“Creativity Just Waiting To Burst Out”–Catching Up With Javier C. Rivera

By Lisa Adamowicz Kless

In my first interview with him, I described my friend, Javier C. Rivera, as a bit of a modern day Renaissance man. I wholeheartedly stand by that description, as Javier continues to amaze me and others with the depth and breadth of his work. Already an award-winning director and photographer, Javier is also a film maker, graphic designer, artist, writer, and musician now at work on his second album, performing as Tino Ghost. He’s also completed his second children’s book, Luna, and created a short film based on it. Recently, I asked Javier if he’d take a few moments to talk about Luna and his other projects, and he graciously agreed. Here’s a look at what this former Kenosha resident has been bringing to life.

LAK: Thanks for taking the time to do this again! You received word that the film for your first children’s book, Sometimes I’m Sad, has been nominated Best Film for the 2009 Kids First! Film Festival taking place at the Santa Fe Film Festival. Congratulations! It hasn’t been that long since you wrote Sometimes…, has it? So it’s pretty exciting that it’s getting attention this soon.

JCR: It’s great news about Sometimes I’m Sad and of course the attention for the book is nice too. Let’s hope it spreads to my next book, Luna.

LAK: You first wrote Luna in 2001, but just recently revised it and made it into a short film. Can you explain a little bit about what inspired you to revisit this project?

JCR: I wrote the original story in 2001 and asked my friend, and old college mate, Raz Ortiz to illustrate. He came up with several wonderful images but after awhile I became unhappy with my writing. Something wasn’t right but I couldn’t determine what needed to change. I put it on the back burner and it got mixed in with the many other ideas that I put away. Since then, I’ve always decorated my home with at least two of Raz’s images for Luna. It was like they were decorative memories in frames. Once in a while I thought about taking it on again but I still had that frustration of not knowing what to fix. Then a friend visited my home this past summer and asked about the images. She wanted to know about the story and why it wasn’t in book stores. She was quite persistent with her questions (and compliments) which must have triggered something inside me because within a week’s time I wrote a new version of Luna. And let me tell you, the best part was that I started almost completely from scratch so that frustration disappeared. I purposely didn’t read my original version and just wrote a new one based on the idea. In fact, I still haven’t read it and I don’t think I ever will.

LAK: Raz’s illustrations are gorgeous. How did the illustrating process work? Did you explain to Raz how you envisioned Luna and he based his work on that, or did you give him creative license to just draw, based on the text you provided him with?

JCR: I have a simple theory about working with artists: if I wanted to be extremely specific with the artwork then I should just do it myself. The whole idea of working with other creative people is to get other creative ideas. With Luna, I remember telling Raz that I wanted a young girl with brown hair and dark eyes. That’s pretty much all I gave him…besides the story that is. He went on to create these amazing illustrations that I never would have been able to dream. In fact, the only requests or changes I asked for were to make her hair and eyes darker than he originally designed. That’s it! That’s how good he is. And that’s a perfect example of my theory—creative people shouldn’t be bound. Just let them free and trust their artistic decision.

LAK: Both Sometimes… and Luna focus on subjects that are difficult for anyone to deal with, but especially children. You handle the material in a way that’s compassionate and reassuring though. You’ve said that you’d like to write a whole series of books for children. Do you have an idea of the other types of subjects you’ll cover?

JCR: The frustrating part about covering topics like depression or loss of a family member is that it’s hard to sell to publishers. I’ve received so many rejection letters that I automatically make that “sad trombone” wah-wah-wah-waaaah sound when I get a letter back from a publisher or literary agent. To be fair, though, I don’t think I’ve ever been one to create commercial products so I can’t get too upset. And, yes, I have several ideas for future books including topics such as anger, fear, and anxiety which I plan on writing whether I’m ever published or not. In fact, I’ve got a two-part story that I’m planning to take on next.

LAK: How do you get into a child’s mindset, so to speak, when you write? Do you draw upon your experiences with children in your life, do you use memories and experiences from your own childhood, or do you have other ways to help you write from that viewpoint?

