Production company Panoptica has signed London-based director Robbie Samuels for North American representation. An award-winning director who creates under the alias superrocketman, Samuels has directed commercials and content for clients such as Discovery, Channel 4, BBC Studios, Malaria No More, Hyundai, and Ford, to name a few.
Panoptica becomes the first company to rep Samuels in the U.S. market. Panoptica founder Hughes William Thompson became acquainted with the director through his short film, Hip Hop Café, a witty homage to the Golden Age of hip hop. Thompson said of Samuels, “He is a true cinephile whose exceptional mix of sophistication and playfulness will resonate with creatives in the States. His ability to blend humanity, humor, energy, and quirk is what sets him apart, as he will excel in a wide range of categories–from comedic and ‘hint of a smile’ work to more grounded and poignant humanist work to automotive.”
“It feels good to be part of the Panoptica family,” added Samuels. “Will and [executive producer] Roan [Bibby]’s vibe is what attracted me. They are great guys who are pushing for great things. The creative energy and acumen they bring is impressive as I look to grow my career stateside and take on more large-scale productions.”
As a published writer and globally recognized creative and director, Samuels has exhibited the talent to adapt to a wide variety of work that’s allowed him to explore a breadth of opportunities spanning advertising, film, and TV. This is evident in his efforts for clients such as Hyundai, Ford, Metlife, and Barclays, which all live in different categories ranging from comedic to humanist work.
Comic books, sci-fi novels, and illustration ignited Samuels’ personal aesthetic and passion for storytelling as a young boy growing up in London. His penchant for imagining things led him to an early art education at Central St. Martins, followed by the Edinburgh College of Art. Not long after, he screened a short film at the Tribeca Film Festival, which caught the attention of Vanity Fair, followed by another short, Zoltan the Great, which won Best International Short Film at Los Angeles’ HD Fest. Channeling his love of film and music, the aforementioned film, Hip Hop Café, screened at festivals across the globe while garnering a coveted Vimeo Staff Pick.
Samuels is currently developing his debut feature The Bronze Bull and a sci-fi mini series We Can Bring You Back for SKY UK.
“I find ideas to be energizing,” concluded Samuels. “They can come from literally anywhere–dreams or daydreams, or abstractions of things that have happened to me. I’m also a sponge for pop culture. I’m always watching a classic film and plugging the gaps of world cinema that I’ve missed.”
Review: Director Morgan Neville’s “Piece by Piece”
A movie documentary that uses only Lego pieces might seem an unconventional choice. When that documentary is about renowned musician-producer Pharrell Williams, it's actually sort of on-brand.
"Piece by Piece" is a bright, clever song-filled biopic that pretends it's a behind-the-scenes documentary using small plastic bricks, angles and curves to celebrate an artist known for his quirky soul. It is deep and surreal and often adorable. Is it high concept or low? Like Williams, it's a bit of both.
Director Morgan Neville — who has gotten more and more experimental exploring other celebrity lives like Fred Rogers in "Won't You Be My Neighbor?,""Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain" and "Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in Two Pieces" — this time uses real interviews but masks them under little Lego figurines with animated faces. Call this one a documentary in a million pieces.
The filmmakers try to explain their device — "What if nothing is real? What if life is like a Lego set?" Williams says at the beginning — but it's very tenuous. Just submit and enjoy the ride of a poor kid from Virginia Beach, Virginia, who rose to dominate music and become a creative director at Louis Vuitton.
Williams, by his own admission, is a little detached, a little odd. Music triggers colors in his brain — he has synesthesia, beautifully portrayed here — and it's his forward-looking musical brain that will make him a star, first as part of the producing team The Neptunes and then as an in-demand solo producer and songwriter.
There are highs and lows and then highs again. A verse Williams wrote for "Rump Shaker" by Wreckx-N-Effect when he was making a living selling beats would lead to superstars demanding to work with him and partner... Read More