Rising Stars: Meet Eric Rodriguez of Burbank

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Rodriguez.

Hi Eric, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I always had a passion for movies. I used to make small home videos with my action figures and my dad’s old VHS camcorder. I would edit by stopping the camera to change angles and have it flow together on the tape when played back.

I learned how to properly video edit in high school on iMovie around 2005. I became very involved in my school’s video department and decided to pursue a career in that line of work. I graduated from Cal State Northridge in 2011 and had my first job teaching an after school video editing class to high school students.

In 2013 I worked for a company called FilmOn TV, which eventually became Hologram USA. The owner was the self-proclaimed “eccentric billionaire” Alki David who had more money than he knew what to do with. The work environment was chaotic but it provided me with a crash course on slapdash workflow and making lemons into lemonade from a production sense.

In 2017 I started a podcast called the Nerd Chronic podcast with a few friends of mine to just discuss movie and tv related news/reviews. I took it upon myself to handle the social media side of things and that’s how I took on the moniker of “Nerd Chronic” as many people online now know me as.

While learning more about social media and the culture of podcasting and content creation, I became enamored with two things: reaction videos and the Movie Trivia Schmoedown.

The Schmoedown was a movie trivia game show created by Kristian Harloff and Mark Ellis, most popularly know from the Schmoes Know Show and Collider. The hook of it was a movie trivia competition with the trappings of a WWE/UFC production. There were recurring players, larger than life characters, narrative arcs, live events and promos. I became a fan of the show and went to the first live event in North Hollywood in 2018. I made a fan promo to hype up the event, which caught the attention of Kristian Harloff. Through a few more fortuitous encounters, I was able to eventually work on the show itself as the promo editor and eventually lead editor of the entire show.

At the same time I was also becoming more involved in the reaction community because there was a lot of crossover between that and the Schmoedown. The show involved a lot of well known online pundits in the movie/tv space and that included a handful of reaction channels such as Late to the Party and The Reel Rejects. Over time I eventually began working for some channels, helping out with their reaction edits.

A major element that endeared me to both things was the sense of community that was built around them and within them. Both garnered dedicated fanbases that showed up with major support and both also had a very friendly camaraderie from the people involved in the spaces. I would frequently see reaction channels collaborating with each other and I loved the idea of a shared world where these kind of crossovers could happen.

After many years of working in the reaction space, and now several years after the Schmoedown has ended, I started a podcast while working for the company Passionfruit to talk to the number of reaction creators that I had come to know and the ones I wanted to get to know as well. After moving on from Passionfruit I created the Reactorverse channel where we have our main show, “The Reactorverse Podcast”, as well as a number of other shows talking to creators in the reaction space. I continue to work as a video editor for a number of channels but now dedicate a large portion of my attention to the Reactorverse channel as well.

The reason I love the reaction space is because I truly believe it provides a healthy and positive contribution to an internet that is otherwise constantly devolving into a very cynical place. Storytelling is one of the oldest art forms that has been able to enlighten people and bring them together throughout history. Being able to share that experience with others is a crucial element building empathy for a person or an idea beyond your own life experience and that is accomplished very evidently through reaction videos. I love that the reaction space is filled with creators from all walks of life around the world but also with fans from around the world as well who appreciate the thoughts of the reactors they choose to watch.

My goal with the channel is to foster that community and help reactors, big and small, know that their work is seen and appreciated. Ideally it will also provide insight into the work that goes on behind the scenes with these channels so they may hopefully inspire others to take a chance at starting their own. In that way the space can continue to grow with new voices and a wider range of experiences for people to connect with.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Getting more involved in the reaction space has been a relatively smooth road. The community is filled with good people who are eager for help and to collaborate. I think the biggest hurdle is trying to get in contact with more people as time goes on.

Rightfully so, a lot of creators are closed off to the world to protect themselves from the harshness of internet culture as a whole. I would love to interview so many more channels but many of them do not have an accessible outlet to contact them beyond cold calls over social media.

In relation to larger work, having to move on from the Schmoedown and Passionfruit after both ended was a rough transition each time. However, I carried many lessons over from my time at both companies and now have a clearer understanding of my priorities surrounding my personal work.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a video editor by trade, that’s how I continue to make my living. I specialize in short form marketing type content like trailers, sizzle reels, promos, etc.

My experience in that area was most utilized working for the Movie Trivia Schmoedown where I created the promo packages for the show to hype up each match. I based the style around WWE main event type promos and that epic narrative that can be conveyed in just a few minutes of footage. That is where most people came to know me as Nerd Chronic and my particular prowess as an editor. I am quite proud of those packages and the way they complimented the larger than life nature of the show.

Beyond that I also continue to work in the reaction space as an editor but also as a general liaison and supporter of the community. I host roundtable discussions and bring reactors together for special events so they can get to know one another and make them feel part of a the larger community.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support my work over on the Reactorverse youtube channel where we host many of our shows.

I am open to collaboration through email or social media DMs as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thereactorverse
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/reactorverse
• Twitter: https://x.com/thereactorverse
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TheReactorverse
• Other: https://links.thereactorverse.com/