Edwin Escobar Films™

Bridgeport music video director is the go-to for Connecticut's underground scene

Under a bright afternoon sun on Bridgeport’s East Side recently, Edwin Escobar was getting ready to film one of the final scenes of his latest video shoot — a police foot chase. The Bridgeport-based music video director has been in this do-it-yourself situation before: A solo act who is rarely flanked by an assistant, Escobar does everything but hand deliver popcorn to his audiences. On the contrary, the prolific director has issued a staggering 200-plus professional music videos in the last three and a half years. A self-taught filmmaker and self-described “control freak,” Escobar’s cinematic style and tireless work ethic has won over countless artists in Connecticut’s underground music scene and beyond. Much like Robert Rodriguez (the “From Dusk Till Dawn” director who earned the nickname “the one-man film crew”), Escobar is not only the director, but the camera operator, producer, production designer, film editor and sound editor. The premise of “203” is signature Escobar — in an alternate dystopian reality, hip-hop has been made illegal; Ijaro plays the role of a Prohibition-style gangster who manufacturers and distributes rap CDs. […] Escobar has been influenced by Bridgeport, a place that’s had its share of post-industrial heartbreak. Brunot said the Escobar-directed videos have helped him gain exposure among music listeners (they have garnered tens of thousands of hits on YouTube), record labels (Sony has reached out to him) and fellow artists (the R&B singer Joe applauded his work). For now, though, Escobar is enjoying his reputation has the go-to director for the state’s underground music scene — a one-man show with a unwavering dedication to his craft.