Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Nelson.
Hi Aaron, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, I was always a creative child and being different/weird compared to others. I started writing when I was 9 years old, and not just writing like for class, I’m talking about I was writing legitimate short stories and making storylines. Junior year of high school my English teacher made us write journals and every Friday we could read one of our entries out loud to the class. Me being me, every Friday, I didn’t care, I was saying mine. And every time, Ms. Ball kept pushing to keep writing and being better. Once I became a student at Claflin University, it was really a wrap.
I wanted to be more than just a kid from Kingstree, I wanted to be a monster, but in a good way. I started my company “Mors Calumnia Productions”, when I was in college and we won a few film awards under that name, as well. The “This is my destiny” moment came when I created an actual television-length series at the age of 20 called “Dying Is Easy, College Is Hard”, where I wrote, directed, edited, and co-starred for every episode while I was getting my degree and working too. After graduating, I hit the ground running! I created the comedy heist short film “AYE! Let’s Rob A Bank”, then months created a drama series titled “Negro In Colour”. After the first wave of COVID brought a stoppage, I brought new comedy series to the web such as “Melanin Home”, “BOI-Friend Therapy”, and my favorite scripted reality show “BLACKED-IN”.
Now, I’ve wiped my slate clean and started production 2 new scripted projects: A barbershop show (The Right Touch) & and a mockumentary film titled “To Catch A Coon”. We’re also in pre-production of the second installment of “AYE! Let’s Rob”. I truly feel like I’m in my element with my creations. I’ve never really cared about the attention, or really even the idea of fame, cause that just comes naturally. I care about our casts & crews becoming a family through our respective shows & films, and that I found solace and hope in picking up my camera and a script every day & making art. I love creating, and I finally was able to visually project my ideas, whether beautiful or ugly.
Besides, I’m a star, how could I not shine?
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I live in South Carolina where you’re even surprised if the road is paved. Same with my journey too, but that’s a great thing in all honesty. I’m a black man with Oscar award dreams from SC; Success isn’t supposed to be easy. There are shows that have failed from the second miniseries in college failing, to only the pilot episode of Negro of Colour showing because of early COVID, etc.
There’s patience & communication that’s necessary in becoming an owner/leader; you deal with different personalities and egos in casts/crew while having to manage them, and your own, and there’s some resilience with that. But I always think of everyone that has acted for me or been in any of my crews as brothers and sisters and I love each and every one of them. And I’m not innocent either; there’s even been sometimes where I’ve gotten in my own way with mental struggles and dealing with bipolar disorder. Half the battle of life starts within, and once you gain control of self, the road is still rocky, but easy to
No matter what, I have never doubted my ability to be a great film producer/writer/actor. Every challenged has made me a better leader and become even more determined to get a series on HBO than ever. I’ve never stopped knowing that I could pick up my camera or a pen and make magic, even at my lowest. I just bounce back harder. That’s why every obstacle I have to overcome, I somehow find a trampoline in the midst.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At this point, what do I not do? I’m a cinematographer, a screenwriter, soon-to-be-novelist, actor, music producer, etc. But my main focus will always stay in film & writing because while I love to create, I see film as a medium where I get to project personal experiences, dreams, or out-of-the-box visions and turn them into an Emmy Award one day. Being an independent film producer instead of working for someone allowed me to give the world 100% authenticity in my visuals. It might sound cocky, I’m not proud of anything I make anymore. Like, I love what I do, but it’s just at this point I expect myself to be successful, I just have to work for it. Whether it was winning 3 consecutive years in my university’s film festivals, to every time the first episode of a project premieres online, I’m not surprised or shocked that I did it because I know I have the ability to create. I’m always in the mode of “Ok, that’s cool, what next?” or “It’s about time, let’s keep going”. I will say that the creation of “Dying Is Easy, College Is Hard” & “Negro In Colour” were some of my favorite moments in my life, however.
I think what sets me apart from others is I truly feel like no one can come up with ideas like me. And I’m not just talking about where I live, I mean in the world. I wake up believing I’m the most talented person in the world, and whether someone thinks it’s right or wrong, it’s the mentality that keeps me focused on the end goal.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Outside of film, my first love is/always will be reading. I mean love, as in my favorite place to go is a Barnes & Noble. It’s that deep. I started reading when I was 4, and I think that might’ve been the catalyst for cultivating the imagination that I have now. While all I currently read is black history like Malcolm X & Assata Shakur’s autobiographies, respectively, the fiction books during my childhood propelled me into having a curious mind that’s always inquisitive. I wouldn’t be the genius that I am now without novels as a kid.
I also listen to certain types of music to give me a certain influence of projects. Currently, I’m writing an HBCU fictional novel about a student who becomes a dominatrix, and a sci-fi pilot that doesn’t have a title just yet. I’m listening to a lot of pop music right now like Charlie XCX, Rina Sawayama, & Hayley Williams, and a little bit of this French pop group called Paradis. It gives off the mood of exactly what I what the visions and creations to look like.
Anything TV-wise? There’s an HBO show called Succession that I just can’t stop watching/studying. Phenomenal acting & dialogue that makes me jealous sometimes. I’ll get to that level someday.
Contact Info:
- Email: morscalumniapro@yahoo.com
- Website: https://morscpro.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morscalumnia/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorsCalumnia
