Rocco Shields Interview | AfterBuzz TV’s Spotlight On

Kim Rocco Shields is one of Hollywood’s hottest young film directors with a demonstrated passion for pushing the envelope through controversial projects.

Proof of this is her recent short film “Love is All You Need,” which garnered over thirty million Internet views and numerous film festival awards, while sparking a heated and constructive nationwide debate. This short has made such an impact as an anti-bullying tool, it is being developed into a feature which will bring more awareness and assistance to the teen bullying issue and its victims.

The film shows the evils of bullying from a unique perspective that would make even Rod Serling proud, as a young girl in a predominately homosexual world is chastised for seeking a heterosexual relationship. Of course what makes the story (also written by Shields) unique is not just the switching of what the world perceives as normal, but also Shield’s decision to examine the issue from a female point of view.

Always wanting to direct, L.A. native Shields took a great path on her quest to the proverbial bullhorn. Having studied film theory in school, she became an editor where she quickly learned the importance of telling stories visually. While sharpening those skills on various industrial videos and commercials she realized firsthand experience was the best teacher. “I noticed on a film set the person who sits closest to the director is the script supervisor so I thought if I had that job I could learn the most.”

She went on to script supervise for such directors as J.J. Abrams and Gore Verbinski. With this knowledge and her own talent, intelligence and determination, she formed WingSpan Pictures where she directed and produced several shorts and features. “I look at film as a chance to make art, not money” says Shields, whose esthetic style of filmmaking gives her a classic edge in a modern era.

Although she’s directed comedy for television, her films seem to be more of her dramatic outlet. Her work certainly proves she’s sincere in her desires, as she’s tackled various issues including discrimination, medical concerns and the aforementioned bullying epidemic.

Of course, comedy or drama, her content has a message and the success of her courage in sending that message has paved the way for her new company, Genius Pictures, a fully staffed studio in Burbank, Calif., where she will continue to develop the kind of cinematic art she believes will both entertain and make a difference.