Chicago-born and raised, Rick Bernico is a well-traveled veteran of both the United States Air Force and the United States Navy. While in the USAF, he was in the security forces stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. His Naval time consisted of tours of duty on two nuclear-powered submarines as a Nuclear Reactor Operator, and Nuclear Repair Coordinator stationed at Subase Pearl Harbor. Rick's pre-creative training and experience included:
• Television assembly at Motorola and Quasar
• IBM typewriter and copier repair
• Series 6 & 63 licensed insurance and investment agent for The New England
• PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, divemaster, and Medic First Aid instructor
Rick's creative endeavors began when he worked for Computer City in Honolulu, where he began using digital cameras and photo editing software. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Hawaii Pacific University, where he was the lead photographer, photo editor, and web designer for the student newspaper, The Kalamalama. During that time HPU earned national awards in photography where Richard Bernico was specifically mentioned.
The next twenty years included building a photography business that covered beauty pageants, Samoan fire knife competitions, theatre, events, and portraiture. He also became a skilled digital creator of surreal artistic collages using his photos and professional software.
He earned certifications at Olelo Community Television where he produced and directed his own television episodes of Hawaii Profiles and Teens in Control.
Rick is currently enrolled in the Los Angeles Film School Bachelor of Science in Online Digital Filmmaking Program where he has already created a short narrative film, a short documentary, and is working on his final project for graduation. He is carrying a 3.99 GPA.
As an actor, Rick has trained under Wayne Ward and Eric Nemoto's Acting Gym, which is currently being conducted and filmed in Rick's photography and videography studio in downtown Honolulu.