Aaron Abelto is a second-year international business master’s student who has always been interested in acting and filmmaking. With his story, he hopes that people realize that accomplishing any dream is possible with hard work and dedication.
Since I was about 8-years-old, I always knew I wanted to be an actor. I was the outgoing one in my family, never shying away from the attention. I always wanted to perform in front of everyone. I was, and still am, the comical one in my family.
As I grew, so did my interest in film. After high school, I entered college and took a break from film to focus more on my education. But, of course, the acting bug was still there.
In my final year as an undergraduate, I started acting again. I attended acting school, went to auditions and did some extra film work. After a couple of auditions, I landed my first feature role in a TV show called “The Glades.” I was cast as a medical student. I had two lines, but it was cut in the final edit. The experience helped me realize that making a film was not as easy as its cut out to be. What was cool about it was that I was able to feel what it was like to be the center of attention in front of the camera, and not just someone in the background. At this point, my career felt promising.
The next couple of months, I began doing more extra work, auditioning and learning more about the industry. After a couple of months of not landing any roles, I began to realize that to make it in the entertainment industry, you have to put yourself out there. So I began writing.
I had never written a screenplay before, but there is a first time for everything. My first screenplay was a short film called “In Her Eyes,” which was filmed but never released. The project was more of a learning experience. I learned about what was needed to succeed in the industry, which lead me to create my first film“The Debt That All Men Pay”, released on Oct. 26, 2013 as part of the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival at Muvico in Pompano Beach.
The movie is about an American soldier who returns home only to be called back into service to capture an infamous terrorist. I started writing it in September 2012 and began production in February 2013. When the final script was finished, I sent it to a few people for feedback. They were ecstatic about the script and wanted to film it right away. I would have scrapped the project if it had received one negative comment, but everyone was amazed and said I should film it. One person even asked if someone in Hollywood wrote it.
After that, I started trying to secure a director, but could not find anyone. So I thought, “Why not direct it myself?” It was my directorial debut. The production took three months to complete. The experience taught me what goes into a movie production and that not just anyone can make a film. During the production, I made sure we had everything, down to the uniforms and the props.
I wanted to make a film that could compete in Hollywood. I wanted to have major companies look at me and say, “Look at what he was able to do with next to nothing. Imagine if he had everything; the possibilities would be endless.”
When the movie trailer was released, the reception was amazing. The cast and crew were in shock and awe at what we were able to put together. The trailer was also released on YouTube and gained more than 1,000 views. This helped promote the film and get us a large following. I did not expect that. Many people were shocked at what I was able to accomplish with this film and I thought, “Why not enter a film festival?”
Film festivals are a great way to get your work out there and get noticed. At the time, the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival was closed. But after meeting with the program director and showing her the trailer, she wanted the film entered into the festival.
She loved the trailer so much that she gave us a primetime showing and a huge venue. Once we were accepted, “The Debt That All Men Pay” was the only film in the festival to sell out the 300-seat theater We Premiered at the Muvico in Pompano Beach.
The film received a critical acclaim from the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival judging panel. The film is also in consideration for the Los Angeles Film Festival and slated to be released there later this year.
The fact that I had never directed and had to learn on the fly, gave me more creative control on the film. I learned that when making a movie, creativity is what catches the audience’s eyes. If you can’t catch the audience, they will not watch.
I also learned that directing is not for everyone. To be a director, you have to know every shot and scene, and how they coincide with each other, meaning how one scene will fit with another.
I also acted in this film, which was a difficult task because, in production, you are usually given one task. I thought to myself, “Why not be versatile and do both?” Being versatile in the film industry will help you further your career. Directing and acting takes a toll on you because it doubles your work. You have to know everything and be able to be in character when the camera is on.
One other experience had to do with the producers of the film. I met one of my producers Joey Ashley on the set of a feature film called “Pain and Gain.” He teamed up with me and said, “Let’s make this happen.” He contacted his friend and producer Jennifer Joy O’Grady who was thrilled to producer her first film. Joey and Jennifer took car of the cast and crew by making sure everyone showed up and had the appropriate paperwork signed. During the project, we all became friends and vowed to work together, with the common goal of making it in Hollywood. I enjoyed working with all the people who took part in this film. I also learned that making a movie is not cheap. I funded the project with money that I had saved up. I rented camera and sound equipment, and did some extra work on the side to have extra cash to make sure that the project would be successful.
All of the experiences I have learned in the past couple of months have propelled my film career into the future. I’m now working on my next film, which is my first full-length feature. It will premiere sometime later this year.
I leave you with some advice. Follow your dreams; don’t let anyone deter you from achieving what you set out to do. And remember, there will be times when you will want to quit, but that’s when your character will be tested and you will know who you really are. Don’t get discouraged. Fight through it. Get out there and do it.
