The Big Picture

Director Oz Rodriguez discusses his involvement in the Netflix comedy series Neon and his personal connection to the project. Rodriguez emphasizes the importance of showcasing the reggaeton world authentically and avoiding stereotypes. The director discusses the challenges of capturing the right vibe, working with real reggaeton stars, and the joy of hearing the original music in the series.

From co-creators Max Searle and Shea Serrano and executive producer Daddy Yankee, the Netflix comedy series Neon follows Santi (Tyler Dean Flores), a rising reggaeton artist, and his best friends Ness (Emma Ferreira) and Felix (Jordan Mendoza), as they try to make their dreams come true. Passion and determination don’t exactly pay the rent, so until A&R rep Mia (Courtney Taylor) can help make things happen, they’ll keep hustling on the way to stardom.

During this 1-on-1 with Collider, pilot director Oz Rodriguez talked about how he came to this project, his personal connection to the material, how they wanted to showcase this world, the key to capturing the right vibe, what makes Flores the perfect Santi, the joy of hearing the original music, having real reggaeton stars on set, and the most exciting aspect of being a part of this series.

Collider: I was interested in this series because I’m a huge music fan. While I know about reggaeton, I’m not an expert, by any means, but I’m always happy to learn. When this came your way, was it in the form of an idea, or did you get to read a pilot script? What was pitched to you?

OZ RODRIGUEZ: I was working on another project with Tyler Dean Flores. He had been cast as Santi and Netflix wanted to do a chemistry test to see what these friends, or these actors, would look like, as this core group of friends. They needed a director, and since I had worked with Tyler and also the co-executive producer, Shea Serrano, I was invited in, which I was very happy about. So, we did the chemistry test, there was a pilot already, and we basically did a couple scenes from the pilot. The most important part was the moments right before they got into the scenes because I brought a little speaker and we started playing reggaeton, and they were just these guys, naturally singing Bad Bunny. They got loose and were literally on chairs pretending like they were driving, and they started singing to each other. Even then, you could tell, “Oh, this is something really fun.” So, that’s how I got involved. It was a dream for me. I’ve done comedy for a long time, but I’m from the Dominican Republic, so to be able to do something that feels close to me and with the music that I’ve heard all of my life, was really cool and really special.

Image via Netflix

Because this was something that felt familiar to you, what did you want to absolutely make sure was in this series, and what did you want to make sure wasn’t in it? What captures this world the best, and how did you want to avoid the stereotypes of this world?

RODRIGUEZ: Those were conversations we had every day because everybody wanted to get it right and had to figure out what that meant. One of the biggest challenges, production wise, was that we were shooting in Puerto Rico for Miami. That gave us an objective of finding locations that looked like Miami. We just wanted to make sure that we showcased the world, as best we could. It’s really funny, but these are also human beings with interesting lives and that do goofy things. We wanted to make them rounded. And reggaeton is a global music. It’s humongous, so we definitely wanted to get that right. For example, Tyler really dove into it. He moved to Puerto Rico a few months before we even start shooting, just to meet singers and get into the vibes. And then, we hired Tainy, the producer, to make the reggaeton songs. He makes things for Bad Bunny, so he brought real shit to the music and to the songs. We just wanted it to feel like the songs were for real and that hopefully people could dance to them.

What is the key to capturing the right vibe?

RODRIGUEZ: For example, in the pilot, they go to a Cuban restaurant. I’ve been to many Cuban restaurants in Miami, and half of my family is Cuban, so we wanted to approach the restaurant in a way that is not the traditional way you’ve maybe seen in a Hollywood film. We had a lot of details that maybe mean a lot to Cuban people, like posters on the walls and stuff like that. And then, it was about the way the characters communicated. Emma [Ferreira], who plays Ness, is Dominican, so she would use little bits of slang or Spanglish. We would talk about those things with the actors because we wanted everything to feel natural, not just added in so that it feels like, “Hey, they’re Latino.” We wanted everything to feel like a real expression of what their character is. Since Emma is Dominican, she made her character her own and added stuff from her life into Ness, which added to the authenticity. And then, shooting in Puerto Rico and getting real reggaeton stars also really helped.

What was it like to do the stage performance at the beginning of the pilot and to figure out how to really capture that?

RODRIGUEZ: It definitely helped that we had some real reggaeton stars there, so that the audience got hyped up. What was not easy was that, that day, we had a severe storm. We’d be shooting for 30 minutes, and then we had to stop because of the storm. Then, it was five in the morning and I was like, “Guys, remember how excited you were three hours ago. Let’s do that.” So, it was definitely a challenge, but Jhayco definitely helped by being a huge superstar.

