-American man has also been a beautiful journey that’s come with its challenges. It’s made me more appreciative of life, more resilient, and excited to uplift and inspire my own community and those who are searching for acceptance.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When I was a kid, we would save up for movie nights or DVDs by helping out my dad with his ice cream truck company after school. Before landing the job that changed my life as a barista, I worked my way up the food service industry as a server and customer service representative. I was fortunate enough to find a job on Craigslist, apply for it, and then take it. Walt Disney Studios Burbank is this Starbucks. I had the chance to perform on stilts at the premieres of several films, including “Coco,” “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” and “The Incredibles 2,” after three years of hard work, networking, and a lot of lattes. Then word got out that a production assistant position had opened up in Marvel Studios’ stereoscopic department; in spite of my total lack of knowledge of both the third dimension and the filmmaking process, I went ahead and interviewed for the job and was offered the position. I worked my way up to visual effects after six months, and since then I’ve contributed to some very impressive projects, such as Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness, Shang Chi: And the Legend of the 10 Rings, and Avengers: End Game, among many others. What an enlightening experience it was to learn about the importance of visual effects in filmmaking. I was fortunate to work on Doctor Strange 2 from the early stages of pre-production, post and a few months on set for re-shoots. Working in the costume or wardrobe department of a film would be my dream job since I love telling tales via fabrics. As a result, I put a lot of time and effort into the process of costume-making and designing.
My company’s costumes are all original designs of mine. Samba dancers and stilt walkers are my specialties. For example, during the pandemic, I was inspired by an Amazonian parrot and created 2 magnificent stilt costumes. I like to do my research before creating a design and like to keep it as authentic as possible so people can get a taste of the beautiful culture of Mexico and South America. All of my samba costumes are tailored, made in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and shipped to me, here in California (of course with my approval) not only do I oversee my company’s creative side, but I’m also involved in marketing my self and taking care of all the finances.
What makes you happy?
My family, they are my rock and could not be where I am without them. Everything that I know, the values and importance of life; I owe it to my mother. And of course, my beautiful Dalmatian dog (Daughter) Nebula. She is my world and is the reason for my daily happiness.
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