My interview series has allowed me to meet some really cool, smart, kick-ass people. Usually we’ll e-mail, and then we’ll meet up. Both of us will look to see if the other person is a crazy weirdo. If we both decide that we’re not freaks, then we decide to become blog friends. Blog buddies. Word up.

Anyway, I met Cameron Anthony Park through a fantastic site called LINKEDIN, and we’ve been friends ever since. He knows two very hot Fields as he works in the New Media Division of a prestigious Talent Agency here in La La Land.  You may have noticed the merging of the two in recent years and it’s only going to become even more entwined as time progresses. But I’ll shut up now and without further ado, I introduce to you…Cameron Anthony Park.

Cam! What’s the word? Where are you from?

Though I was born in Seoul, Korea. I moved to Los Angeles when I was four and consider myself a native Angeleno. By the way, true Angelenos are some of the coolest, down to earth, honest people in the world. It’s the jackass transports from all the other states who come here and act a fool thinking that’s how Angelenos are supposed to be that has f’ed up the image of the true LA peeps from “La-La Land”.

I’m one of those jackass transports. We met on the Internet. That sounds naughty but its not. So, you’re an Internet guy right? Where do you work?

I lead two very distinct, quasi-secret lives. By day I work (under a pseudonym) at a talent agency as a studio manager for the voice over department. With the help of another talent director and three full time assistants, we audition and manage an average of 150-200 voice over auditions daily to send out to ad agencies, tv/film producers, video game producers, trailer and promo producers, basically anyone who needs a voice for their projects. I initially fell into the job not even realizing that such an aspect of the business existed. Just think about everything that uses a voice:

-radio commercials,
-TV commercials,
-video games,
-all those cartoons on cartoon network, Nickelodeon, kids WB, Toon Disney, PBS etc.
-animated straight to DVD films
-Pixar, Dreamworks animation films.
-ADR
-trailers with the “In a world… where one man… against all odds” voices.
-those annoyingly, highly caffeinated voices for network and cable stations that go: “Tonight on an all new ‘Desperate Housewives’! One of the housewives gets naughty…Only on ABC!”,
-the narrators on all those cable documentaries,

this is just the tip of the iceberg. voices are everywhere.

However, outside of my “day job,” I lead a somewhat different life plotting to be at the forefront of this impending marriage of traditional and “new media” sectors. I truly love and am fascinated and challenged by this emerging sector everyday. I believe that we’re at the pre-genesis of what all this “internet/entertainment/education/interactivity” hybrid can truly be. Within the mixed bag of these incredible, relatively new technologies and traditional good old fashioned storytelling lies the right combination of skills and opportunities to really become the next generation of multimedia ppowerhouses. Think about it: Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Youtube, ebay … even further back Microsoft and Mac … these weren’t companies that were created by some huge corporations (although eventually they ended up as such). They were all started off by a couple of really smart, hard working individuals. I’m telling you that creating new media content is actually much easier than coding the algorithm for a search engine like Google. You don’t need a crew of hundreds anymore to create film, TV, or media content. Some kids are already doing some incredible stuff under the radar. It’s just a matter of time before you hear of some kid literally making the next Star Wars from his home computer, by himself. You need to be smart and work harder than anyone else. You need to be willing to learn stuff beyond just your job.

How so?

You need to be willing to work hard and learn new skills. I purposely left out “passion” because that’s an immature word made for fools who are looking to win the lottery. What’s “passion” other than a synonym for the term “like.” I was passionate in college. Now I use that energy and time to make stuff. More importantly, passion doesn’t get any tangible shit done. Intelligence and hard work gets the content made. Leave the “passion” for the cheerleaders on the sidelines.

It’s the same in my day job. Yes, there are those “lottery” actors who book the occasional jobs here and there based more on luck than any skill. But the truly, consistently successful actors are always the ones who work the hardest and are the ones who study it. Sure they act like they’re so above it all and “doing it for the art” BS in front of their peers. But make no mistake about it, when their competition isn’t watching, the successful actors all reinvest in their careers by taking new courses, learning new skills, rebuilding their demos, sending out marketing eblasts, etc.

How did you get involved in New Media?

