| YET ANOTHER MINI-BIO |
I was born on May 5th 1978, in the small Mexican town of Ensenada, Baja California. I'm sure some of you
have been to the Hussong's Cantina. Nice quiet town.
From an early age, I've always been fascinated with drawing. Comic books were a huge inspiration and
motivation to continue practicing. Who would've ever thought, that later on, I'd be getting paid to do what I've
always wanted to do. Draw. Create.
In my mid-teens I discovered something fantastical. Something that is the next logical step for a comic book
geek. Movies. I fell in love with the whole concept. Wouldn't it be great to work in a movie? Wouldn't it FEEL
great to create something that will inspire people all over the world...and possibly encourage some of those
people to follow their dreams?
Well, it does FEEL GREAT.
In 1996 I got my first taste of what it is to work on a movie. I got to do my very first Storyboard for this little
super low budget project. Jose A. Jimenez, the director and writer of this movie, introduced me to the world
of storyboards. I became completely hooked. This guy is now one of my best friends, and when we think back
to those days...we just laugh at the fact that we didn't had a damn clue about anything. But time took care of
that. In FACT...here is where and when i got the nick name "BOOM" On one particular day, we were shooting
a scene that had dialogue. We were all wearing several hats in this adventure, so I was the designated sound
guy that day. Jose A. Jimenez and I had just met a couple of days before, and for some reason he kept
forgetting my name. You know "Juan" is a very uncommon name in Mexico. One this day he wanted to get my
attention and all he could do was snap his fingers in my direction...trying to remember my name (I suck
remembering names too) Suddenly "BOOM guy" was uttered. Being the only one holding the damn Boom
Mic., I answered. The rest is cinematic history. It has become like my "stage" name. I dig it.
A year later, I worked on a REAL movie. A low budget movie directed by Mathew Modine, shot on location in
Mexico. I was a swing in the Art Dept. It wasn't easy in the beginning. Suddenly jumping into the eye of a
storm, with close to NO experience, was just overwhelming. But I knew that this is what I wanted to do for the
rest of my life. The ambition was too strong to let me give up. Since then I've had the privilege of working in
several projects, and met a lot of amazing people, from whom I've learned so much and to whom I owe where I
am today (watching a ton of movies didn't hurt either). Jumping back and forth from the drawing table and onto
the Set is where I learned what I'm sharing here with you.
Hopefully one day this fan boy will get to make his own movie.
I believe that the best way to learn how to get behind the camera, is through the drawing table. Illustrate what
the visionaries want to see on film, and learn how to put the whole thing together visually, all starting from an
idea that later is transformed into a few words on paper. You also get to listen to the Producer and you
understand how to find a balance between the "vision" and the "budget". This last one is a very important
trick to learn.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read all the previous rambling.
Next you get some of the influences that swim in my head when I'm hunched over the drawing board...(in no
particular order)
FILM:
Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley
Kubrick, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo Del ToRO, Akira Kurosawa, Katsuhiro
Otomo, Hayao Miyazaki.
COMICS:
Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Jeff Loeb, Tim Sale, Jim Lee, Alan Davis, Barry W. Smith, Andy and Adam Kubert,
Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, Mike Mignola, Travis Charest,Dave Gibbons, Sam Keith, Glenn Fabry, Masamune
Shirow.
"Go with something that comes from inside you. From your heart and soul. Even if the world doesn't
get it...it doesn't matter. Because it's something you've created. It's something you believe in."
This is what Tim Burton told me the night i met him in Rosarito Beach, in 1997. I asked him if he had any
advice for a guy that wanted to be a filmmaker. Hope it helps.
- Juan Meza- Leon "BOOM"
have been to the Hussong's Cantina. Nice quiet town.
From an early age, I've always been fascinated with drawing. Comic books were a huge inspiration and
motivation to continue practicing. Who would've ever thought, that later on, I'd be getting paid to do what I've
always wanted to do. Draw. Create.
In my mid-teens I discovered something fantastical. Something that is the next logical step for a comic book
geek. Movies. I fell in love with the whole concept. Wouldn't it be great to work in a movie? Wouldn't it FEEL
great to create something that will inspire people all over the world...and possibly encourage some of those
people to follow their dreams?
Well, it does FEEL GREAT.
In 1996 I got my first taste of what it is to work on a movie. I got to do my very first Storyboard for this little
super low budget project. Jose A. Jimenez, the director and writer of this movie, introduced me to the world
of storyboards. I became completely hooked. This guy is now one of my best friends, and when we think back
to those days...we just laugh at the fact that we didn't had a damn clue about anything. But time took care of
that. In FACT...here is where and when i got the nick name "BOOM" On one particular day, we were shooting
a scene that had dialogue. We were all wearing several hats in this adventure, so I was the designated sound
guy that day. Jose A. Jimenez and I had just met a couple of days before, and for some reason he kept
forgetting my name. You know "Juan" is a very uncommon name in Mexico. One this day he wanted to get my
attention and all he could do was snap his fingers in my direction...trying to remember my name (I suck
remembering names too) Suddenly "BOOM guy" was uttered. Being the only one holding the damn Boom
Mic., I answered. The rest is cinematic history. It has become like my "stage" name. I dig it.
A year later, I worked on a REAL movie. A low budget movie directed by Mathew Modine, shot on location in
Mexico. I was a swing in the Art Dept. It wasn't easy in the beginning. Suddenly jumping into the eye of a
storm, with close to NO experience, was just overwhelming. But I knew that this is what I wanted to do for the
rest of my life. The ambition was too strong to let me give up. Since then I've had the privilege of working in
several projects, and met a lot of amazing people, from whom I've learned so much and to whom I owe where I
am today (watching a ton of movies didn't hurt either). Jumping back and forth from the drawing table and onto
the Set is where I learned what I'm sharing here with you.
Hopefully one day this fan boy will get to make his own movie.
I believe that the best way to learn how to get behind the camera, is through the drawing table. Illustrate what
the visionaries want to see on film, and learn how to put the whole thing together visually, all starting from an
idea that later is transformed into a few words on paper. You also get to listen to the Producer and you
understand how to find a balance between the "vision" and the "budget". This last one is a very important
trick to learn.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read all the previous rambling.
Next you get some of the influences that swim in my head when I'm hunched over the drawing board...(in no
particular order)
FILM:
Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley
Kubrick, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo Del ToRO, Akira Kurosawa, Katsuhiro
Otomo, Hayao Miyazaki.
COMICS:
Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Jeff Loeb, Tim Sale, Jim Lee, Alan Davis, Barry W. Smith, Andy and Adam Kubert,
Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, Mike Mignola, Travis Charest,Dave Gibbons, Sam Keith, Glenn Fabry, Masamune
Shirow.
"Go with something that comes from inside you. From your heart and soul. Even if the world doesn't
get it...it doesn't matter. Because it's something you've created. It's something you believe in."
This is what Tim Burton told me the night i met him in Rosarito Beach, in 1997. I asked him if he had any
advice for a guy that wanted to be a filmmaker. Hope it helps.
- Juan Meza- Leon "BOOM"