Patrick Ladonis is a producer, writer, and actor who has been creating and holding space within the film industry since 1996. He is a triple threat in the industry, and began to rise to stardom after being cast in the film "A Time to Kill", alongside Sandra Bullock, Samuel L.Jackson, and Matthew McConaughey. Ladonis has continued on his path in the industry and has received several accolades for his work. As a member of the LGBTQ community, Ladonis has a goal to change the narrative in the content created through the eyes of a gay man. He makes it a point to develop stories that are relatable to any and everyone not just the LGBTQ community.
What made you take on the journey of creating a web series? It came to me while on vacation. I was in Barcelona, August 2017 during the unfortunate terrorist attack, and my best friend and I had been discussing past dreams. Making a web series, and getting involved in content creation was a passion of mine. In college, I was the “Spike Lee/Wes Craven” on campus. Fortunately, my best friend and I were not harmed in the attacks, and the day before the attacks, we were just discussing how much I enjoyed creating films and he sort of pushed me into returning to that passion, as life really is short, and the events that happened, could have changed all of that for me. ON the flight back to Atlanta, SCALES was born and I knew that I would have to make this series happen when I made it back home.
Have you ever experienced a city that aided in your inspiration for film making? Atlanta is that city! I love Atlanta and it’s the perfect backdrop for storytelling. Especially for Remy Howard and his friends in SCALES.
Scales is shooting its 3rd season now, what is it about season 3 that is different from the other 2? Each season, we find a way to grow, which is always what any creative wants to experience. Season 1 we were the fresh new pilot with really short content, Season 2, a growth in character development and the entire production of SCALES took on an upgrade. Season 3, we are shooting in what I consider Netflix, Hulu grade A form from a camera experience. More of Atlanta will be seen, and most importantly, we are really exploring an amazing storyline for Remy and David that will be rewarding to viewers new, and old. We continue to showcase music from local and independent artists and it’ll be even more amazing music shown. The story for season 3, will be one of the most daring and most talked about seasons to date.
How similar are you to the main character that you play, Remy? We are polar opposites in almost everyday, except in our style game. I like to think Remy is more of a risk taker with his style than I am. Remy is also very impulsive and continues to make the same mistakes over and over.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, do you feel like your stories are represented enough? Have you seen a growth or decline? On a larger platform, I believe there has been movement, but not enough. There are so many amazing stories that our community has yet to tell. As a black man, who happens to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community there are so many hidden jewels of our existence and our stories that have only touched the surface. I think we are seeing marginal upticks in representation. I want to see more, SCALES is not your typical story, and when you think about it, there is nothing like SCALES on television and I want to be in the band of talent that changes that.
What's the future of Scales look like for you? Where can we watch? The future of SCALES is bright! There are many more stories we’ve yet to explore and it really is a show that has a universal appeal. Yes, Remy is gay, but that has nothing to do with the complicated flaws he and his friends deal with. They are human challenges that are universal, and it can bring communities of all orientations that will go, hey I think I’m a Remy, David, or any of the characters shown in the series. SCALES can be seen on YouTube, and starting July 3rd, you can see the series on revry.com, which is one of the largest global streaming services for LGBTQ + content.