Meet Tony Carrasco and Omar Lugones | Co-Founders, Anaconda Street Productions

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tony Carrasco and Omar Lugones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tony Carrasco and Omar Lugones, is there something you believe many others might not?
The one piece of conventional advice we disagree with is the notion that one should never start a business with a friend. We are best friends. Each one of us is Godfather to the other’s son. We are as close as any brothers could be. That bond has proven to be our strongest asset. It is rooted in the fundamentals of any successful partnership: open and honest communication, complete trust, and deep respect for one another. Sure, we disagree from time to time. Who doesn’t disagree in a creative environment? But, because we communicate openly and honestly, and we trust and respect each other, we have always been able to reach an agreement. When we decided to go into business together, we wrote a list of ground rules – a constitution of sorts that tackled every potential worst case scenario. We made a pact to never let a disagreement lead to anger or animosity and to never lose sight of why we wanted to embark on this journey as a team in the first place. It has now been more than 15 years since we started Anaconda Street Productions and we have honored that pact every step of the way.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Back in our single days, before we married our respective wives and started our families, we were roommates who shared a three bedroom house in Whittier, California. Out of the third bedroom in that house on Anaconda Street, we founded Anaconda Street Productions (ASP) in January of 2007. We had already been friends and colleagues for years and at the time, we worked for the television show, “Extra.” At “Extra,” we discovered we shared similar career dreams and goals. We also realized we made a great team. We’d already been fortunate to work with so many great colleagues over the years, but there was something unique about the creative synergy we experienced when we worked together. We were inspired to take that to the next level at ASP. We set out to create an environment in which others could feel that same creative synergy by fostering a workplace culture that would encourage each member of our team to grow and thrive.

ASP is a boutique video, film, and television production company specializing in all forms of content creation from concept to completion. We have recently expanded into the studio/venue rental space with the launch of ASP Studios. When we started in 2007, all we had was a camera, an edit system, and a couple of clients we had obtained by word of mouth. We kept our day jobs initially, but the goal was always to generate enough income to be able to work for ourselves full time. In early 2020, we were finally able to achieve that goal.

One of the keys to success we have found to be most helpful over the years is the ability to adapt to an ever-evolving landscape and ever-changing circumstances. Just like life, owning a business comes with its own series of curve balls. You can plan all you want, but circumstances may not always be what you need them to be and that’s when your ability to survive and thrive becomes dependent on your ability to adapt and pivot. The pandemic was a major curve ball—to everyone in every industry. We were certainly not immune, but we rolled with it. We teamed up with other companies who were facing similar challenges and found strength in numbers by thinking outside the box and seizing new opportunities. Now that our industry has bounced back a bit, we have continued to nurture some of those new opportunities and continue to find new ways to team up with other companies whenever possible.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Whittier, California will always hold a special place in our hearts. Not only was Anaconda Street Productions founded here, but we have been working out of Whittier for nearly 16 years now. This close-knit community is one of Southern California’s best kept secrets and we would definitely start any tour of SoCal right here in Whittier. Uptown Whittier is home to some of our favorite restaurants including “Phlight,” “The Rusty Monk,” “Uptown Provisions,” “Rokka Whiskey Bar,” and many more.  The historic Whittier Village Cinemas is a great place to catch a movie. It’s one of Southern California’s often overlooked movie palaces from Hollywood’s golden years that is still running 90 years after it first opened in 1932! Speaking of movies, Whittier is a great place for film buffs to find classic movie locations like Whittier High School which served as the exterior of the high school in “Back to the Future,” the house on Painter Avenue that was featured in the Shia LaBeouf thriller, “Disturbia,” or the middle school on Whittier Boulevard that was featured in “Hocus Pocus.” The Whittier Museum is a great place to learn about Whittier’s rich history and architecture lovers will have a field day just driving around and appreciating many of the impeccably preserved 100+ year homes built by the Quakers who founded Whittier. We know this sounds like an ad, but we really do love it here!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Our families instilled in us a strong work ethic and a love and appreciation for all the potential this country has to offer. We are the descendants of immigrants who sacrificed everything to come to this country in search of the proverbial “American Dream” of a better life. Because of them. we never take anything for granted. They have lifted us to a point in our lives where we can reach for the highest goals simply because they paved the way. We succeed for them and because of them. We honor them by striving for excellence in all we do, and by living in perpetual gratitude for all they have done for us.

Website: https://www.aspfilm.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asp_film/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asp-studios/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aspstudios_us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anacondastreet

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/asp-studios-whittier

Other: https://www.aspfilm.com/studios https://vimeo.com/anacondastreet