In the last four years I’ve gone from not knowing the difference between HTML, css, ajax, php, etc. to having produced a fairly successful, pioneering cooking web video series, producing several interactive websites for high profile clients, to maintaining what I think is a fairly interesting blog (www.CameronAnthonyPark.com), to writing, directing, and being in pre-production for a couple of really cool projects that I am friggin’ hyper-excited about. Like I said, I love so many aspects of how all the programming languages and promise that computer sciences and the internet brings, and when that combines with the creative and fun potential of some really cool content to the masses, it’s gonna be the beginning of something incredible. I just wish there was more time! =)

Passion versus Persistence. Your thoughts?

I’ll share this with you: even though one of the last things I’d want to be again is a talent agent (I was one for the same company a couple of years ago before I left and came back) I do value the experience because dealing with actors, creatives, producers, and personalities all day for so long I truly got a solid understanding of what separates the successful people from the “dreamers” and “passion only” people. Where the latter spend their days and nights dreaming and being passionate about what they want to do, the former group spend that time actually working on stuff. It’s not that one set of people are any more talented, creative or “true” to their arts, it’s just that you have those who want to act, write, etc. and those who just do it.

And the beauty of the current times is that there is this incredible platform and distribution outlet to do it with now. More people watch Youtube daily than all the networks combined. You have the exact same way to get your content on that platform as any major multi media corporation. So you need to get found? Find a way.

True, there is still the debate about compensation and how traditional media is still the only ones making any real money from advertisement. If you want to produce content, don’t worry about that now. Just work on producing content that other people want to see and the money, accolades, sponsorships, TMZ blurbs, etc., will follow.

What made you want to start your own blog? How big are you on Social media/social networking?

Much like an earlier idol of mine (seven time grand slam winner: John McEnroe) I find myself quite often fueled by anger. That doesn’t mean that I lash out at anyone or pull a Chris Brown on anyone (seriously that bastard went from becoming the modern day Michael Jackson to becoming a verb synonymous with beating down chicks… “No Air” is still a bad ass song no matter what.) So going back to the cooking web series I co-founded a few years back, my partners and I had a falling out and after a few weeks of strategizing and life pondering, I decided that I really loved this mysterious new media sector that I sort of fell into. So I wanted to learn as much about it as I could. Simultaneously I also wanted to see if I could start a blog to perhaps rival or surpass the traffic of my former partners (although my blog would have hardly anything to do with cooking). In under six months I had found my answer to be a resounding “yes”.  I love the fact that I am the only person I need to answer to there. I mean, at a year old now, the blog is still at it’s infancy. I have plans to add so much more original content there: audio, video, animation, etc. And since it’s so cheap to maintain with endless potential, I don’t see any reason to stop other than lack of time.

Are the actors you work with familiar with social marketing/social networking? Or do you have to spoonfeed them?

As far as the other social media tools go, I’m on most of the better known ones but I gotta say everyone in my field of business (young and old alike) are still getting the hang of the Facebook thing. I’m constantly amazed to hear that of all the actors that come through our offices everyday, 19 out of 20 people still haven’t even heard of twitter or digg or technorati or friendfeed (a personal favorite of mine) or even skype. I’m constantly begging my 23 year old co-workers to get a skype account already. They’re like:

Them:”Dude, what the fuck is skype? is that like myspace? cause I don’t like myspace. I have a facebook account with a bunch of pictures of me with my friends, girls, gargoyles and celebrities. can I friend you?”

Me: “No village idiot. it’s not like myspace exactly… wait, did you just say that you had pictures of gargoyles? and no, I won’t accept your facebook friend add because if I friend you, facebook says that my IQ drops like ten points automatically for friending such a dumbass.”

Them: “Nah uh. really? (beat) dude, does facebook really keep track of your IQ? that’s scary!”

Me: No dude, You’re scary.

Anyway, I’m very aware of these offered tools (many of which I use on my own blog) but it has yet to reach my circle of audience so I’ve yet to really benefit much from them yet. But I’m still learning.

HAHA.  I love that conversation.  Funny stuff. Tell us about a typical day in your life? What are some annoying things that Voice actors do that just get under your skin?