JCR: Most of my ideas come from personal experiences mixed with observations. People have told me I see details in the weirdest things, and they say it in a very complimentary way. Maybe that’s true but I personally think it’s just that I relate to children because they’re sensitive about mostly everything. They have to learn how to deal with things every day because it’s all new to them, things that adults may take for granted—like losing a toy. Adults see it as just an object that can be replaced with a couple of bucks but children see it like losing a family member. It’s not an object; it’s a part of them. I guess I just know how to understand that.

LAK: We talked about this a little bit in your last EK interview, but creating short films to go along with your books is a unique idea. What’s it like for you to direct the voice talent as they read your work? Does it give you a new perspective on your work, to maybe hear it read differently than you “heard” it in your own mind as you wrote it?

JCR: First, let me just state that Noell Coet, who voiced Luna, is going to be someone many people will know in the near future. She’s a talented actress with a great voice. And while I’m on the subject, in the last interview I never mentioned how impressed I was with Ashley Ramirez, who voiced B.B. in Sometimes I’m Sad. Both of these young actresses are going to make an impact in the film industry and I’m lucky to have worked with them. As far as directing voice talent, it’s like directing for film only you don’t have to block their movements. Like all projects, I like to give creative license to the actors. If I’ve written the characters and stories correctly, then I’ve already pre-directed them; I can only hope that they see what I see. And I give them the opportunity to show me before I say anything. The first takes are their versions. A lot of times they get it because it’s their craft and, like artists, they have creativity just waiting to burst out. If something’s off then I just guide them to another version that’s closer to what I think is better. The beauty of filmmaking is the collaboration between creative people. I trust their ideas and they trust my guidance. And it’s such a great feeling when you get that golden take—the one where you get shivers and the hair on your arms stand up. You also asked if the voice talent gives me a new perspective on the project—definitely. Just like the illustrations, the actor’s voice creates an entirely new angle. They put a beating heart into a character.

LAK: Luna appears to be more animated than Sometimes I’m Sad. Can you talk about that process and why you chose to go in that direction?

JCR: Luna’s “animations” were almost by accident. The illustrations for Sometimes I’m Sad were paintings digitally scanned at high resolutions so I would be able to zoom in and out and pan left or right. In other words, creating movement in the overall image—like they did on the show Reading Rainbow. Some people call it the “Ken Burns” effect (I’ll let the readers Google that reference). I was going to do the same thing for Luna but realized I had a rare opportunity—Raz digitally scanned his drawings into Photoshop and did all the layering and coloring within the application. For me, that meant I had the stars, trees, characters and other elements separated from each other. This allowed me to move or “animate” the elements individually. It’s very subtle but it’s there, and I think it makes the film a little more dreamy.

LAK: You also wrote and performed the music (as Tino Ghost) for both films. By not only writing the books but also creating the music and the films, do you think it gives you a heightened connection to the projects, since you’re involved in almost all aspects of their creation?

JCR: It’s a yes and no answer. It’s nice because by producing a film, I’m able to work with other artists (actors, etc.) which I love to do. Plus I love music so to be able to write original scores for these projects is a great feeling…and an excellent motivator to create more music (hence a new Tino Ghost album). But frankly it’s a little embarrassing to be involved with almost all the aspects. I do it because it’s financially easier—right now it’s all out of my own pocket with some donations from fans or friends—but I look forward to working with a real budget that I can use to hire a solid team of filmmakers. I think my creativity and passion get more heightened when I’m surrounded by creative people. It’s such a great feeling to take all that collaborative energy and direct it into a focused stream.

LAK: When we did your first interview, a former classmate of yours left a comment saying that they had wondered what became of you after school, and that they were happy to see what you’re doing now. There’s so much talent in Kenosha that I think that’s a common sentiment—people enjoy seeing the success of residents and former residents alike. So thanks for sharing your work with us, and please, keep doing so!

JCR: I agree—Kenosha has a lot of great talent. It’s been extremely nice to get as much attention from EK and its readers. I appreciate every single comment, by the way. I thrive on comments—good or bad. And thank you, Lisa, for your interest in my projects.

LAK: You’re welcome! It’s always my pleasure to share your work with others.

To learn more about the book, film or any of the artists, go to http://www.javiercrivera.com/luna/index.htm

Click HERE to watch the movie preview