Daily Inspiration: Meet Giovanni Aramendiz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Giovanni Aramendiz.

Hi Giovanni, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
So I went to film school and graduated in 2017. While I was there we had a class project dealing with green screens and this really cool idea popped up. It started off small but it was only meant to be a short, or what I called a “Micro-short.” Not quite long enough to be considered a short film per se so it was a “short, short.” Anyway, the idea had to be put to the side because there just wasn’t enough time to execute what it was that we were going for. Each assignment, however, I found myself trying. To no avail. But I still couldn’t just let go of the idea and over time it kept growing. I eventually conceded to the idea that it would be best as a full-length film but I still couldn’t figure out the angle I wanted to approach it from. The approach to the narrative was very important to me; I also concluded that to do it right, it would take at least 10 years to get to the point where I had the budget to act on it “properly.”

So life went on, and I kept making other short films or videos all while writing and rewriting the script in my head. It was extremely tough to crack and come 2020 when the Pandemic hit, there wasn’t much work happening. I always had notes for it but that was about it. Then one day, later on in the Pandemic, a friend of mine invited me and a few other guys to Boston, trip completely taken care of. It was her husband’s birthday weekend and she had each day we were there planned out to the T. It was exciting. However, the husband vetoed a good number of the plans, due to how cold it was. All in favor of staying in, staying warm, and binge-watching anime! Shout out to Dr. Stone and Demon Slayer. It was there as I was sitting around watching 5 grown men deeply entrenched in story that it dawned on me: This doesn’t HAVE to be a film. It does NOT have to confined to a 90-120 minute narrative. It was then that I immediately felt uncaged and the world just grew and from that what started off as a film turned in a graphic novel; The Adam Cube was well on its way again in full effect. And so I went back to the “lab” and what eventually ensued was a 132-page, 12-chapter script! And Volume 1. was completed, setting the stage for a cyberpunk sci-fi that was looking to span about 100 chapters (and a few more volumes).

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all! If it were a smooth road I would be weary the entire way. The challenge was first adapting the concept. I’ve been writing since I was 7 or 8. But I had never really taken on writing a graphic novel. The medium is completely different. Being a fan of the genre, I knew enough of what to do and not do. I loved that there wouldn’t be a camera though, as strange as that sounds. I reasoned, “I can now put my camera ANYWHERE,” through the art. There wasn’t a limitation. That too can be tough when you’re used to having a box to be put in, then creating your best work when you “think outside of it.” But now that I didn’t see any limitations at first, I had to create a box for myself. So I started with, “This will not be opened ended. This will have a definitive beginning and end. 100 chapters give or take.” It’s important to know when to end. There’s nothing worse than a narrative that just keeps going and going and loses the audience. Over time I found two amazing artists who quickly jumped on board. They loved the story and were inspired with ease in terms of bringing to life the character design.

Unfortunately, one of the struggles I faced was losing them to secure paying jobs. And I understood it. No bad blood whatsoever. But a graphic novel without graphics is… well NOT a graphic novel. Each step of the way there has been some sort of obstacle. I view it as just that. I want this bad and everything that jumps in the way is only a test to how bad I really want it. It’s part of the creative process. You come to expect it. It’s normal. But if you embrace the detours and hiccups, you’ll find that there is gems to be taken away. Or even the idea that it has taken this long isn’t all that bad considering it’s given me time to refine the script and evolve a few ideas that serve the narrative much better than before. Thank God for some of these hiccups because I feel like if it were to have gone out exactly when I wanted it to, I would be stuck with things that really trapped me creatively. Also, I would say organizing all the information into a 161 pg PowerPoint production bible was a bit tough, With over 7 thousand reference photos for the world-building, character design, and more, that was tough. I had it all in my head but the team needed to see it as clearly as I do. Within that “production bible” there is character description, reference soundtracks for each one as well as locations and scenes so that the artist can feel the “vibe” we are going for. The basic maintenance and organization can be quite tough. But worth it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Simply put, I am a writer and creative director. I specialize in storytelling and creating as well as overseeing the entire process. According to those around me, I am known for my creativity and vision. Or as a professor once put it, “Your vision supersedes your skillset. And that’s not a bad thing at all. Your creative direction and execution is fantastic but once your skill set catches up top your vision, I cannot wait to see what you produce.”

It’s hard to say what I am most proud of in my creative endeavors. I’ve had the privilege of being an associate producer, a quality control editor for Univision, and even working for CBS during the Super Bowl in Miami. I’ve worked with the late great Jo Mersa Marley. I’ve met many celebrities. But if I can sound very cheesy, I think in all my creativity, the ones I am most proud of are my two sons. While I had a part in their creation, and still a part in their growth, they’re also their own thing, as art can also be when you give it to the world. But nothing makes me prouder than those two. Which is why on the very front page it’s made clear that this graphic novel is dedicated to them.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Close mouths don’t get fed. And me, I can keep my mouth close a lot out of fear of rejection or feeling like I am bothering someone. So I tend to think, I can do it by myself. But we all know that is a lie. My advice is simple: Look up who you think is doing what you do and seek them out for guidance. And in your everyday conversation, especially as an artist, do NOT be shy about advocating for yourself. And you’ll be surprised who is willing to come along and help you “push that car.” If I hadn’t said anything, this entire campaign to raise money and take solid steps to pushing the graphic novel would have not been. A dear friend of mine Jason was like, “Uh-uh, let’s make this happen!” He’s good with web design and all that tech stuff and he helped guide me into bringing all the materials I had to the table so we can start pushing this graphic novel. Which by the way, our GoFundMe is available to view. There will be a link for anyone will to support or who may want to come along and help us “push that car.”

As an artist, it’s so easy to buy into the posture of “what we do not being that important.” But it is. It really is! Art makes the world go round. Art is what brings color to the palette of life. And if there was one thing the Pandemic showed us is that everyone clung to some form of it: Music, movies, shoes, books, comics, etc. Artists are like the sound guy at the back of the church. Or the movie editor. No one notices us until something goes wrong. And then they realize just how dependent they are on us to keep them feeling inspired, joy, love, laughter… You name it. “Well, how hard can it really be?” Well, you try and make this. And that is not to say you can’t. It’s just that we’ve been conditioned almost to see artists as the people we pay in “exposure.” No thanks! So I guess, bringing it full circle to the main question, you can us call artists the mentors of the world. We inspire the soul and remind it that we are more than just the day-to-day mundane tasks we take on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gofund.me/b00a92c7
• Instagram: @theadamcube
• Other: https://sites.google.com/view/theadamcube/home

Image Credits
Caleb McBee & Bree Berube.