My “day job” day consists of three distinct sections: 1) put out fires from the day before. 2) direct and manage the fires of today. 3) prepare enough so that there are less fires tomorrow. Whenever you have any office situation where you’re dealing with so many different personality types who are all vying for attention, it rarely goes as planned. It really is often times like what one might imagine a daycare center to be like. Everyone wants attention, everyone wants to be treated better than the person next to them, everyone wants you to look over at them and see what they’re doing. You’re constantly asking people to stop acting like a child and behave themselves. Then there are those assholes who think they’re the next Pacino or DeNiro and want to be on every single audition: “I can play 20. I can play 65. I can play a frenchman. I can play as a Seth Rogen soundalike. I can play a Rachel McAdams soundalike. I can be Korean. I can be Portuguese.” — this is all said by one actor… who is a 46 year old NY native with a heavy ass Brooklyn accent… who I’m not entirely sure isn’t slightly illiterate. Besides, even Pacino and DeNiro couldn’t do all those characters and you, the guy who guested as a glorified extra on one episode of Without a Trace, you think you’re more versatile than Pacino and DeNiro? You can’t even pronounce “forget about it” as three separate words, you gaffon!

Dude, you’re funny.  So, what’s your life mantra?

I don’t know yet. If you hear of any good ones, let me know. Maybe: “Work hard. Play hard. Try to be good. Learn something. Do something.” Is that even a mantra?

Close enough.  So, what would you say to someone reading this who has no idea about starting a blog, the Web, or anything related to social media? What kind of advice would you give them?

Just do it. If you’re a writer, write. If you’re an actor, put your ass in front of the camera, perform a Shakespeare monologue and post that shit up. Better yet, recite a Shakespeare monologue dressed up as a hot music video pole dancer. Surprise the world and challenge their expectations. I’d like to see that. Whatever you do don’t go around preaching about your passion, dreams and desires. Show me what you got instead. That’ll do a much better job of expressing your passion and dreams than any BS song and dance that begins with: “I’m really passionate about acting, writing, etc.” So is everyone else in this town. Now that we’ve established that, show me something that you have that they don’t.

Frank. Honest. With a few rambles.  Thanks Cam for your take on the wonderful world of New Media and Voice actors.  Check out more of his funny words at www.cameronanthonypark.com

You can “Read a post, Get Happy, Maybe learn something”

I’m kind of obsessed with hip hop from back in the day because my Dad used to blast hip hop at Street Blue, his hip hop clothing store on Germantown Ave in Philly. It was Power 99 FM all the way. And so, when I came across this Philadelphia Inquirer article about Abakus Takeout, I did a double take and of course, it was necessary for me to interview Rick Cao and Jackson Fu, who along with Ky, created this Ridiculously cool store.

And can you believe that Rick actually BOUGHT CLOTHING from my Dad’s store back in the 90′s? What a small world!
Here is Rick:

And Jackson, Mos Def, and Ky at the store

Great.Tell us a bit about yourselves. Where in Philly did you guys grow up?
J: I was actually born in NY, but was raised for most of my childhood in the suburbs of Philly – about 45 minutes out, Pottstown area. I didn’t actually become a Philadelphia resident until I started college at Drexel – which is where I met Ky, playing basketball. Actually it was through a non-profit organization, Philadelphia Suns. I like to compare it to an Asian AAU Travel team.

How did you get into designing? And how did you come up with this concept of “Abakus Takeout?”…which I love by the way.
R: i came with this concept 5 years ago, I lived in NYC since 99 and living there Fashion was life. Absolutely, since I’m half Chinese. Having a takeout concept store was a no brainer. Everyone who lives in a city knows their local chinese takeout. I just put two things I love and put it together. I want people to have an experience when they enter Abakus.

I’m kind of obsessed with the t-shirts in Chinese food containers and the purple sneakers next to the fake roasted ducks. What are your favorite pieces from the sneakers and clothing? And how are you planning to keep it fresh? Different from places like Supreme and Union?
R: I personally like Transpotter and award tour, they are two small companies that are big as 10 deep or crooks. Sneaker wise I don’t have a particular one.

Would you be excited if you had 100 people waiting for 2 nights for a shoe from your store?
J: Personally, I’ve always been an avid sneakerhead. So anything shoe-oriented is a personal favorite! Clothing wise: I’m a big fan of Orisue and Triumvir from Santa Ana. To get a line for any release, would be extremely exciting. I look at it as a sign that you’ve almost made it. Sneaker heads are a different breed, they know what they want and they are dedicated.

