Cinema Giants, the video and film company founded by director and producer Jessy Terrero, is now representing Dominican music video director Rodrigo Rodriguez, better known as Rodrigo Films, Billboard has learned.
Rodriguez, 24, has worked with the likes of Bad Bunny, Lunay, Myke Towers, Rauw Alejandro and Farruko.
Terrero’s Cinema Giants, which is known primarily for its urban-leaning content in both English and Spanish, has produced more than 200 music videos for artists including Maluma, Nicky Jam, J Balvin, Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B. Several of these music videos have surpassed 1 billion views each online, adding to 11 billion views in total, according to Terrero.
“I’ve always liked music,” Rodrigo tells Billboard. “I started as a singer, but I didn’t have money to make videos so I made my own. People liked them and they asked me to do it for them. And that’s how it all started.”
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Early clients include Arcangel, who called Rodrigo to produce “Ya Me Acostumbre” (featuring Bad Bunny) in 2017. “Then I worked with him on other projects, such as ‘Amigos y Enemigos’ and ‘Puerta Abierta’ with Noriel. After that, I was given the opportunity to work with him in the video ‘La Romana.’”
“I get inspired when the music connects with the images,” he says of the making of the video. “I look for locations that transmit the rhythm and the story that I want to tell. At the beginning of the song it has bachata-style melodies so my vision was to show what happens in the Dominican culture, the neighborhood, its people, its colors, its joy. So I took them to the neighborhood so they could appreciate it. Then we went to the desert and among dancers, models, and fire we finished creating the visual impact of this video.”
Rodrigo’s transition to Terrero’s company grew from admiration. “After becoming a director, I wrote to Jessy on Instagram and I always commented on his work. After I made ‘La Romana’ we connected and met in person.”
Growing up in the Bronx and Queens, with the love of Latin and hip hop music, Terrero has been able to connect with acts like Jennifer Lopez, who asked him to direct the video to “Follow The leader” with Wisin Y Yandel, with whom Terrero was close. That work opened the door to a special creative relationship and the making of many videos together.
“She has always been a mentor, because anyone that knows Jennifer Lopez knows that she is one of the hardest working people in the entertainment business and she always pushes you to be better and stronger,” he says. “Jennifer is a perfectionist, so if someone is not on point or working as hard as her she will call you out on it, but if you are working hard she is one of the most amazing people to be around. You don’t achieve that level of greatness by accident.”
They have worked together on music videos such as “Adrenalina,” “I Luh Ya Papi,” and most recently Jennifer’s directorial debut, “Limitless.”
Cinema Giants is also producing scripted episodic material aimed at a multi-cultural audience. Recent long-form content includes Ashlee + Evan, a non-scripted docu-series that followed celebrity married celebrity couple Ashlee Simpson-Ross and Evan Rosson; El Ganador, a limited scripted series about urban Latin superstar Nicky Jam for Netflix Originals; and the YouTube documentary film Maluma: Lo Que Era, Lo Que Soy, Lo Que Sere.
On his end, Rodrigo is currently working with Wisin, Farruko, Lunay, El Alfa, Amenazzy, De la Ghetto, Boosie Badzz and Darell.