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The Writer and Director, Mel Rodríguez, started his career as a director in the year 2000, shooting short films in Austin, Texas. “I was a musician playing around town and got interested in film during a very specifically creative time in Austin when independent film was booming in the late 90’s. I was very intrigued with music and film so I started writing and directing short films with my friends” he said.

In 2004, Rodríguez edited the independent film Drop Dead Sexy and discovered his passion. “I think the moment I decided I really, truly wanted to do this with my life was around 2004 when I got a job as a Film Editor on an independent film shooting in Austin but the producers were from Los Angeles. It seemed possible after I was able to show the Director that I could edit, showed him my short film and made it seem real that I could do this. Later that year, I moved to Los Angeles to finish the edit of that film and I stayed there, began writing more feature screenplays and making more short films, then came commercials and branded content until I finally got the opportunity to direct a film. Now I go back and forth between film and commercial work.”

In 2009, his career as an Editor came to an end with the film We Live in Public, by Ondi Timoner, that was recognized with the Great Jury Award at the Sundance Films Festival. Soon after that, he founded Insomniac Content, a production company with which he has made commercials for Toyota, HP, Wells Fargo, Google Chrome, John Frieda and more. In 2014, he shot his first film, In Stereo, a black comedy about modern families, starring Beau Garrett, Micah Hauptman and Mario Cantone. He is currently represented in the Hispanic market and LatAm by Whiskey.

The Director confessed that fiction and advertising co-exist in his mind in a very fundamental way and with a fundamental purpose. Just truth. The attempt to convey truth in my fiction work is the same way I approach a commercial – just to stay true to the story and the important aspects of the story that we are trying to communicate. I gravitate towards work and material that speaks in some way to the human condition and does so in a genuine way. It can be achieved in comedic and dramatic work, you just know it when you see it done well and it is often not an easy thing to get right.”

Rodríguez enjoys realism very much and tries to reach that feeling that he admires in certain films. “The things I remember most and have had the most impact on me in the best films are just these small, perfect human moments that everyone can relate to. His main interest is in making films that inspire people and last in time.

For the filmmaker, the early 1970’s in North American cinema are a source of inspiration. He would have liked to learn from someone such as Francis Ford Coppola at that time, or Hal Ashby or Martin Scorsese. When he is shooting, he always resorts to a playlist with his favorite songs, that are like old friends he loves hanging out with. He also carries the script of Out of Sight —written by Scott Frank and directed by Steven Soderbergh— to every set. “It’s such a good example of a great, inventive, character-driven, soulful and funny screenplay. Flipping through it became a habit so I’ve kept that going on from project to project. It’s comforting” he said.

He has recently worked a lot on branded content; one of his biggest clients in this format is Wells Fargo. He still hasn’t experimented with VR or 360, but feels this is the future of filmed content. “I find Creative Directors to be more willing to be innovative and clients are often willing to take that risk. If done right VR can be a direct interaction with the consumer in ways traditional media cannot.”

He is currently working on his new film, Nasty Habits. The story is based on real events of his life and depicts a family that is involved in criminal activities. “It is a story about loyalty, family and sacrifice, which unfolds in Texas and northern Mexico, where my family is from” he ended.

Production Company:
Whiskey Co, USA
Contact: Jean Sharony
T +1-305-924-5010

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