Meet Calvin Tran of NODEHAUS

Today we’d like to introduce you to Calvin Tran. 

Hi Calvin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was in 5th grade, I made Lego stop-motion videos. From that point on, I fell in love with telling stories and making jokes. My Jenison high school teacher told me to apply to NYU and I ended up doing it on a whim because I didn’t think I would get in. I was originally going to go to the University of Chicago for economics. But NYU, which is one of the best schools for film in America, gave me a full tuition. New York was a crucible that changed me. There were several times living in New York City, I could have been homeless. But I rose above it and worked hard and took every opportunity I could taking jobs at Anonymous Content, Decom-Mass Appeal, ABC NEWS, and Vice. After college, I started my own company, NODEHAUS, and moved back to Michigan during the pandemic. And it has exploded into a ten-man animation studio and production company. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Doors open when they need to be opened, but I cannot describe it as smooth. It’s always been stressful. The biggest hurdle has always been just finding the work we aspire to. For a period of time, we shot wedding for people, but it was such a painful experience we stopped doing them. We were harassed, both verbally and sexually, that the morale for shooting these weddings was gone. It’s really about finding the work you want to do. It’s also incredibly difficult to collaborate with people in Michigan, where it’s so cold and hard to meet people. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m most proud of our work as a team, and that we have pulled in unique people across from different life experiences. We’re developing careers here. The project at our company is the growth of our team. How that sets us apart is that we are scrappy, and hungry for work. We’re gritty and we don’t take things for granted. We’re also incredibly young, which gives us a unique perspective. When people want to reach Gen Z, they reach out to us, because we are a part of it. This has led to us longing major campaigns on TikTok for national organizations. 

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Everyone should take a chance on themselves. Invest in yourself and a venture you believe, whether that’s a passion, a hobby, or a creative idea. To avoid burnout, don’t go it alone. Build a team of people around you. 

Contact Info:

• Website: Nodehaus.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nodehausco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nodehaus
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJ2LFHPKhqS8lpSywrv3-Q
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@trancalvin