Kyle Padilla ’09

At age 12, Kyle Padilla grabbed the family camera, dressed his friends and his dad in bedsheet togas and staged scenes in his driveway for a video school report on Roman history. A director-screenwriter-producer was born.

 

So he was more than ready to plunge into Crossroads’ film classes when he arrived for 10th grade. A strong baseball player, Kyle played catcher and third base for the varsity team. But his love of film won him over.

 

Coming to Crossroads halfway through Upper School, Kyle felt “a little out of place” at first, but other students quickly welcomed him. And the teachers—including film instructor Billy Robertson—were “awesome, passionate about their profession and their classes. And they were so available and present on campus,” Kyle says.

 

Kyle expanded his film skills at Crossroads. He proudly recalls that one of his films, “Pistol House,” got rave reviews from Middle School viewers. He continued on to USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, graduating in 2013. While there, he reached out to USC and Crossroads alumni and began interning for Ace Norton ’00, a filmmaker and artist who attended both schools. Over time, Kyle moved up to producing music videos for Ace.

 

“I discovered a new interest and really wanted to be part of it,” Kyle says of his immersion in electronic dance music (EDM). With his own production company, Cedar Films, he has directed and produced music videos for top DJs, including Nicky Romero (“Like Home” and “Legacy” in 2014) and Don Diablo (“Starlight/Could You Be Mine” and “Back to Life” in 2015).

 

Kyle has been developing a feature film he’s written using the EDM world as a backdrop. He also directed a documentary web series, “Living the Dream,” centered on a national tour by Matoma, a Norwegian DJ.

 

As he builds his career in a competitive field, he says he carries with him lessons gained at Crossroads, in particular, “knowing there are mentors you can turn to who believe in you.”