Meet Aaron Adrian | Director, Cinematographer, Photographer

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

Hi Aaron, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
We are all familiar with phrases like ‘high risk, high reward’. I personally believe in taking risks for improvement towards your goal, but it is also important to know and calculate the risks and not blindly jump into a scenario that you might end up regretting. Without taking risks, I wouldn’t be where I am today. To pursue a creative career was something no one in my life thought I would ever do. Growing up, my educational and career plans were rather simple; getting a degree related to computer sciences, work 9-5, and live a structured life with little worry. But when I started developing an interest in filmmaking, I knew I had to follow through with it. Many in my life would think I made a rather bold or crazy move to leave my degree scholarships from one of the best universities in the world, but I couldn’t be happier in my decision to follow my calling to create art.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I began my career in filmmaking by pursuing my studies at the New York Film Academy. This definitely helped lay out the foundation I needed to propel myself forward. I believe anyone in this industry who has been a director would know that it is never easy. You will never be satisfied with what you are creating, despite what other people outside would say. However, I think self-criticism is a good thing if managed correctly. It has definitely kept me motivated to constantly learn and improve on whatever I am creating next. This has helped me learn really valuable lessons in my career, that we need to keep creating and putting something out there, creating opportunities for ourselves instead of waiting for one. But it is also important to know that things take time, and it will happen when the time is right. I will always remember the saying ‘the film will make itself’. Filmmaking to its core is essentially just problem solving, one after another. This saying keeps me pushing myself forward, and despite all the challenges, everything happens for the best reason when we are creating art.

Currently, I am a professional Director, Cinematographer, and Photographer. I take pride in narrative work, and also in music video and commercial projects. I believe being an all-rounded filmmaker has helped me to become more efficient and understanding in different aspects of my work. I am truly in awe of this line of work, and I believe there’s no better path for me than a career in telling stories.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite thing about Los Angeles is definitely the diversity of culture around the city. Visiting different areas can give you feel as if you are going to a different country. And with that diversity, comes the mix of very incredibly diverse and delicious cuisine. It’s truly remarkable for a city to have one of the best Mexican and also Korean food in the world located near to each other, for example. Food in Los Angeles is definitely something to die for.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest thanks would be to my family for their endless support for letting me pursue my dream as a filmmaker. Without their support, I wouldn’t have become the person I am today.

I would also like to thank the people I have collaborated with over the course of my career and study. From project to project, I am constantly learning and evolving, and they have provided me with valuable lessons, shaping me into who I am today.

Website: aaronsonnn.com

Instagram: aaronsonnn