Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Making movies in Northern New Mexico. Collaboration is the key.

Daniel Padilla, actor, personality and writer posing for the moment.

Daniel Padilla and Aaron Lopez are two local guys from Espanola. Two local guys with big plans. Daniel and Aaron are both attending the Northern New Mexico College film program working with local filmmaker and lead faculty David Lindblom on their course work. But they are a far cry from your normal college student. Now that they got their feet wet in the arts and technology there is no stopping them.

Aaron Lopez behind the scenes, in the directors chair.
“We were already working in radio, shooting videos and getting a lot of things rolling,” says filmmaker and business owner Aaron Lopez. “PROTEC got us thinking about starting a business and taking it to the next level.” Aaron has created Aaron Leon Film, a production company for film and media. Aaron has three projects in production in Espanola,a small city located in one of the most beautiful valleys in northern New Mexico. Aaron has partnered with the local community to document the work being done to prevent child abuse and is independently working on a documentary to bring awareness about opioid addiction and prevention.

Daniel Padilla has been working across the state on films as an actor. He has recently played parts on Night Shift, Graves and Waco. All the films are New Mexico-based productions, part of the overall NM film industry boom that is projected to bring in over 300 million in direct spending to the state in 2017. Daniel is finding plenty to engage in. “I am so busy. I have a speaking role coming up on a film in October, I am working with Aaron on his business and I have one more semester to complete at Northern New Mexico College.”

Most recently Daniel and Aaron partnered to pen a theatrical play, 12 Switches, which was showcased at the New Mexico History Museum as part of the Lowrider Summer events in Santa Fe. “I think this is the first ever play about lowrider culture. I was the music creator for the play and it was a blast,” states Daniel.

Both Aaron and Daniel are using PROTEC skills in exploring business partnerships, to get work in the film business, promote themselves and the many radio, theater and film projects they are getting rolling in Espanola. Most recently they integrated their radio show, The Nemmy Show, with Northern New Mexico College. Request lines are open! http://famoushiphopradio.com/

“We want to showcase the quality film work we can do here in Northern New Mexico. Sometimes Espanola gets a bad rap. We want to showcase the potential, how we can be entrepreneurs and bring business to our community.” Aaron and Daniel are both committed to hiring locals and have found a lot of talent in their film school program. “We are part of the film crew that works in Northern New Mexico,” says Daniel, citing their program at Northern New Mexico College as being a catalyst for getting a lot of their projects rolling. “Hands on production is a great way to learn. At Northern we get a chance to apply the skills we learn and put them to work.”

Daniel and Aaron plan to keep making movies and serving the community they live in. Says Daniel, “We both have a love for music. We both work in radio and we both see how we can combine live performance, with film and music. It is just the beginning.”

The energy these two guys are putting into their work is contagious and just chatting with them you get an idea that the sky is the limit. “We plan to put a lot of work into getting this business running,” says Aaron who is in final semester at Northern New Mexico College. “I have put other things, like my acting career, on hold right now because now is the time to make movies in New Mexico. And Daniel and I are doing just that.” Best of luck to Aaron and Daniel. I have no doubt we will see their names on a marquee at a theater near you very soon!