Director Dax Martinez-Vargas has signed with m ss ng p eces. Formerly one-half of the comedy duo Sniper Twins at Smuggler, Martinez-Vargas has turned out clever, highly visual spots with Droga5, Creature, BBH, Mother, GMMB, Havas and Sapient Nitro for brands including Carling, Burger King, Coors, and Mentos.
He studied film at the University of Texas while creating original comedic film content for Austin’s famed Alamo Drafthouse; it’s there he began fine-tuning his comedic skills and playing with audience expectations. Upon graduation he spent five years writing and directing promos in the MTV On-Air Promos department.
As Sniper Twins, Dax and Barry were also rappers in their spare time, writing, producing, directing and performing in original rap videos. One music video went viral and three won partnerships with Seagate, Hershey’s and Adobe, putting the directing duo on the map. Now more experienced and humor-savvy than ever, Dax Martinez-Vargas embarks on a solo directorial career at m ss ng p eces.
Comedic Director Roderick Fenske Joins Yard Dog TV For U.S. Spot Work
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... Read More