Image via Netflix

What did you connect with, when it came to the comedy in this? How much of the comedy is on the page versus what we see the actors doing? How much comes out of collaboration and finding that balance?

RODRIGUEZ: I definitely have to give it up to the writers because a lot of it is on the page. A lot of it is planned for and discussed for weeks, and then the actors make it feel like it’s a new thing. And then, with someone like Jordan Mendoza, who plays Felix, you do the fun take and let him say whatever he wants, you get a gold and most of his takes are those fun takes. So, it’s a balance of trying to make these jokes that people laughed at months ago, feel fresh again, and then the actors coming in and asking, “What if I say it in this way, and not that way?” That’s the stuff that just happens on set, from everyone. All the actors found really fun moments that added some comedy.

What is it about Tyler Dean Flores that made him the perfect Santi. He’s charming and is sometimes a bit naïve, but he’s also someone you believe could be a star, and it seems like those are things that are hard to find in one person. Why was he so convincing, not only as the character, but as the performer that he strives to be?

RODRIGUEZ: That’s a great question. I’ve been working with him for a while and the camera likes him. The producers were so happy when he showed up because they were like, “Oh, great Santi’s here. We’re done with that.” He pulls off everything you said. He had the naive side and that sweetness, but you also believe that he can sing and be a pop star, and that he has the charm to maybe one day be a huge superstar. It’s a very tricky combination of things that he somehow nailed, and props to him. He took it really seriously and dove into that character.

The character of Mia (Courtney Taylor) is fun. It’s a tricky one because she’s essentially not being truthful about who she is, but as the audience, you still like her anyway and you still want to learn more about her. How did you want to bring that character to life? What motivates her?

RODRIGUEZ: Ultimately, yes, she definitely starts by lying. I think what connects her to the other guys is that she’s also starting from the bottom and she’s chasing this dream in the music industry, even if she goes about it the wrong way, at first. I think that’s what bonds them, just that drive to prove themselves in an industry where maybe, as a woman, she’s not considered for that space. Mia and Ness are both struggling with that.

Image via Netflix

What was it like to hear the music? Does it add an extra level of pressure with something like this, to have those great songs?

RODRIGUEZ: The pressure was before we heard them, and then there was a relief after because they were great. All the songs that were coming in sounded amazing. And then, as they finished them, they sounded even better. Then, when Tyler recorded his voice to them, they sounded even better. They were these constant fun surprises. That was actually all joy. The hard part was shooting it and shooting the concert scenes. That’s always tricky. But getting the music from Tainy was really fun. That was a little bit of a Christmas moment, every time.

Santi has had a hit single due to viral success. How important is social media to helping young people who want to be artists, but don’t necessarily have any other way to get themselves out there in front of other people? Was that important to have as a part of this show because it is something that is very real for a lot of artists?

RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, it’s real and it’s part of the current landscape. It’s a huge driving force for marketing and music. Obviously, I’m a little older, so I don’t get it completely, but I know it’s essential. You even hear musicians who are like, “I just wanna be a musician, and not have to do TikToks every day.” It’s just part of the music industry right now, so I felt like we had to be truthful to what’s going on. I think the people that use it well are very successful, so we definitely had to show all that.

You have real-life reggaeton stars appearing in this series, so what was it like to work with them and their big personalities, but not have that take away from the main cast? What’s it like to direct experienced performers who aren’t necessarily experienced actors?

RODRIGUEZ: It was really great. All the performers I worked with were all very excited to get a chance to be silly and to be on a Netflix show that they know is gonna be all over the world. They had fun being goofballs, which they don’t really get to be. They don’t really get to show their comedic side. They’re in the music industry, they use music videos and they look cool on posters or whatever, but everyone embraced the chance to be goofy and they were down to work all the hours that we needed. It was really a joy. It was one of my best working experiences with celebs.

Image via Netflix

You’re bringing a fun and vibrant world to life, you’re doing so with a Latino cast, and you’re blending comedy and music. What do you see as the best and most exciting part of a project like this? What is the coolest aspect of it for you, being a part of something like this, that we haven’t really seen before, on all those levels?

RODRIGUEZ: There’s a representation here, with this being a Latino story with a Latino cast and Latino crew, and we get to see a music industry and world that is huge and global. We all listen to it, but like you were saying at the beginning, not everybody knows how it’s done or how it operates. It’s really cool to showcase that. Obviously, representation matters and selfishly I’d love more Latino stories, but I also love that they can be goofy and silly, and we can represent by being goofy and silly.

Neon is available to stream at Netflix.