Okay, for the readers of girlatastartup who don’t know what a sneakerhead is…please give a definition.

J: Haha, being a sneakerhead to me is not just about having a crapload of sneakers, although it helps.
Knowledge is a key attribute! Knowing your kicks, release dates, knowing about the after-market values, and recognizing real from fake.
R: I believe for us keep it fresh from Union and Supreme. we are doing consignment for kicks and we always love to pick small brands that are not well known and try to help blow their brand up.
J: Sometimes I get worried that it might be a passing fad – but then I realize that when Nike or Adidas
release the next shoe, and then I see 50 kids from 15 states line up 3 days in advance and I breathe a sigh of relief.

Being a huge fan of urban clothing and just anything that screams fresh style, I read the Philly.com article about Abakus and was really impressed. How did it feel to get your first big press piece out there? Also… People have lots of misconceptions about our hometown. Care to debunk any stereotypes? Also, what makes Philly, this city it is?
J: As far as getting an article in a major newspaper just means to us that we really have a lot more work. We’re on the right track, but not “there” yet. It’s exciting, owning your own business and being able to make executive decisions day-in and day-out.
R: We were humble about it, it’s great for the Chinatown community.
J: Misconceptions of Philly… Being so close to NYC – we’re like the little brother in terms of Streetwear and fashion culture. I think that people are beginning to realize that we’re(Philly) on the up-and-coming!

What is Philly Style at the moment?
R: Philly is not known for street wear style, we are more known for white t’s, dickies, timberland boots. More like the working class style. But lately I’m seeing more street wear kids or hipster whatever you want to call them. I don’t think it’s a fad. If this was a fad. I would not be in this business.
J: And also you know you’re in Philly – when a major sports team always comes close – but doesn’t really make it!

Haha. Your store seems like the type of retail location that will get a devoted, loyal following. How do plan to market your clothing and sneakers? Is it more getting an online presence?
R: We do have our regular customers – and to us, we definitely try to cater to them – and newer customers by basically being that store with the limited merchandise. We really make it a point to our vendors, that we be the only store to carry a certain brand. I remember working for Steve and Barry’s and they were thinking of opening a online store. It folded because you got to hire the same amount of people you have now to operate. Because your dealing global.

Looking forward, what are your ultimate goals for this store and brand?
R: Ultimate Goal is expand the Abakus brand and to have Abakus in Paris, Japan, NY and maybe in San Fran. Hong kong.

Good luck…So these plastics ducks that you flew in from LA….tell us about them. Do customers ever ask you if they can purchase them?
These ducks were made by a custom prop company — who have done projects for Oliver Stone to Jerry Bruckheimer.
J: We had to ship out 2 whole roast ducks with neck attached to them – just so they could create the plastic molding.

That has to be the coolest prop ever. Any last words, or anything you want to plug? New releases?
Look out for the online shop available at abakustakeout.com next Saturday! Also be on the lookout for abakus next drop of T’s for mens and womens !

Thanks for your time guys and if you want to check out more of their cool merchandise, go to
www.abakustakeout.com

For anyone who has ever glanced through Teen Vogue, to peruse the articles about the latest teen pop sensation, tabloid darling, or just like to look at the ridiculously stylish teens who have fashion forward closets (and wallets), you’ll be psyched to read this next interview with Eva Chen, the beauty director of Teen Vogue. Check out the interview where she dishes on what its like to work at the former offices of Whitney and LC, her very simple beauty secret, and ahem, is she a karaoker?

Eva, so glad you could do the interview. Tell us where you’re from? Native New Yorker?
Yes, I was raised in New York. I grew up in the village, right around Washington Square Park. It was great to have such a multi-cultural and diverse experience as a child!

Tell the readers of girlatastartup about how you started on your path to becoming the Beauty/Health Director for Teen Vogue. So, when you were 10, were you really into beauty products and stuff, or did
you start off in one arena and end up here?
I never would have guessed that I’d end up as a beauty editor. I actually was very much interested in medicine as a teen and went to Johns Hopkins University to be pre-med. The reality of pre-med didn’t quite agree with me though and after three years, I took a break and accepted a summer internship at Harper’s Bazaar in the features and beauty section. It was love at first sight! I had a great experience. Senior year, I went to Oxford University and studied Shakespeare instead (as I had enough credits to
graduate already) and then afterwards, got my first job in magazines at Lucky, in the fashion department. Then, I got a position at ELLE as the assistant beauty editor. I stayed at ELLE for three years, eventually leaving with the title of editor, before coming to Teen Vogue as the beauty and health director.

