Today is a big day for Rocky Yamani. He’s about to direct his very first short film.

“Hey Crystal, are you sure you want to sit there? I think I hear the bench breaking,” reads Rocky to himself.

The film is a drama about cyber-bullying. Rocky pours over every word in the script.

“What scene is this? Talk me through that,” asks Nosotros President, Joel Gonzales.

Rocky’s directorial debut is made possible through a filmmaking program organized by Nosotros. The group is dedicated to increasing Latino representation in media.

Today, Rocky’s got a script, a cast, a camera, a professional crew and his set, which is the entire campus of East LA Rising, a youth organization in Old Town Maravilla.   

“Action!” says Rocky for the very first time.

And just like that, Rocky’s a director.

“Cut!”

According to Gonzales, it’s not about making award-winning shorts. For these kids, it’s more about teaching self-esteem and confidence.

In front of and behind the camera, every kid gets to shine in their own way. Most of these kids will be seeing themselves on a screen for the first time. That’s key.

“And so what we’re doing right now,” says Rocky. “We’re setting up for our extras right here.”

According to the UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report, Latino actors played 2.7 percent of roles in the top movies of 2016. They did slightly better in television.

It’s not enough says Gonzales. Latinos are roughly 17 percent of the population and he feels the media should reflect that.

“I just want to point out it’s so important for these kids to see what they created,” he explains. “For one, they created something and that’s awesome. But two, they see themselves reflected in media.”

A week later, the first rough is ready and Emilio, who played the bully in Rocky's film, doesn’t want to be misunderstood. But when everyone loves his performance, his confidence visibly grows.

It’s a moment that makes it clear that it shouldn't take a diversity report to understand how important it is for people to see themselves reflected on the screen, big or small.