Meet Rodrigo Espinosa | Filmmaker & Keeper of the Shadow World

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

Hi Rodrigo, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started Two Legs Bad to fill the void left behind by San Diego’s former music media hubs. Spaces that would shine a spotlight on the city’s shadowy corners of arts and culture. I grew up on FoxRox and later worked for SoundDiego, and while Two Legs Bad has a more curated, less corporate vibe, I sort of wanted to pick up where they left off in terms of visually documenting this shadow world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Two Legs Bad is a reference to George Orwell’s Animal Farm. In the book, the phrase is meant to condemn humanity. I see it as: yes humans are all bad, so what? We are all flawed. We’re all imperfect. And I’d argue that in that “badness” lies the key to some life’s biggest questions. We keep repeating the same mistakes, asking the same questions, because we are afraid to face the shadowy corners of our own souls. That exactly what I want to explore with Two Legs Bad by documenting counterculture in the city.

The biggest lesson in life so far, as Netflix Founder Marc Randolph puts it, is to “stop running for airplanes.” In other words, it’s not worth the anxiety of trying to force something to happen. Sometimes, you’ll run for a flight and you end up 20 minutes early. Sometimes you are 20 minutes late. But the amount of times where it was actually worth it to run, is negligible.

Looking back at every stage in my professional and artistic life, it’s almost like everything was perfectly planned for the project I’m doing now. It didn’t seem that way at the time. We’re often frustrated, lost, and confused by the present moment. I studied film at Berkley in my early 20’s and didn’t work on a real passion project until 40 because deep down, I knew I didn’t know enough about being a human.

At 19, I tried to save the world by working on a documentary with Noam Chomsky. Needless to say, that didn’t work. I played in bands for 25 years and really only went on one big tour. I filmed countless corporate videos that had nothing to do with my values or passions. At the time, these all felt like failures.

But in retrospect, I was sharpening my ideological blade by spending time with Chomsky, I was learning how to learn at Berkeley. I was developing technical craft while working on other films. And I was immersing myself in the music scene as a musician for what was to come.

Now, after, countless heartbreaks, failures and lessons, with a callused but open heart, I’ve come to realize: I never had to run for an airplane.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Venue: This was tough, but if my friend was going to be here one week, I would want them to spend as much time outside. It is San Diego after all. I would say a sunset show at the Quartyard.

Food: For breakfast Bread and Cie. For Lunch, Point Loma Seafoods. For dinner Grand Ole BBQ.

Drinks: Turf Club (duh)

Stroll: South Park

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shoutout the local music community. Some truly amazing people believed in this project from the very beginning. Justin Pearson, (Three One G), Cory Stier (Soda Bar), and Jennifer Guzman (Live Nation) each opened the door to their worlds and welcomed me in. I’ve been a musician my whole life, and while I’m no longer performing, I’m incredibly grateful to still be a part of this scene in a way that celebrates others and the art they work so hard to create.

A handful of talented videographers have supported me along the way, most often Albert Rascon.

Lastly, I want to shout out my late friend, Dustin Lothspeich. He was the one who gave me the final push to start this project. Something I had been thinking about for a long time but kept putting off. His encouragement meant more that he probably knew and I carry that with me every step of the way.

Website: https://www.youtube.com/@TwoLegsBad

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodrigo-espinosa-353150a6/

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

Other: Umbrella Production Company: www.tuskmediallc.com

Image Credits
Photo of me filming Justin Pearson shot by Becky DiGiglio

All others are form the Two Legs Bad youtube channel.