Roderick Fenske, the award-winning agency copywriter/creative director turned comedic director of commercials and films, has joined Yard Dog TV for U.S. representation.
Fenske–known for his idiosyncratic casting, stylish art direction, and blend of practical and digital effects–saw his newest commercial work, for Drink Weird Ice Tea, break earlier this month. His most recent short film, I’m Dead, You’re Welcome, starring JR Russell, Taissa Zveiter, Sandy Eels, and Julia Lorpriore, is making the rounds of film festivals now, having won Best Comedy Short at the Flagstaff International Film Festival last month.
Fenske, who started out in the business as a copywriter, is one of a select group of agency creatives to have found success in both New York and London, where his last post was as a creative director at TBWA there. “I owe so much of my career to Trevor Beattie [TBWA London chairman/creative director at the time], because he believed in me and started my career directing commercials,” said Fenske, citing work for Sony PlayStation, French Connection UK, and Channel 5.
Those spots led to an invitation to become a member of the visionary Swedish film collective known as ACNE. “I learned so much there working in a directing collective. With everybody talking about how to make stuff look stylish and cinematic it was like a film school for me,” Fenske explained. “Production design is so important because humor can be much more unexpected when you have an elevated look.”
Over the course of his career, Fenske’s work has received many international awards from shows including the Cannes Lions, British D&AD, and AICP. He moved from London to Los Angeles, and during this time he met Yard Dog co-owner/executive producer Joe Piccirillo through a mutual friend.
“Roderick has such a memorable and unique creative voice that truly stands out,” Piccirillo said, adding that he was thrilled their professional paths have finally converged.
Prior to joining Yard Dog TV for commercials, Fenske was repped in the American ad market by Bully Pictures. He continues to be handled in the U.K. by Believe Media.
While remaining available for commercial projects, Fenske is currently in pre-production on his first feature-length film, Holy Molé, an independent comedy starring Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction) and Cristo Fernandez (Ted Lasso).
Yard Dog, which is a certified woman-owned production company (in which Piccirillo and Beth Pearson are partnered), is represented on the East Coast by Minerva (Shauna Seresin and Mary Knox), in the Midwest by Ideal Partners (Tracy Bernard and Robin Stevens), and on the West Coast by Jeanie DiMaggio and Tracy Fetterman.
