He’s got leather sandals that frame his black painted toenails and thick plastic glasses that frame his face. He’s not only president of both the Inter-Club Club and the Cinema Arts Club, but a director, a writer and a poet as well.
And to friends and family, he is “Bubba.”
Alex “Bubba” Calderon, 24, isn’t your ordinary starving artist.
“I’m not a starving artist because I’ve got my mom,” he said.
Calderon, whose life revolves around the movie screen, has already credited to his name four narrative short films, four spoofs, a few documentaries and a music video.
Another of Calderon’s parodies, “First Annual Staredown,” makes fun of ESPN’s more obscure televised sporting events, such as spelling bees and eating contests.
The narrative shorts, which usually last from 10 to 20 minutes, are more on the serious side.
“We want the shorts we do to have meaning,” he said.
Once his films are finished, they are distributed on DVD to friends and family. He and his crew also get the word out on their work by attending film festivals. In 2004, he entered a short film, “Soldier,” at the Santa Monica Community College Film Festival. There, they were nominated for “Best Picture” and “Best Director.”
“I work my butt off making small, independent movies,” Calderon said. “I love what I do and I work hard at it.”
In fact, shooting for his next project, “Info Desk,” starts next month.
Film may be his first love, but Calderon also exercises his creative will through stories and poetry. His work has been featured in “The Myriad.” In his poetry, he deals with such emotions as love, anger and depression.
Calderon got an early start in his film career through his uncle who owned a local two-screen movie theater.
By the age of 7, Calderon was spending his time taking tickets, making popcorn and changing projectors.
But the real turning point for Calderon happened on the opening night of “Back to the Future 2” at his uncle’s movie house.
“I felt like I was in the movie, and when I saw the audience clapping and cheering, I was like, ‘This is really cool. This is what I want to do when I grow up,'” he said.
Calderon’s parents, on the other hand, had a different idea of their son’s future profession. They expected him to be a doctor.
“‘I don’t need to have an M.D.,’ I thought. I’m an artist,” Calderon said.
“I didn’t hate my jobs, but I came home in a rut,” he said.
And once he came home from work, he immediately returned to his film projects.
To Calderon, movies are not only for entertainment,; they can also be a major form of escapism.
“When you go to the theater and you sit in that chair for two hours, reality goes away. Make them forget, make them happy. Give good feelings and emotions,” Calderon said.
