Meet Romina Palacios | Music Video & Commercial Director, Cinematographer, & Assistant Camera

We had the good fortune of connecting with Romina Palacios and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Romina, how do you think about risk?
Risk is a constant part of life, especially when you’re pursuing a creative career. Every day presents a decision: do you keep going or give in to the comfort of a more traditional path where job security and a steady salary are guaranteed? Choosing to follow your passion in the creative field is itself a significant risk. It’s easy to choose something safe, but there’s often a deeper feeling that pulls you toward creativity, a voice telling you that this is what you really want to do. Listening to that voice is a risk, and deciding to follow it is an even bigger one.

Once you’ve chosen to pursue a creative career, it’s a series of risks from there on out—challenges you face almost daily. But I truly believe that anyone who sticks with it, who doesn’t give up, will eventually succeed. The key is perseverance.

Personally, I started wanting to be an author, then an audio engineer, but I discovered film, which beautifully combines both. Film also ties in my high school theater background, and it opened up so many more possibilities. What draws me to this industry is that, while it’s about creating something tangible, it’s also about the people you meet along the way. The relationships, connections, and collaborations are just as important as the work itself, and that’s why I continue to pursue it. Taking risks is part of the journey, but it’s also what makes the journey meaningful.

As a filmmaker, taking risks is part of the journey, but it’s also what makes the journey meaningful. There is no making it without taking risks–big or small. Whether that’s investing a whole lot of time, energy, and money or just simply putting yourself out there despite any fears, anxieties, or self doubt. There are still risks I’m taking and will take, it’s only a matter of time before I have to face the next one. Without them, I probably wouldn’t be where I am now in how quickly I’ve progressed in this career and hopefully keep progressing.

So when I think about risk, I see it as an essential part of both life and career. Taking risks has shaped who I am and guided me to where I am now. Without them, I wouldn’t be on this path.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a music video and commercial director, my art lies in telling compelling stories in short, impactful moments. Right now, I’m focused on creating emotional experiences through music videos and commercials, rather than pursuing traditional narrative filmmaking. I love the challenge of capturing an entire story or emotion in just three minutes for a music video or 30 seconds for a commercial.

With music videos, my goal is to visually represent the emotions, metaphors, and themes in a song, whether they stem from the lyrics or the artist’s vision. When I hear a song I love, I immediately imagine what that story looks like, and I want to bring that vision to life for audiences. For commercials, it’s about more than just selling a product. I want my work to pull at the heartstrings and connect people emotionally to the brand, leaving them not only impressed with the product but moved by the message.

Currently, I’m excited about working on a music video for “Silver Joy” by Damian Jurado. I’ve got an incredible team backing me up, from producers to PAs, and I’m confident in what we’re going to create together. It’s thrilling to see where this project will go because I know it’s going to be something special.

Getting to where I am today hasn’t been easy. Passion drives me, and the grind never stops. I think all filmmakers, especially those starting out, struggle with feelings of imposter syndrome—wondering if they’re doing enough, meeting the right people, or being on the right sets. But this industry demands relentless perseverance. You have to show up at networking events, get on sets, shake hands, and learn from those around you. And when you’re on set, you’re representing yourself. Your professionalism, personality, and even humor all matter because this business is about connections.

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that mistakes are inevitable. Whether you’re a PA who screws up the lunch order or a department head making decisions, you’re going to fail at something. But those failures are crucial. They teach you, build your confidence, and make you better. Every project helps you grow, and that’s what makes this journey so rewarding but also so difficult and scary. This is something I’m still learning. Those directors or actors that are huge in this industry, it wasn’t a day’s work.

For me, faith has been a crucial part of my journey. It’s not just about perseverance, putting in the work, and pushing through the challenges. My faith in Jesus Christ has given me a sense of purpose and reassurance that all the opportunities I’ve been given are not by chance, but placed in my life for a reason. I truly believe that He is guiding me and backing me up with a force far greater than I can describe. This belief keeps me grounded and motivates me even more, because I know that this path is what I’m meant to pursue. It’s an incredible feeling to know that there’s something so powerful supporting me through every step of the way, and it pushes me to give everything I have to my work.

At the end of the day, I want the world to know that I’m here to tell stories and to evoke emotion in every project I take on. I’m incredibly passionate, hardworking, and I give my absolute all to every project I care about from being a crew member on set to the cinematographer or director.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m still learning about the best spots here, so I haven’t got much of an answer, but I’m a huge sucker for some pool, and we’ve got a good amount of pool halls here in Houston. We’ve got some spots to drink and play beach volleyball, some spots to watch your favorite artists sing like Toyota Center or the House of Blues, we’ve got the rodeo, amazing street art, NASA. Houston’s got the best community and as Texans, we’re pretty passionate about being the best.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to first give all the glory to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I truly believe that the passion I have for this industry is part of my purpose, and every opportunity I’ve had has been placed in my life by Him. I also want to shout-out my parents, who were initially hesitant but now fully support me, some of my professors at HCC who taught me more than just their curriculum, and all the amazing people in my journey who have backed me up and helped me grow. The strong support system I’ve found here in the Houston film industry keeps me going, and the idea of giving up has never even crossed my mind.

Website: https://www.rominapalacios.squarespace.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rominapalacios/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rominapalaciosmedia

Image Credits
Kate Phillips, Daniel Yisa