With just his hands and a flashlight, Shadow Artist Boom Shadow Ace creates unforgettable art. We talk Shadow Art, sudden viral fame and how he uses popular songs to create moving shadows. Then, we countdown the Top 5 Worst Vegetables.
Boom Shadow Ace: 02:19ish
Pointless: 24:25ish
Top 5: 49:11ish
nickvinzant@gmail.com (Show Email)
316-530-7719 (Show voicemail)
https://www.tiktok.com/@boomshadowace (Boom Shadow Ace TikTok)
https://www.instagram.com/boomshadowace (Boom Shadow Ace Instagram)
Interview with Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit)
Nick VinZant 0:11
Welcome to Profoundly Pointless. My name is Nick VinZant Coming up in this episode shadows, and some bad vegetables.
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 0:20
So I started when I was a kid, because we don't have electricity or electric power in our house. So it became my entertainment. It's just like, boom, that's where my name is boom shadow is, the idea is like always hitting me boom. And then I just make it just make the shadow. Even if it's on the left on the right. It's about knowing your angles, knowing where you put your hands in the shadows in the light to project the perfection.
Nick VinZant 0:49
I want to thank you so much for joining us. If you get a chance, subscribe, leave us a rating or review. We really appreciate it, it helps out the show. But more than anything else. We just like hearing from people. It's been fascinating to read the comments, here your guests suggestion topics that you want us to discuss. I think the show is just so much better, when we have more feedback and more people involved. So if you have a comment or anything like that, we're on social media, you can leave a comment in the app that you're listening to. And we also have a voicemail set up 316-519-7719. I know that's not an easy number to remember. But it's in the episode description just in case. So our first guest creates incredible art and has become incredibly popular, using nothing but his hands and a light source. This is Shadow artist, Philip Gilead, better known on social media as boom, Shadow ace, one quick technical thing. We recorded this episode while Philip was in the Philippines. So the connection is a little bit spotty. We did the best that we could. Phillip did an amazing job. There's just a few places where it ducks in and out a little bit. How did you start doing this?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 2:20
So I started when I was a kid because we don't have electricity or electric power in our house. So it became my entertainment. Since I was a kid. We're very poor. We don't have appliances or television to enjoy when we don't have phones. So it's kind of my kind of my comfort.
Nick VinZant 2:40
Did you really enjoy it? Or was it like, this is kind of the only thing that I have to do?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 2:47
I kind of enjoyed it, because it's actually our playtime with my cousins with my siblings. Yeah, actually enjoyable.
Nick VinZant 2:56
Were you good at it? Like did people say like, Wow, you are naturally talented did this? Or did you just practice and practice and practice?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 3:05
I did practice and practice. And here in our country. And in my neighborhood, I was actually not that appreciated by my talent. Because, you know, sometimes they said, it's actually easy to do. But yeah, I just keep practicing and practicing and searching for other stuff, all the music to do the trending songs and get the top trending songs in social media to do something like kind of different from the other shadow artists or the shadow art that we are doing when we're kids. They're so they I prove them wrong, that it's actually really good. And it's actually amazing to do this kind of shadow art.
Nick VinZant 3:46
You've kind of talked about this, right? Like, do you consider this to be kind of an art form?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 3:54
Yes, it is. It's it's actually hard to do. Because we need to have, you know, the brains, we need to have the idea. You have to be smart. If you want to engage and the people to encourage watch you like you need to be intelligent.
Nick VinZant 4:14
You know, like, I feel like everybody's done this, right? Like make the bunny on the wall, right? How do you kind of come up with all of the different ways to do it? Because I can think of about three things that I could make, right? Like I can do the bird and the bunny. But you've got like a menagerie of things. Like how did you come up with all of them?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 4:41
I actually don't know how I did it. I just ended up I'm just imagining and thinking what to do since I am actually looking always for the trending musics and songs in social media. Just a story my first To dance, they do occasionally have shadows the Gangnam style of sigh, because you know, it's actually very viral. It's a phenomenal song. And I made that just, you know, just listening to the beat of the music and, you know, making my fingers move to through it feeling the music, and then it's just like, boom. That's why my name is boom shadow is this, the idea is like, always hitting me boom. And then I just make it just make the shadow.
Nick VinZant 5:33
I guess what's the more difficult part? Right? Like, your brain getting your fingers to move or your fingers keeping up with your brain? If that makes any sense, right? Like, I guess the idea that I'm saying like, is it harder to come up with the idea? Or is it harder to make the idea happen?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 5:52
The most difficult part is thinking, because it's actually hurts my brain thinking of what to do. And you know, since since many of the people are like, looking for that and expecting more expecting great things for the cerrado. I'm actually, you know, thinking about is it, is it okay. Is it like, is it enough to, to amaze the people? So,
Nick VinZant 6:21
you know, we look at it tick tock, you have 2 million followers roughly. When did you kind of start posting when did that really get going?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 6:33
Okay, so I just posted video, my first video on like, the shadow hand video, with a trending song here in the Philippines, entitled pirate party. It's like about a butterfly. And it's actually very popular here, really popular in the Philippines that saw and then just like, I'm laying in my bed, and then scrolling on Tik Tok, like watching things watching random things on Tik Tok. And I was like, Should I try to do like, my talent here and ticked up, and then I just tried to do it. As when it's last February, this February 2022. I just started February 2022. And after a month, I get a million followers because of that review.
