Gustav Asplund: De Anza alumnus filmmaker goes on to direct music videos and promotions

De Anza College alumnus Gustav Asplund was one of two directors from a community college to have their films shown at Cinequest last year.

“My film [In Search of I] was very different and somewhat provocative compared to the other films, which was a huge benefit for me,” said Asplund.

While Asplund was a student at De Anza, he was unsure of what he wanted to do in life until he took a basic digital filmmaking class.

“This class sparked my interest and I started to read cinematography books and constantly talk about the craft … [going] from being a lost athlete to actually knowing what I wanted in life created a sense of self confidence,” he said.

“Gustav created a really outstanding, experimental piece in my class. He had a real flair for strong, unusual visuals. His cinematography is strong both creatively and technically,” said instructor Dennis Irwin about Asplund’s work.

“Gus valued the lessons learned from master filmmakers and all types of films, and then he put those lessons into practice. He found his voice, making visually striking, unique shorts like In Search for I,” added instructor Susan Tavernetti.

Since his days at De Anza, Asplund has now moved out to Hollywood to sharpen his filmmaking skills and to network with other creative talents.

“Most people I work with are graduates from UCLA or AFI [American Film Institute], so coming from a community college with an AA degree is rare,” said Asplund.

His first job in Hollywood was for a company called PIC Agency, where he animated graphics for film television. After a couple of months in that field, Asplund quit to explore more creative options. Last summer, he produced and directed a series of 27 chewing gum commercials for the European company Läkerol.

Currently, Asplund is in post-production for a music video he directed for VISE, a Los Angeles-based rock band. “Their producer, Bob Kulick, helped KISS and Meat Loaf start their careers,” Asplund said. The video is scheduled to air on MTV later this year.

Besides actual production, Asplund’s favorite part of the film process is pre-production.

“I’m a big fan of the build up [of] expectations,” said Asplund. “I see projects very much like Christmas gifts. You don’t want the same gift two years in a row – you want to move on.”