Production company Rodeo Show has signed director Todd Heyman for U.S. commercial representation.
With an affinity for storytelling and an eye for balancing cinematic visuals with authentic performances, Heyman has collaborated with brands such as Nike, Coke, AAMCO, The U.S. Army, Motorola and Marathon. His work across branded and film content has earned numerous industry accolades including Cannes Lions, Webbys and multiple film festival audience awards.
Prior to joining Rodeo Show, Heyan had been directing independently. He earlier was repped by Traveling Picture Show Company.
Originally developing marketing campaigns for top Hollywood studios, Heyman dove into the world of film and found footing in the creative industry. A self-taught talent, he has an eye for detail and a natural curiosity that led him to rapidly hone his creative skill set, with his first short film as writer/director landing as a finalist at the Tribeca Film Festival and going on to be picked up for distribution by HBO. His initial foray into commercial directing led a similarly fortuitous path when a pulse-racing spec spot for Nike earned widespread industry acclaim and attention from the company itself, leading to further commissioned work for the athletic brand. With years of ad experience under his belt, Heyman has honed his craft directing innovative, personal work, and is currently in development to direct a feature film that he also penned.
Rodeo Show EP Raphael Leopold said, “Todd brings such a strong artistic point of view and work ethic to every project that he works on. He has a comprehensive approach, always taking into account the client, agency and production perspectives and expertly mitigating feedback."
Added Heyman, “Raphael is an ambitious producer and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty when it comes to coming up with solutions for any type of project, and that is that is always how I’ve liked to operate. His straightforward approach and dedication to his roster of talent is refreshing and I’m excited to see what we can create together.”
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More