Meet Rodney Aquino | Director and Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rodney Aquino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rodney, why did you pursue a creative career?
Well, I’ve always had a creative and artistic mind. I have always loved art in all facets. I use to draw and paint when I was younger and wrote short stories up through my teens. I wanted to go to art school to actually design safety features in automobiles because I had a good friend die in an accident. I realized art school was way too expensive so I joined the military instead. I joined the USAF in 1999 and after the 9/11 attacks, I was deployed. This is where I discovered my new passion for filmmaking. Our base in the desert was pretty limited on any entertainment so when they uploaded hundreds of films on a server we could all watch; I was hooked on everything. One particular series on HBO had me glued to the screen and drew me in. It was the BAND OF BROTHERS series. There was a behind the scenes video on how they made the film and who the directors were. When I got home from deployment, I started searching for schools and such. I actually found some acting schools and visited the classes to see what everything was like. I couldn’t attend due to my active duty schedule. I later left the service in 2011 and now am active full time in the Atlanta film market

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I study as many films and the filmmakers as I can. What I put into my films is what I have learned with some practice trying something new. I’m still learning and hope to eventually find my niche; my style. I think good stories done right with the best cast and crew is what stands out the most. I have produced many different formats/genres and I’m really leaning towards drama. I want to work closely as a collaboration with my actors and bring out the best in them. I believe when you trust your team; they will exceed your expectations. I’m proud of everything I do. The amount of time and effort I put into each is like molding a sculpture; it’s art. I’m writing as often as I can and hoping to one day pitch and produce. I am currently looking for representation with the goals of directing larger budgeted series and films. The lessons I learn daily is you have to keep creating no matter how small they are. Keep networking on set when possible and find people on social media with the same passions. Everyday is a challenge in any walk of life. It’s what you put in daily. What do I want the world to know about me? That’s a good question. Stay humble, but not a push over. Learn everything you can and keep learning because you will never learn enough, The industry changes everyday and you have to change with it. I love what I do. I love those who have pushed me to excel. I want to tell good stories. I want to inspire. I’m Rodney Luis Aquino and I approve this message lol, just kidding

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ah, Atlanta. I would take them to a game. Baseball is my favorite sport and the Braves are #1. After that, we would go check out some of the local restaurant’s because around here, we have everything. If they love soccer, we have that…Football, we have that…Basketball, oh yeah, we have that too. We have the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke museum, Martin Luther King exhibit and more. There’s so much culture in Atlanta, there’s always something to see and do. Food is definitely great here especially BBQ which is my favorite.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well, I am blessed to have a supporting family and friends who I have met along the way. We all have our good and bad days, but everyone who has supported me have helped guide me. I’d say honestly the ones who I have met on many productions have inspired or mentored me in answering questions. People like Sheril Rogers who has worked by my side in much of my work, Kraig Swisher who was a classmate at Full Sail University, who has shot most of my films, Grady Bishop (Rest in Peace) who taught me a lot about the business side of the industry, and many more. These people encouraged me to start my own Production Company, so Goin’ Ballistic, LLC was created in 2012. I worked on a series for Showtime after the pandemic titled “FIRST LADIES” and one of our actors talked with me about my goals. He asked me what do I really want to do? I mentioned that my career and passion is in Directing, but understand there is a process. He says, “You have to have passion for this. I’ve lost that passion.” I think about what he said daily, cause your passion get’s tested and sometimes you feel discouraged.

Website: https://www.RODNEYLUISAQUINO.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodneyluisaquino/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RodneyLuisAquinoDirector/

Other: Production Company: www.GOINBALLISTIC.com