Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
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20 KEYFRAME A F T E R H O U R S Nguyen, in turn, views the meet-ups as "a fun way to make new connections beyond our crew or studio, as well as a great opportunity to get to know each other as people beyond the workplace. Through these kinds of events we can become better connected and, I think, better humans." The events usually run from 8 a.m. to 10 a, and da and uyen ae sure coffee and doughnuts are available as they direct cars into designated areas in the parin lot nce a e roll in, e walk from car to car, checking details out, hearing wild car stories, sitting inside cars you'd never sit in otherwise," says uyen nce in a hile, you iht even get to drive someone else's car if you're lucky." For da, his loe o cars oes ac to his childhood. In fact, he says, his desire to be able to draw cars well was how he developed his art skills. He used perspective in those drawings which became useful in background design. As for Nguyen, she longed for a Honda del Sol from an early age. She was fascinated by the engineering and design in older Hondas. During the pandemic, she credits drives in her three Hondas with keeping her sane, reminding her that she wasn't completely trapped by the lockdown. While she has dreams of "rescuing" as many vintage Hondas as possible, she highly advises people "to collect things that are smaller and cheaper." The spectrum of cars that shows up at the meet-ups is always exciting to Nguyen—from vintage MINI Coopers to '90s JDMs [Japanese Domestic Market] and beyond. She loves hearing the stories of how people became partial to a particular make or model, as well as the emotional connections they have with their cars. At a recent gathering, PREVIOUS PAGE, TOP LEFT; THIS PAGE: All types of cars are welcome and admired by the meet-up's enthusiasts. she heard about a driver who is loyal to her Audi because she once came out of a serious accident unscathed nd da has sold two of his cars to friends over the years, happy to know he'd see them again in studio parking lots. "I think car owners get attached, and if they really like something they want to know that it's going to go to a good home," he says. Just as the technology of a particular tie inuences ho aniators or and dra, da notes that cars tend to hae a generational aspect to them. He grew up in the '90s, and along with several colleaues, as inuenced y the iport car scene. "Now those cars are getting older, suddenly becoming the classic cars," he says. In contrast, there are older members who like European cars or roadsters, which were popular with their generation. At meet-ups, people with the same car tastes tend to congregate: Porsche owners gather to check out the differences between their models, or Honda people dive into their own deep discussions. Meet-ups usually draw between 10 to 20 people, from newcomers to industry veterans. Some are reticent at first about joining, but Nguyen says, "You don't even have to drive a 'cool car'—if you vaguely appreciate automobiles, you're more than elcoe to oin us nd da eplains that the gatherings are mostly about socializing. He enjoys that people have shown up who don't necessarily have a car that they love, but because they just wanted to hang out. A few attendees even bring their kids. While the Cars & Coffee event is for Guild members, "ensuring a safe and welcoming space for our fellow nerds, artists, and gearheads," according to Nguyen, TAG members have brought friends and car enthusiasts from other locals, creating a unique bond across unions. The pandemic put a pause on in- person eents or a hile, as da and Nguyen navigated how to proceed responsibly. Mission accomplished, the meet-ups are back at Griffith Park and sometimes The Animation Guild parking lot on a hopefully quarterly basis.Learn more about attending on the group's Facebook page: @CarsandCoffeeLA. – Karen Briner