Nick VinZant 7:24
i What was that like? Right? Like, going from nothing. And then all of a sudden, boom, basically.
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 7:33
There was actually shocking, cuz, you know, I just, I just made a video that night. And then I just, like, put it there. And I was just like, nothing to me. Like, it's just, you know, I just try. I don't expect things from it, I will just try to do this thing. And then in the morning, when I woke up and opened my Tiktok applications, it got this or 100,000 parts already 100,000 likes already, I was shocked and got a million views in just a short amount of time. And it's like, I was shocked like, oh my god is this like really, really good. I just, I just did it last night, then M was six expecting anything like this. So it was really sharp. I tell my mom and my dad to look at my tech talk to my cousin's like, the mighty just like boom in just in just 12 hours. And I was like, it was really amazing.
Nick VinZant 8:37
As has it kind of changed things for you, right? Like, can you make a living off of this?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 8:43
It's it's actually the reason why I graduated in college performing this kind of why like, is
Nick VinZant 8:51
this the plan for you kind of moving forward like I will my career so to speak, is going to do this are you going to kind of do it on the side or what's kind of your
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 9:03
and then I tried to join Asia's Got Talent Season Three days 2019 And I got the Golden Buzzer and I became a grand finalist and a fourth runner of the show. And then after that many doors opened many opportunities open and I was invited to different countries like China Indonesia, Malaysia, other countries to perform but pandemic happens so it's top my dreams just stopped because of pandemic has is actually prohibited to do like events and mass. Since my career stop. I just you know, stay in our house and open a small business a cake business or pastry business. I actually also did decorate cakes,
Nick VinZant 9:56
you know that there's obviously nothing you can do about it right like the pandemic affected people. but all over the place, but what was? Was that crashing in any way that right, this dream of yours is happening? And then it just stopped?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 10:09
Yes, it is actually crashing since the pandemic started, all of my flights were canceled. That is the reason why I earn money. And it's difficult for us because our savings get fewer and fewer. And
Nick VinZant 10:31
it's so tough, right? I guess, how do you even do it? You just got, like a light and your hands? And that's it? Or like, what do you how do you do it,
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 10:39
I'm just doing those things in our kitchen. So I just using a flashlight, and put it on the counter of our kitchen and doing the stuff on the wall. It's not in a studio, it's that on a big place, or like in air conditioned place that I am making the biggest bet in our kitchen.
Nick VinZant 11:00
So for one of your videos that you make, like how long will it take you to do it? How many tries before you kind of get it? Right?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 11:09
What's that process? So I actually, you know, practice it for a little while. Because if I have the idea, in my mind, I actually just do it in just a one, just just one take. And since my hands are like, you know, I do that kind of thing for for about five to seven years. And it's like it's it has its own life. It's like, I'm just putting my hand on the on the light. And it moves by itself. It's just
Nick VinZant 11:44
muscle memory at this point, right? Like, you just know how to do it. Are you like, obviously, this has become very popular for you. But when you look at it yourself compared to other people who do it like, Are you and all humbleness aside, like are you better at it than other people or to kind of just the world intersect so that you became popular for doing it? Like what other people who do it look at you and see like, oh, man, he's good.
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 12:14
Actually, I'm not you know, I will not say that I am the best one who did this shadow art because I actually have, you know, have an idol in doing this in YouTube. Like, I actually admire him for doing like, amazing forms of shadow art. On YouTube. I always watch his videos on YouTube. But I think my edge to them is that I know my audience like it's, it's a generation of trending songs and music. Like, you know, everybody wants to enjoy. Everybody wants to have fun. And I think that is what I am giving to them. And that is my edge for other sins. Other shadow artists just do some kind of animals, like jungles for us, like the sad stories, and then I change that change that thing. And I think that is my advantage to them. I know my audience. I know this generation.
Nick VinZant 13:23
Has anybody ever, you know, look like I'm imagining my dad. And maybe it's a different culture, different upbringing, whatever. But like I'm imagining my dad being like, what are you doing John? Go get a job. Right? Did anybody ever tried to dissuade you from this and be like, he's doing his shadow puppets again? Or is shadow right? Did anybody ever say like, Come on, man. Do something else.
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 13:52
Actually, that is actually the point that I am lucky with because my parents is very supportive parents. i They are my assistants actually my mom and my dad. We went to different countries. I went to different countries with my mom and my dad because they are my assistants like my father is holding the flashlights and my mom is handing me the props that I need to use. And it's actually like you know, I've always seen that shadow is or boom shadow is not only me, but boom shadow. This is my whole family because they are all very supportive. Like I'm doing this for a living. And I'm helping a lot of my cousins right now my cousins and my parents to pay some bills and it's actually paying the bills like my our electric bill and pay our electric bills. And then I'm giving like money to my my cousin so are you know, taking up college courses. I am very happy because they are always there for me. That's why I am paying for and giving them back. What are the good thing? Give them?