Very Cool. So onto the health questions, I’m a 20-something, but still read your blog for its great beauty tips/finds. What’s the biggest difference in offering beauty/health advice to teens vs. 20-somethings?
We absolutely have readers in their 20s (I’m in my 20s too and SO many of my friends “confess” to loving Teen Vogue!). The main difference between teens and 20-somethings is that teens are still very much learning, so they like to learn about the basics. That said, teens are MUCH more open to experimenting too. How many 28 year olds are brave enough to try the Agyness Denn pixie cut? Whereas teens are fearless!

Wow, anyone who can pull off a pixie cut gets a gold star in my book. So.. what about mentors? How crucial are they and how do you suggest that people go about finding mentors in their fields? Also, did you have a mentor who guided you to where you are today?
Finding a mentor is definitely helpful. The best way to find a mentor is through internships (where you establish connections) or through reaching out to people via email. You can email people just to say you admire their work and ask whether they’d have 5-10 minutes for a spot of advice. I’ve found, given the proper wording/manners, most people are kind and gracious enough to grant time, even to a stranger.

Eva, give us some skincare secrets and don’t be stingy. You obviously have billion-dollar skin.
The most important thing is to set up a routine. Wash your face 2x a day religiously, drink a LOT of water, and wear SPF like it’s the most important thing in the world (which for skin, it actually is). Oh, and look into retinoids. I’ve found that they’re the one thing EVERY derm agrees on, in terms of acne reduction and elimination of fine lines.

Check. Tell us…what’s the coolest part about working for Teen Vogue? Is the the free products/perks? Going to Fashion week? And added on to that, are you a fan of the Hills, and is working there, hm…, a bit more intensive than its portrayed on the show?
I love working at Teen Vogue for so many reasons! It’s great to talk to young women/teens every day and hear that we’re really affecting their lives. Of course, free products aren’t bad either, especially for a product addict like me! Fashion week is wonderful but very frantic, so I’m grateful that I only have to cover New York.

Okay, so in the state of the recent economy, how can a girl be fashionable on a budget?
Ebay, ebay, ebay. And H&M!

Yes! H&M on 34th St is the best! And, as a former NYC resident, I miss the summer NYC fashion. What’s in style for summer 2008? Give us some of your favorite outfits.
This summer I’m pairing cute flats with little shorts and billowy tops, or I’m wearing long maxi dresses and a little chapeau (must protect the skin!). I’ve been lucky enough to go to Paris a few times this year, so I’ve picked up quite a few cute looks from Sandro and Maje.

You obviously love your job. So, what inspires you in your daily life? And if you could give advice to young women out there who are searching for their talents and passions, what would you say?
I find inspiration everywhere, from the New York Times Science section (great source for cool studies for my health section!) to the streets of Milan and Paris and New York. And, of course, the legions of cool and awesome girls out there who email me! My advice to girls out there is to not be afraid to try a lot of things. After all, I did pre-med, pre-law, pre-everything, pretty much, before landing in a field I love! And the more things you learn that you DON’T like, the more you are honing in on what it is that you do. Always write thank you notes, be down-to-earth, and be patient.

That’s so true. Thanks Eva, so how about some random questions?
Are you a downtown girl or an uptown girl? (Had to ask)
Downtown girl but with with the occasional taste for an uptown splurge.
What’s your Karaoke anthem?
I am the most tone-deaf person ever so I try not to agonize anyone with my voice!
And because this blog is entitled, Girlatastartup, how tech-savvy are you, Ms. Chen?
Just the basics… Emailing, word processing, and internet. Enough to get by. I wish I was more so, though!

Girl, you have the basics down. Thanks for sharing your inspirational and beauty tips with us, and I will CONTINUE to peruse that cute little mag of yours. Check out Eva’s Beauty Blog to read more about the latest beauty/health/fashion trends.