Gerald C. grew up in the middle of a desert near a Naval base as his dad was in the Navy. As a kid, Gerald loved playing basketball, which you could say was his first love. As he got older, he also developed a passion for music.
“My love for music as a consumer came from my parents as we always had music playing in the background. Then, in middle school, I found a program called FL Studio which was software to make music. I got to play around and create music which eventually led to GBeats being born.”
GBeats, Gerald’s stage name, came to be after he started creating music and mixtapes for fun.
“I spent some time creating songs over the beats I made which led me to a role in the student government as Commissioner of Audio Visual where I DJ’d small dances and the school pep rallies.”
And that’s when Gerald got into filmmaking.
“While I was doing audio for school events, I came up with an idea of creating sports highlight reels to be played at pep rallies...except I had no experience creating and editing content. But my teacher still got me a camera and editing software and said to figure it out. So I taught myself how to shoot and edit things.”
After high school, Gerald ended up applying to Cal State Long Beach’s film program with the intent to study audio production. Since there was no program/major for that, he decided on film as that course had audio classes he could take. That’s where he fell in love with cinematography. From there, he received his Master's in Full Production at Chapman University. A few years later, he found himself at Taco Bell Corp.
“Once I graduated with my Masters, Chapman recruited me to make their marketing and social content. While I was working there, I moved in with a roommate who had another roommate who worked at Taco Bell. This roommate, Brett A., Manager of Creative Operations, recruited me to join Taco Bell and I’ve been here for the last four years.”
At The Bell, Gerald has worked on exciting projects and continues to develop his passion for filmmaking and music. It’s no doubt that he exemplifies Restless Creativity, one of our Brand Principles, in and outside work.
“One of my favorite projects I got to work on was the Return of The Mexican Pizza as it was the very first creative project I directed and oversaw. Even outside work, I still enjoy making music and video content which continues to fulfill my soul.”
Speaking of creativity, when it comes to Black History Month, Gerald celebrates by educating himself.
“In history, we only learn about one part of the Black Community, but we don’t realize how many engineers, artists, and important figures have made a meaningful impact on life today. I think learning history that is not often taught is a great way to get involved in the community, because figuring out ways to understand a perspective you do not come from only adds to your knowledge.”
Looking to the future, Gerald wants the following to be his legacy:
“I want people to remember me as a person who was a hard worker and inspiring to be around - someone who made others feel good. Also, I hope people take the time to just experience things outside of themselves, because the more we understand each other, the more love we share.”
Interested in joining Taco Bell? Head to https://www.tacobell.com/careers.