Today we’d like to introduce you to Vance Nguyen.
Hi Vance, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sure! To begin, I am proud to be a first-generation Vietnamese-American. My father’s journey of escaping Vietnam during the war, living in a refugee camp, and coming to America without education or income shaped my family’s story. I’m proud that my parents now own their own business in America. Growing up in a small southern town, I stood out among kids who didn’t look like me. Our family’s culture and cuisine were seen as foreign, leading to covert racism based on stereotypes and appearances. To escape the feeling of being trapped, I found comfort in movies, which got me through difficult nights as I battled my mental disorder. They provided hope and opened my eyes to the bigger narratives beyond my experiences. During high school, I skipped classes to freestyle rap in my dad’s old Honda Civic ’03 with the one friend who believed in my musical abilities. Looking back, we were terrible at that time, haha!
After graduating high school, I enrolled in the Radio/Television/Film program at the University of Texas at Austin. Pursuing the arts was controversial within my family, being first-generation immigrants from a different world. There were nights when guilt and depression overwhelmed me. I questioned whether chasing my passion and dreams was selfish, especially in an industry historically dominated by white males. Thankfully, I found like-minded individuals during my college days who encouraged and inspired me to continue pursuing a career in the arts. During this time, I also released two mixtapes, “Welcome to Classy’s World” and “Rushed & Forgotten,” in my bedroom studio. I was self-conscious about my music, feeling it sounded “different.” I struggled with my flow and translating the sounds into a rhythm, melody, and sonic texture that people could experience. After graduating from UT, I packed up what could fit in my Honda Civic and headed to the land of stars: Los Angeles. I started working part-time as a busboy at an Asian restaurant in Culver City, ironically being the only person of Asian descent working in the establishment. Around this time, I began releasing music on Spotify and iTunes under the artist name “VANCE.” I remember being anxious about my art, often recording over a hundred takes before settling on a verse. Finding peace and self-love with my voice and conveying myself through music was a constant struggle. “Just The Beginning” and “Lost & Hope” were my first two mixtapes publicly released on Spotify and iTunes. They were experimental and gave me greater insight into where I could take my music and how I wanted people to experience it.
After months of searching for jobs in the film industry, I received a call to work as a Production Assistant on Netflix’s Space Force. This led to intense work hours on sets and in offices, eventually landing a job at Disney and 20th Century Animation, where I had the opportunity to contribute to the production of shows I grew up watching, such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, Bob’s Burgers, and more. While working in the entertainment industry, I continued producing, writing, and recording music, dedicating most nights and weekends to my artistic pursuits.
Working on famous adult animation shows was a dream come true, and I remain grateful for the experience and time I spent in LA. However, my entrepreneurial spirit inherited from my parents prevented me from becoming too comfortable. Since then, I have moved back to Austin, started my start-up creative agency called “GigaDrill Media LLC,” and gathered enough strength and love to continue making music. I even organized a local concert in Austin called “MisFit Haven.” The concert featured me (“VANCE.”), and local artists, and I invited all my loved ones without shame or fear of rejection.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Whew! It hasn’t been a smooth road, and I’m still struggling with my startup business, music, and self-esteem as an artist and entrepreneur. Coming from a small southern town, pursuing filmmaking, music, and art as a legitimate career path was seen as “laughable” and “childish.” Despite the discouragement, I kept saying, “No, they’re wrong. No, they’re wrong. No, they’re wrong.” It was challenging when I was shunned from the high school band because I couldn’t keep a simple rhythm then. People often told me growing up that I “chanted” more than singing, and it eventually got in my head that I was tone-deaf and could never be a musical artist. Fortunately and against all odds, I met one friend who believed in my musical abilities. He had recently moved in from out of town, and we would bond over our mutual love of rap. We would skip class to freestyle rap in my car to classic YouTube beats. After a bit, I decided to let go of some of my doubts and start producing my music. My mentality was that if even just one person enjoyed one of my songs, it was worth me making an entire album. Thankfully, that misfit friend still listens to all my tracks, so I never gave up on music.
Things changed when I attended college. Being among peers who shared the same passion and drive was exhilarating, but the stakes were higher. It finally seemed possible for a random kid from a small town to have a career in the entertainment industry, but I quickly realized how high the bar was set. The University of Texas arguably has the best film program in all of Texas, so there was competition.
