Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1124770
36 CINEMONTAGE / Q2 2019 Funge and his team worked closely with music supervisor Brienne Rose and music editor James Bladon (Manifest, 2018-present) to create the unique audio landscape of Vida as it began to incorporate the live performances featured in Season 2, whereas the first season's music was defined by a mix of needle-drops from various newcomer Latinx artists and an original score by composer Germaine Franco (Coco, 2017). With the current season also came the formation of an all-female collaborative songwriting camp, spearheaded by Pulse Studios, which worked with Saracho to compose songs tailored to individual scenes. With the picture editors returning for the current season, the relationships between the editorial crew developed just as much as those of the characters whose stories we were telling. "Like in any relationship, in Season 1 we were all just getting to know each other, as well as the vision Tanya had, who these characters were, the story world, etc.," Espinas explains. "By Season 2, we were like family since we had gone through all the growing pains and joys together." She goes on to champion the strong and empathetic leadership the Vida crew found in Saracho: "Tanya puts so much passion and love into the show and is so appreciative of, and gracious to, her cast and crew — and that resonates in all of us. We share her passion and are fully invested in the show. It's like being a family, for together we give everything of ourselves to bring Vida to life." This sentiment is also shared by Duddleston, who adds, "We are a tight-knit crew for sure. We eat lunch together everyday, we group text, we hang outside of work and we all know each other well. I think Vida, and its theme of family, definitely brought us closer together." It's appropriate that the tag line for Vida's first season was "Find Your Way Back Home," as working on this has felt like a homecoming for so many of the people on our team who are used to being "other-ized" for the very things this show celebrates about them, such as their Latinidad* or their queerness. "Growing up in a predominantly Mexican-American community," comments Zenee Perez, "I had no idea that Vida would touch on many of my childhood memories, along with numerous issues that affect the Latinx community: the gentrification issue, the identity and culture struggle that a lot of first-generation Americans have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, and gender and sexuality complexities." Her experience is similar to my own. Vida. Starz Entertainment