Elohim Cervantes Tampus (PHOTO BY Gerard Pareja)
Going through this guy’s IMDB page is in itself a wild trip of eye candy and slapdash of blockbuster hits and big ticket names.
Remember the name Elohim Cervantes Tampus as it is up there in the end credits for such films as “Fast and the Furious 6,” “Man of Steel,” “Samsara,” “Godzilla,” and the list goes on.
From his beginnings as an advertising student at the University of San Carlos to becoming a fledging visual effects designer for WETA Digital (a visual effects company based in Wellington,New Zealand founded by famed director Peter Jackson), the guy is his own story.
He has proven his mettle and now that he is setting his base home, the once-bullied introvert has finally spoken. A braver, bolder and a firm believer in facing challenges head on, Elohim is ready for his second chapter.
So the next time you face the silver screen, remember the name Elohim Tampus. The name is up there where it belongs. (NRG)
You have a remarkable name.
Yes. Although I admit it’s also been a struggle having this name. I was bullied in elementary and high school. Not many know what Elohim really means?
It’s just that locally “elo” sounds funny, like wiping off someone’s dirt. Ni-suffer ko ana nga joke and that led me to keep things to myself. From there I learned to be happy by myself. Mag duwa ko ug basketball ako ra usa, mag duwa ko ug table tennis, ako rang usa.
I learned to be self-sufficient.
How was it working with the great Peter Jackson?
I didn’t get to work closely with him because he’s more on the overall production.
I work on post-production, on the visual effects. We call him Papa PJ and it happened a day before the red carpet for “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.”
That was the first time I met Papa PJ and I was sort of shocked when he asked if I was
Filipino. I said yes.
I happen to be the only Filipino in WETA and the experience of getting to meet the man was inspiring. He even called me “little Maori.”
What does it take to be part of an establishment behind major blockbusters?
I have always been curious. I don’t want to categorize myself as maayo na gyud. If you set limitations well then that would only be up to you.
I always say to myself that if kaya nako then kayahon nako and moreso that I am more of a doer, I think that’s an important aspect to thrive.
But initially, you took up a different course in college before Advertising?
Initially, I took upinterior design and I remember it was a bit challenging because there were only a few guys back then.
No regrets though because taking up that course has helped me. Nakatabang siya especially with the kind of teachers who are not confined “by
the book.”
These are teachers who happen to be experienced architects and they are teaching you first hand, the right way to do stuff.
And I got good grades during the first and second year. However when I happened to see the curriculum for Advertising and I saw there was TV ananimation… you know, the idea of having my drawings move. That’s when I thought of shifting.
What were you like as a student?
I was an introvert. In terms of friends I am more into quality over quantity. Though a number would want to hang out with me because “artist lagi kuno ka and maayo ka mo-drawing,” you always seek for the character and personality of a person.
Say with WETA, they will not hire you if you have an attitude problem. In the company, the culture is everybody is equal. If you think too highly of yourself, dili gyud ka magdugay.
And the visual effects industry is compacted and magkaila ra mo tanan. Say Colin Farell or Hugh Jackman will in any given day drop by the office and you will never see any of the personnel screaming or “fangirling.” We only do high five!
How hard was it getting in? How did you get to have the coolest job every film buff would love to be part of?
Way back in college I happen to have this online job and one of my clients told me that he has a friend who happens to be here in Cebu in search for visual effects artists.
Back then there was a demand of visual effects people for the films “GI Joe” and Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia.” I was curious about it and so I applied.
Too bad because when I went to the venue, I missed out on it because the screening took place days ago. Luckily there was another screening and there I got to show my works.
It was not an easy process though because I needed to research and study new methods and software that they were using. I had to prove my worth.
Right now if most artists would use a pen tab for easy movement and faster application, back then I was using a mouse, it was quite a struggle.
And yet you made it.
I don’t know what went on during the screening process. I asked the applicants who made it to the preliminary screening and they were made to apply and study the requirements and software in two weeks while I was only given a day.
I just worked hard and na-shock na lang ko because I gave them my output, stepped out of the screening venue and wala pa gani ko nakauli sa amoa I already got that call informing me that I sort of made it.
You seem to have it going and you learned a lot with geniuses in the industry.
Since I was in high school I have always been a fan of “The Lord of the Rings” and I always dreamed to be part of that movie, even as sketch artist.
I have been sketching or doing caricatures since I was three years old and eventually I got kind of bored as I found them flat, and I so badly wanted
my sketches to sort of like have movement. So in college I did an animation, however, I received a failing grade because they thought I wasn’t the one who created it.
Amongst the many movies that you’ve worked on, which are you most proud of?
It has got to be “Fast and the Furious 6” because they let me work on a very important scene. They call it the money shot and this was a scene of Dwayne Johnson jumping off from a plane in front of a car.
They made me remove all the rigs and you can just imagine the tremendous workbecause the car covers almost 80 percent of the scene. It was quite an achievement because they made me work on it alone.
How long would it take for you to work on a scene?
It depends, though usually for a single shot that would be for five days. Sometimes I can work on it in just a day.
Do you even sleep?
I do. But there was a time when we rendered 120 hours per week and you can never feel the time because malingaw ra man gud ka. And then imong mga kauban makatulog na lang and here you are still at it.
I am a nocturnal individual and mas kusgan ko beyond sa alas dose. What’s so weird is that ifI have coffee mas dukaon ko.
I prefer to have sweets. I am more hyped up when on a sugar rush and while every one is already groggy, I can be up and about for the next two days with just a bar of chocolate.
What keeps you going?
I am driven and when you are at the last stage of the art as film compositor, kung unsa akoang makita in that scene, mao na siya ang finally mogawas sa screen. Kumbaga, it’s your measure on how you make things more beautiful.
From the entire process from there it’s basically gives me that sense of fulfilment.
Do you still remember your first artwork?
I remember that I had a knack for drawing the Japanese action hero Shaider. I would be reprimanded during art class back in elementary because at the back of my sketchbook are doodles of Dragon Ball Z and Shaider.
Given the demands and challenges, how far will you go on this creative journey?
I’ve experienced a lot, and if you choose to dwell on negativity then it will just drag you down. In high school my mom would hit us siblings to discipline us. Lisod because lalake baya mi tulo and then my mom has to leave the country for work.
Despite the bullying in school and being transferred from an exclusive school to a ghetto-like public school in Mabolo… Good thing I did
not turn into a degenerate, and I also did not try illegal drugs. Sure, we all have issues, and back then I would go home nga ang maid lang ang naa, wala’y mama.
And my father has always been overseas working, too.
What is your way now of “giving back”?
Many have approached me about setting base here.
Now finally having learned a lot from WETA, it is time to move forward and set my base here.
Being a member of the Cebu Animation Guild we’ve shared our knowledge to some K12 students; and it is amazing how these local kids can be such quick learners. I want to share what I’ve learned to show my gratitude.
I gave my program in the University of the VisayasNew School of Arts (UVNS) and I might do mentoring and teaching. The possibilities are endless.
What was your reaction after seeing your name for the first time on the movie screen?
This was in 2011, for the movie “Fright Night.” I didn’t know what to feel. Wala ko na shock, wala ko nalipay. I was like, tinood gyud diay nga akoang name mogawas sa screen (laughs).
If you were to address the audience in a movie theater right now…
Please stay until the credits are done rolling.
More than the names, functions and departments are the blood, sweat and tears of men and women passionate about keeping you entertained.
