Illyana Bocanegra and Breanna Granzow want to focus on the concept that gives people individuality: their temperament.
As a result, they created the video production company TEMPER to document the perspectives of people in Austin. Operating as their own bosses and creating their own content out of their shared apartment, Granzow, radio-television-film senior, and Bocanegra, St. Edward’s communication senior, are interested in everyday people doing amazing things.
“We want to make movies,” Bocanegra said. “We want to direct music videos and edit them and own all the means of production to create our specific brand.”
Granzow handles the technical sides of filming projects, while Bocanegra specializes in the production side of planning interviews and making contacts.
“I want to do all of these things, and, a lot of times, she’s the only one that I can agree with on it,” Bocanegra said. “We jump up and down, and one person is talking and pacing around, and the other person is taking all the notes down. It’s just how we work.”
They have created videos ranging from a strawberry jam how-to for a garden blog to a profile on a local poet. TEMPER also works with photography, graphic design, podcasts and art shows.
“Our theme is to be inclusive of various perspectives that aren’t harmful,” Granzow said.
TEMPER’s upcoming projects include a story on the transformation of Austin and being young and impressionable in the city. The two said juggling school and various TEMPER projects is challenging, but education comes first. Once they graduate, Granzow and Bocanegra hope to expand the company, diversifying their video content and hosting more art shows.
“This day and age you have to be multi-platformed,” Granzow said. “You have to have so many skills or you’re going to drown.”
Bocanegra hosted a radio show at St. Edward’s called “The Sad Soup” and then moved it to TEMPER to become a podcast series. Season two of the series is currently in the brainstorming process.
“I showcased artists and other people and had conversations with them about sad, existential, weird human gross stuff,” Bocanegra said.
This past summer, the duo hosted an art show called “A Human Experience: Beyoncé (an Art Show),” which prompted artists to make pieces inspired by Beyoncé. Fueled by the show’s success, Granzow and Bocanegra said they have plans brewing for future events, such as art shows and screenings.
“We’re always focusing on what is accessible to people, too,” Bocanegra said. “We don’t want people to think this is some pretentious company that only does one thing.”
