Meet a VC Intern: Tommy Tang

Learn more about one of our 2020-2021 VC Interns Tommy Tang, the LACAC Marketing and Social Media Intern.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Tommy Tang (he/him) and I am a 2020 graduate from California State University, Fullerton. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. To cut a long story short, I have always been interested in the artistic and creative side of things. I love taking and editing photos, watching films, and discovering new music on Spotify. After this internship, I definitely see myself working in marketing within the entertainment industry.

How did you hear about VC and what drew you to apply?

I actually found Visual Communications on the Getty Multicultural Internship website. From there, I came across VC’s website where I read the mission statement as a non-profit organization supporting the true voices of AAPI filmmakers and creatives. I was immediately interested and initially applied for the Programs Associate position. A few days later, I received an email stating that I did not get the position. Initially, I was disappointed but reached out to the person behind the email, Rachelle Samson, and asked her for advice on my application and to contact me if there were any opportunities available that fit my background. Luckily, she remembered my email and contacted me about a Marketing and Social Media position through the Los Angeles County Arts Internship Program that VC was offering. I immediately submitted my application and now here we are! :)

What are your intern duties at VC? Which part do you find interesting?

My internship duties at Visual Communications consist of scheduling social media posts, creating graphics, and pushing out content related to the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Visual Communications’ 50th anniversary celebration Past//Forward, and community partners. There were so many interesting parts of my internship. First off, creating an Instagram filter for #LAAPFF2020 was exciting because it was the first time VC utilized this feature. Also, since the film festival was virtual, the filter allowed for engagement between the filmmakers and audience members. Another interesting part of this internship was being able analyze results from the LAAPFF audience survey. It was interesting to see the breakdown of the audience demographics and to see feedback on what we can potentially improve on. 

What is your favorite thing about working here? Any memorable moments?

My favorite thing about working here are the people! Since day one of the internship, everyone has been so welcoming and generous with their time. All of the people at VC are passionate in working to support and amplify AAPI voices. Working during the 2020 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival was memorable for me. Luckily, I had the opportunity to watch some of the films that were featured in #LAAPFF2020. Some of my favorites that I connected to or thought were interesting include KIM JI-YOUNG, BORN 1982, BLUE SUIT, THE DONUT KING, and THE PAPER TIGERS. While it was a virtual event, the films and conversations broadened my perspective on what it means to be part of the AAPI community.

Where would you like to travel to after the pandemic?

HAWAII! I would love to be able to travel to Hawaii post-pandemic since it has been on my bucket list for awhile. Since the pandemic started, I have been watching many travel vlogs about what to eat in Hawaii. Some restaurants I want to try include Leonard’s Bakery, Helena’s, and Rainbow Drive-In. Other than Hawaii, I would love to travel internationally. Some countries that are on my international bucket list include: Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, South Korea, and Japan. 

Being an Intern in a Pandemic

My remote intern experience so far has been good. The only challenging thing I would say is that sharing space with my family members can get noisy at times. While an in-person internship is ideal, I am so grateful the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and Visual Communications still provided internship opportunities for students and recent graduates during this pandemic.

In terms of staying sane, talking to my friends has been really helpful. I realize that I am not alone and my friends and I are sharing similar struggles in the pandemic. At times we play virtual games to give ourselves a break. Some of these games include Among Us, League of Legends, and Genshin Impact. Among Us is an online multiplayer social deduction game where 4-10 players attempt to hold a spaceship together through various tasks. However, among the group there are imposters that will sabotage the ship tasks and their goal is to kill off the crew. League of Legends is an online multiplayer, team-based strategy game where two teams of five powerful champions with unique abilities face off to destroy the other's base. Genshin Impact is an open-world action role-playing game and features a fantasy open-world environment and involves using elemental magic and character-switching. I enjoy playing these games because they are meant to be played with a group of people. Living in a pandemic, I am not able to meet with my friends in person. These games provide the opportunity to have fun with my friends virtually.

Baking has been a newfound hobby for me during the pandemic. I only have a toaster oven, and using a toaster oven has been challenging since most recipes call for a conventional oven. With trial and error, I have gotten to know my toaster oven a little bit better. For example, I now know when to adjust the temperature or time accordingly to follow the recipes more accurately.

Having less space in a toaster oven means I have to make recipes in smaller batches, which can be time-consuming. Also, since there are space constraints, I am limited to baking smaller pastries such as cookies or tarts. I want to try to bake bigger pastries such as bread or cakes, but I will wait until I have a conventional oven. While I have small inconveniences, I look forward to the rewarding results at the end of the process. Baking allows me to be creative while retaining control of the entire task.

I have made many desserts and baked goods, but my favorites include a HARBS (a New York City cafe that makes Japanese style cakes and pastries) inspired fruit crepe cake, granola, and dark chocolate chip cookies. I have a tendency to think I can perfect a recipe on the first try. I realized that it is not the case and practice DOES make perfect when it comes to baking or doing anything in general. It has been a rewarding experience baking and I hope to attempt more difficult recipes to challenge myself.