Conversations with Rob Styles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Styles.

Hi Rob, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My story begins in Fayetteville, North Carolina. 1999, I was 14 years old, sitting on the couch with my mom, watching the Steven Spielberg film, Saving Private Ryan. I heard my inner voice say, “I want to be a director”. I heard those words, as clear as day. Fast forward to 2003, my senior year of high school. I was accepted to New York Film Academy, but couldn’t attend, because my family couldn’t afford the tuition.

Fast forward again, to 2007 I joined the US Army for money for college. Fast forward to 2013, when I was honorably discharged from the Army, after 6 years of service, including 1 year in Iraq. I immediately applied and was accepted to New York Film Academy in Los Angeles where I studied filmmaking and screenwriting until I graduated in 2016.

After a 3 year stint at TMZ in Hollywood, I parted ways with the company to focus on writing and directing, full-time. And I have been focused on writing and directing full-time, till this day.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has not been a smooth road at all. It’s been scattered with trauma, pain, anxiety, and depression. I lost friends, and family members while on this road. My mother died from cancer in 2007. Sometimes it’s difficult to accept the fact that not a single film, that I’ll ever make, will ever be seen by my mom.

A fact that’s kinda ironic to me, due to the fact that my mom was sitting right beside me, when I had my call to action, to be a filmmaker. And as far as the industry goes. It’s a land that has 1 quiet yes, after every 25 very loud no’s.

So many people have told me and will continue to tell me no, in this industry. Luckily for me, my mom’s grit and determination were passed down to me. Through the actions, I witnessed growing up, I know that a no is only temporary in most cases.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a writer/director. In 2021, I started my own production company, Rob Styles Films LLC. My company specializes in short films, music videos, and commercials. My newest horror short film, “Sleeping Awake” recently had its Youtube premiere. Soon, Rob Styles Films will also focus on feature films, as I’m currently in the process of securing financing for my debut feature film.

In 2020, I won my first award for a feature screenplay, at a film festival. Since then several of my screenplays and short films have been selected for numerous film festivals and writing competitions in multiple countries around the world.

I can say that I’m most proud of the fact, that my work has won awards in countries that I’ve never been to. Why? Because to me, that means my work can resonate with anyone from any walk of life.

What matters most to you?
Connecting with people. We live in a world where it’s easy to disconnect from other people. Which I feel, in turn, causes some people to lack empathy for their fellow humans.

I feel like connecting with other people through, communication will bring us all closer to each other. Whether the communication is via person-to-person or through mediums of art. Because each work of art, from physical to visual, has something to say.

Contact Info:

• Website: robstylesfilms.com
• Instagram: @robsteelo
• Twitter: @imrobstyles
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeoIDPh_JDM6nkFrsX87EdA

Image Credits
William Koonce @tortugapics