As an only child from a family of immigrants without formal education, money was tight. I experienced nights of guilt and desperation as doubt set in. Sometimes it felt like I wasn’t good enough, wasting the money my parents saved, and that everyone was right about me. To put it into perspective, my parents worked seven days a week to support our family. I felt like I was letting them down by pursuing the arts instead of a more stable career in the medical or technical industry.
God must have loved the talentless like me, as I had the fortune of crossing paths with remarkable individuals along my journey. These friends would pull all-nighters with me, sleep on the floor and tables of editing labs, and eat an unhealthy amount of homemade tacos to fund our projects. They were friends in the film and music spheres who believed in my abilities. I remember days, when we would triple and quadruple-check our song mixes on various speakers to change half a decibel (dB) up or down, haha. All that hard work paid off when I was fortunate enough to receive a recommendation from a professor to work as a Junior Producer at Rooster Teeth, an entertainment studio based in Austin, while I was still in college.
After graduation and without a secured job, I packed up whatever belongings could fit into my Honda Civic and set my sights on Los Angeles. Luckily, a friend of a friend had an extra room in their apartment in LA, and I had enough savings to cover three months’ rent. Time was ticking, and during the initial two and a half months, I worked part-time as a busboy at a local restaurant in Culver City. Finally, the call came, and I was bought on to work on Netflix’s Space Force. Instantly, I quit my restaurant job and began working on consecutive 12-15 day shoots as a Production Assistant.
After gaining experience as a PA, I transitioned to become an assistant to the head of voiceover at a well-known talent agency and then continued my career by working for Disney’s 20th Century Animation.
Even though I was highly grateful for the opportunity to work on shows I grew up watching, I still wanted to try and pursue my passions full-time. Once more, I packed up what I could and moved back to Austin. History repeats itself as I’m starting from the bottom and struggling for success and growth again, but this time it’s for my startup business and taking the leap toward my music career. I’m not quite sure how to navigate this space yet, but I’m sure I’ll find my footing and hope that God continues to bless me with wonderful like-minded people to help guide me on this new frontier.
We’ve been impressed with GigaDrill Media / VANCE., but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
This is a hard one because I’m balancing growing my creative startup agency while heavily investing in myself as a musical and visual artist. Both are important to me because they allow me to have creativity and the ability to convey a range of emotions to audiences. Regarding the business aspect, GigaDrill Media is a creative agency specializing in producing digital content such as videography, photography, visual effects, audio engineering, graphics, and more. Our focus is on creating marketable content for the largest advertising platforms of today, particularly social media. We collaborate with personal and corporate brands to develop content aligning with their distinct style and vision. What sets us apart is the collaborative nature that allows us to capture the distant style and vision of whomever we’re working with, our understanding of social media content, and the diverse audiences that grew up with these platforms.
On a more artistic and personal level, I’m currently creating a growing body of work under my alias, Vance Freedan. The name “VANCE” represents my music artist name and persona, while “Freedan” comes from my Twitch channel, “twitch.tv/Freedan”. I have a strong affinity for championing the misfits, and my music reflects this. The ultimate goal I want to achieve through music is creating a space where people can feel seen. My songs address mental health, failed relationships, and the challenges of living in the 21st century. No one should have to face these struggles alone. My goal is to provide hope and moments of peace, much like how music and movies have given me hope during my battles with mental health and feelings of not fitting in while growing up in my hometown. I approach music and art with honesty and vulnerability, hoping someone can relate. My Twitch community consists of incredibly compassionate individuals who may feel like misfits, but together, we create a space where people never have to feel alone.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was such a quiet mama’s boy growing up! Super introverted. There’s a disconnect in my mind when people perceive me as outgoing because, in my eyes, I always feel like I’m always messing up something, somehow and in some way. Self-esteem was a big struggle for me, but I was fortunate to make friends with three super extroverted guys in high school who helped me break out of my shell. In college, I started therapy, but there are still days when I wake up hating myself or downplaying my worth. Some days, anxiety overwhelms me, and summoning the courage to get out of bed feels like the bravest thing I can do. To me, bravery isn’t about being fearless; it’s about being a crybaby who still gives their best effort each day, even if it means simply getting out of bed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gigadrillmedia.com
- Instagram: @vancefreedan
- Twitter: twitter.com/vancefreedan
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@vancefreedan
- SoundCloud: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/vance/1462106032 or VANCE. on iTunes
- Other: https://www.twitch.tv/freedan
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7AXLQAlu8ZkCOvWfGTvU5o?si=rgRsjOkUSriuwqZrFZXeyQ or VANCE. on Spotify
