East L.A. native and media producer Armando Velez posted this video of the Gold Line Eastside Extension opening day celebration on Metro’s Facebook page. The video caught our attention because its beautifully composed black and white imagery cut to “We Are The People” by Empire of the Sun hinted that Armando was trying to share something more than just some footage of the crowds.

I caught up with Armando and asked him about his background and insight into the making of the video.

Why black and white?

Growing up in East L.A. my family and I would take the bus everywhere. The choice to go with black and white was to give the video a nostalgic feel.

So do you ride Metro now?

I take Metro about three times a week, usually to visit friends in Downtown and Hollywood. I used to take the bus, but now take the Gold Line. I live a short walk from the Atlantic Station.

What do you like about having the Gold Line in East L.A.?

It’s just great that it’s finally here, we’ve been waiting for years years. People from the Eastside can now get to the rest of L.A. and the rest of L.A. can now discover the Eastside.

There’s been some controversy about the Gold Line in East L.A., how do you feel about its presence in your neighborhood in terms of safety?

From a drivers perspective there are some spots where it can get confusing. I’m specifically thinking about the intersection of 3rd Street and Rowan Avenue. There’s two sets of stop lights and it can be really confusing for drivers making a left turn from Rowan on to 3rd Street going west. That’s my main issue.