Nick VinZant 15:04
Are you ready for some harder slash listener submitted questions? Yes. Are you right or left handed? Does that matter?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 15:13
Actually, I'm a right handed person. But it's not. It doesn't matter because it's actually not your hands. But it's also, you know, knowing your angles. Even if it's on the left on the right, it's about knowing your angles, knowing where you put your hands in the shadows in the light to project the perfect shadow that
Nick VinZant 15:40
so it's not just like how you're moving your fingers and hands around. It's the distance from the light that you are. Yes. I never thought of it that way. Like, D is there anything unique about your hands or fingers? Like you've got the perfect length, your fingers are longer shorter or something about your hands that like, he's got an advantage, right? Like if
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 16:07
my hands are like, it's more flexible, like doing stuff like? Yeah, I can't do that. It's just like, my hands are fast.
Nick VinZant 16:20
Oh, God, they are fast. Yeah.
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 16:24
And actually, it's, it's actually small. I think it's small for me. Yeah,
Nick VinZant 16:29
but your hands you can be looking at him like there. They seem to be much, much more dexterous than my hands. I feel like like, I can't move my fingers around the way that you can. Hmm. does this translate then to any other? Like, your penmanship is perfect. I don't know that. Is there anything else that you've ever noticed in your life that you'd be like, Wow, I'm really good at this because of my shadow art.
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 16:55
I am, before I became a shadow artist is actually you know, an artist, like, like painting. Like I actually love painting. And if there's like a, a thing that you can do with your hands, I actually exempt from some of it. Like I play the guitar. I actually play the piano. I actually decorate cakes that I told you. It's all about you know, when it's when you're talking about art, like painting, doing paper mache is doing pots, I actually know how to do because I think my hands is it's more it's made for art. Hardest
Nick VinZant 17:39
shape to make easiest shape to make.
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 17:44
Okay, so the hardest shape to make, I guess was the person's face. Like, you know, you need to consider and think that it needs to be like, like, human life. Like, you have to put the nose, the mouth, how it talks, how it open its mouth. And actually, we don't we also also need to know the different kinds of hairstyles of hair of head accessories, like the hats, the hairs. And I think the easiest one is, you know the bird because every everything can Yeah,
Nick VinZant 18:29
I can do, right like the bird everybody can do the bird. Do you find yourself just walking around making shadow art in random places? Like you see your shadow everywhere, like do you ever just find yourself like walking down the street making shadow art
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 18:48
not because I actually have this I actually have this very low self confidence. And when I was out when I was walking down the street, I actually don't like to talk to other people. Because I actually shy I'm a shy person I have a very low self confidence. That's why I think this kind of talent this shadow art talent came to me because you know, my face is not seen it it's I'm actually comfortable with it. If my image is not seen by the people because you know, like I told you I am not really confident with how I look. And I actually don't you know do this thing outside just here inside their house because I'm actually shy and they know I have doubts myself that even I did that outside here in our town. They will not be amazed by it. And so you know it hurts for me as an artist because all I want to, to feel what's to fit to be appreciated by them.
Nick VinZant 20:06
If you were gonna, like, teach me how to do something, what would be something that you could teach me how to do?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 20:12
What do you like?
Nick VinZant 20:16
I like mountains, how can I make a mountain? Like just like this? How would I make a mountain?
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 20:23
No images like this? Can you see this? This one? Yeah. Oh, yeah, you just need to put it since we're talking always about the distance and the angle of your hands on the lie. So you just need this one to be the closest one in the light, so it will look big. And the other one, this one, just put it in front of it. And not too close to eight. So it will have like, dimensions, like they're small mountains. And they just mean
Nick VinZant 21:02
I guess you know, when I think of you doing it, I'm just imagining like, like the flashlights here. And you're just right like that. I never thought of the depth, the depth aspects of it, and how that would change.
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 21:15
As actually many of the men of many people actually are, especially here in our county town, saying that it's, it's easy to do, but they don't know different factors you have to consider in making it like, you have to know the depth, you have to know the angle, you have to get the right light to do the thing, the right lenses for your light for your light source. And then the props, the distance of the props to your hand. It's actually not that easy to do. But, you know,
Nick VinZant 21:51
yeah, I could absolutely see that, right, like watching some of those things and be like, I could do that. And then you try to do it like, oh, it's like a golf swing, right? Like anybody can swing a golf club. But to do it well, like, Oh, that's a whole nother that's a lot more complicated than you think it is. Um, that's pretty much all the questions I got, man, what's kind of coming up next for you? Where can people find you that kind of stuff.
Boom Shadow Ace (Philip Galit) 22:18
Okay, so they can follow me in my, especially my tic tock account. Don't shy the A's and also, in my Instagram account, same name at boom, Shadow ace, and I am actually making some commissioned videos now for music videos of different people. Yes, I'm actually earning after being, you know, being invited out with the grills the grill song, like doing the deer and you know, that kind of shadow stuff many of indoor men have, like companies and no artists, rappers contacted me. And you know, I made a lot of videos for them. And it's actually really great, because they are really generous.