Introducing Ramon… er… Ramen
Ramon Gonzalez
“Ramen is hardworking, curious, hilarious, and a genuine visionary. His accomplishments are a direct result of his own creative willpower. While he’s been very inspiring to us at the studio, it’s only a matter of time before his work inspires a larger audience.”
Meet Ramon, a graduate of CLU Transitions’ Brainstorm Academy (a three-year digital arts training program) who is now working as one of our Brainstorm Productions artists. Like all artists, he’s got a creative flair, and he also loves ramen noodles, so he prefers to go by Ramen, using a slight twist on his given name. Ramen is 32 years old and is a first-generation American who lives with his mother, father, and sister in Wilmington. He also has a brother, sister-in-law, and niece, and he is very close to his family.
He was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. As a student, Ramen says he had trouble asking for help, so finding a training program that catered to his artistic passion as an adult was the perfect fit, and he is grateful that his Harbor Regional Center representative knew about Brainstorm Academy and referred him. Ramen says, “Everyone has hidden potential, but hard work and understanding will bring it out.” He had practiced digital and alcohol marker illustrations and had had some art training in middle and high school before taking a few art classes at Los Angeles Harbor College. Graduating from Brainstorm Academy and working as a Brainstorm Productions artist, though, are helping him take the next steps in reaching his goal of having a successful art and animation career.
Artwork from DREAMS E1 - Breakfast Nightmare
Ramen is specifically interested in becoming a character designer, creating his own manga book, and working in an anime animation studio where he can use his unique art style and storytelling approach. While Ramen may have had difficulty asking for help as a younger student, he’s been a leader as a student and colleague in CLU Transitions programming. He effortlessly navigates new technology and software and is always helping his colleagues and teaching them about technology. Additionally, Ramen has a love for storytelling and deep knowledge of cinema theory. He can break movies down to their basic lessons and plot points and often engages in discussions about these topics with instructors and co-workers.
As part of Brainstorm Productions’ Dreams anthology, Ramon recently developed a short film called Breakfast Nightmare. His animated tale features a woman who finds her younger sister captured by a bacon wizard. To save her sister, the woman transforms into a witch, and an epic struggle ensues between these two masters of magic.
Currently, Ramen works half-days at Brainstorm Productions Monday through Friday and is eager to work more hours and find additional opportunities to increase his earnings since he wants to be able to support himself and help his family financially. Ramen wants to be gainfully employed and independent not just as a means of personal fulfillment, but also because work and self-sufficiency are values in his Hispanic family and culture. He enjoys opportunities for work through Brainstorm Productions and says, “Working here allows me to have more creative freedoms than I would with most studios. My coworkers are cooperative, and the staff is very helpful.”
When not creating art, Ramen enjoys playing video games, building new friendships, and taking care of his pet rabbits, Flopsy and Mopsy, who are named after characters from illustrator and storyteller Beatrix Potter. Ramen is happy to be on the right track for his career goals and is looking forward to the next part of his journey.