Five Points Media CEO Aaron Faulkner on Building Atlanta's Film Industry and Empowering the Next Generation of Filmmakers

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Aaron Faulkner, CEO of Five Points Media and founder of Five Points Film Institute, about his journey in Atlanta's film and television industry, his commitment to creating opportunities for filmmakers, and how he's helping shape the next generation of storytellers through education, mentorship, and hands-on experience.

Atlanta Film and TV: Can you talk to us about who you are and what you do in the Atlanta Film and TV community?

Aaron Faulkner: I'm the CEO of Five Points Media and the Founder of Five Points Film Institute, our nonprofit arm dedicated to film education. I'm originally from Washington, DC, but Atlanta has been home since 2007.

In the Atlanta film and TV community, I like to say I've been the behind-the-scenes big brother to a lot of the projects that have come out of this city. Sometimes that means being a resource for camera and production gear, sometimes its crew, and other times it's stepping in as an executive producer or investor, whatever a project needs to get across the finish line. Our Sony Venice 2s were on Keke Palmer's Southern Fried Rice and 2 Chainz and Omar Epps' Red Clay, to name a few. Honestly, a lot of people have seen the Five Points Media logo on equipment across countless sets in Atlanta without ever knowing I was the guy behind the brand.

I've always been comfortable with that. My start in this community came when Atlanta was full of gatekeepers, so I built my own agency and made it my mission to open as many doors as possible for other creatives.

Atlanta Film and TV: Talk to us about Five Points Media, and the inspiration behind Five Points Film Institute.

Aaron Faulkner: Many people say Five Points Media is THEE production company of the South. In a marketplace with so many talented outfits, I believe our unfair advantage is our tastemaker's approach to relationships, not just with our clients, but with the people we co-labor with every day.

Jenae Hope and Raihven Minter, incredible producers and directors in their own right, are the pillars that hold up Five Points Media. There is absolutely no way we’re able to do what we do and show up the way we do in the community without these amazing ladies. Greg Pinckney is the backbone of the operation, overseeing and managing all of our equipment and rental inventory. And Joshua Dennard, our head of sales and marketing, has transformed our presence and exposure in this city in just a few short months. 

Beyond that core five, we've employed or contracted somewhere between 50 and 70 people every year for the last three years, including 2023, when the strikes shut down much of the film and TV industry here in Georgia. There were a lot of people who could still pay their rent that year because we were fortunate enough to create opportunities for them to work. At the end of the day, there's a TLC to everything we do, and it's become the calling card for how we approach the work.

It's in that same spirit that we launched Five Points Film Institute, to raise up the next generation of filmmakers and give youth and teens the resources to step into a world they've only seen on TV or on their phones. We want to put the tools in their hands that will set them on a course to run further than any of us could ever imagine. Five Points Film Institute tears down the gates we had to navigate a decade ago so the next generation can run free in their own field of dreams.

Atlanta Film and TV: From your experience, what are some of the biggest gaps aspiring filmmakers face when trying to move from learning the craft to actually working professionally, and how does Five Points Film Institute plan to bridge that gap?

Aaron Faulkner: The biggest gap aspiring filmmakers face when moving from learning the craft to working professionally is neglecting the soft skills. Most times, your talent is enough to get you in the door but a lack of communication, or how you made a set feel, is what gets that door closed on the next ten jobs. 

I also think that because information is so accessible now, too many folks believe they know more than they actually do and convince themselves they don't need anyone. In refusing to seek mentorship, they become their own gatekeepers. And the last thing, which falls under that same soft skills umbrella, is evolving from being transactional-centered to being transformational-centered; that's the secret sauce to elevation in whatever space you seek to occupy in this industry. When you don't see the value in cultivating real relationships. When you invest more in learning the best camera settings than in the people around you because you're chasing the next invoice, you miss where the true prosperity lies - in the relationships.

That's why Five Points Film Institute teaches the whole filmmaker, not just the craft. Our young people learn the camera, but they also learn the soft skills behind the camera, how to communicate on a set, how to carry themselves, and how to be someone a crew wants to work with again. Mentorship isn't an option in our programs, it's the foundation. They're learning shoulder-to-shoulder with working professionals from day one, so by the time they enter this industry, leadership and seeking guidance is already second nature and building real relationships is already the way they work.

Atlanta Film and TV: What makes the Five Points Media Institute's  approach different from other media education programs or production training opportunities available today?

Aaron Faulkner: Diamond Freeman. Full stop.

Diamond is our program director, and she has meticulously crafted an experience that accounts for every single moment these kids are under our care, from the guest speakers and instructors, to the games, all the way through to the final red carpet premiere. She has poured her heart and soul into this curriculum, and we're certain the kids will feel that attention to detail from the second they walk in on day one until they're standing on that red carpet watching their own work premiere on screen.

Earlier I said there's a tastemaker's approach to everything we do at Five Points Media. The Institute isn't a side project with a different standard. It's that same approach, extended to the next generation. The way we treat a client, the way we treat a crew, is the same way we treat the youth, with respect and the utmost consideration.

And here's what no classroom can replicate; our young filmmakers get their hands on the real thing.

The same caliber of equipment that's been on professional sets all over this city is the equipment they're learning on. We don't hand them toys and tell them to imagine the rest. They feel the weight of a real camera, they get reps on a real set, they see their footage the way professionals see it and once a kid has touched the real thing, you can't tell them this world isn't theirs.

Atlanta Film and TV: Talk to us about the Five Points Summer Film Program and who can participate?

Aaron Faulkner: This year's Five Points Summer Film Program is a one-week, full-immersion experience for young people ages 11 to 17, hosted at You 42 Studios in Roswell on July 27 through July 31. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Every day, our campers aren't sitting in a classroom learning about filmmaking — they're inside an immersive experience. And this is just the beginning: we'll build on this summer with a winter break session, and we're aiming to launch our fully-staffed 10-month cohort program in 2027.

As far as who can participate: if you're between 11 and 17 and you've got any curiosity about how the stories you watch get made, this program is for you. You don't need experience. You don't need your own gear. You don't need to already know you want to be a director. You just need to show up, we handle the rest.

Atlanta Film and TV: What do you hope students take away from the Five Points Summer Film Camp?

Aaron Faulkner: Of course I want them to leave knowing how to frame a shot, run sound, and work together as a crew and they will. But more than that, the takeaway I care about most is that every young person leaves that red carpet knowing this world of filmmaking and creating is real, it's reachable, and there's a place for them in it if they want it. So many of our young people have only experienced this world through a screen. After this week, it's not an idea anymore. They've done it. They've called action, solved problems on the fly, worked alongside professionals, and watched an audience react to something they made that can't be taken away from them.

Lastly, I hope they take the people with them. The friendships with the other campers, the instructors who now know their name, the working professionals who looked them in the eye and took their questions seriously. Again, the true prosperity in this industry is in the relationships. If our campers walk away understanding that at 12 years old, something a lot of folks in this business haven't figured out at 40, then we've given them a head start money can't buy.

Be sure to follow Aaron Faulkner on Instagram @afaulkfilms

And, If you're a parent of a child ages 11-17 who is interested in filmmaking, register today for the Five Points Summer Film Camp.