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    Production Companies Blink, Rogue Team To Launch New Venture

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments4206 Views
    Pictured (l-r) are Charlie Crompton, James Studholme and David van der Gaag
    LONDON --

    Blink and Rogue, two of London’s leading commercial production houses, will form an ambitious new venture next month. While each company retains its own distinct brand and roster, Blink and Rogue will use their shared culture and resources–spanning commercial production, automotive wherewithal, animation, long-form entertainment and music production–to maximize creative opportunities for their directors and cost-effective solutions for their clients.

    The partnership actually brings together six existing entities: Blink and Rogue in commercial production, award-winning companies representing major filmmaking talent like Dougal Wilson and Sam Brown; Carnage, a Rogue-backed shop launched in 2016 with production expertise in the automotive ad/marketing sector; Blinkink, the Cannes Grand Prix-winning animation studio; long-form entertainment house Blink Industries; and Major Tom/Village Green, the music production component of the Blink family.

    “We already have key experience in getting all our constituent elements dancing elegantly together. The beating heart of this idea is that we will be so much more than the sum of our parts. This union prefigures our belief that a group of complementary specialisms at the top of their games, working together harmoniously and seamlessly to create the very best work possible across all moving media, is what our industry needs now and in the future,” said James Studholme, Blink’s chairman.

    Charlie Crompton, co-founder of Rogue, said: “In an industry that seems to be running away from great creativity, we’re united in a belief that we must continue to run towards it. We passionately believe in the transcendent magic of great filmmaking in making transformatively powerful work for the brands we shoot for.”

    Studholme continued, “There’s only one company I could possibly have contemplated doing this with and that’s Rogue. I was green with envy and admiration when they launched Carnage and am a massive fan of their directing roster. I love Charlie and David (van der Gaag, Rogue’s founding partner and Carnage CEO), our philosophies are aligned, we see the future the same way and we share an excitement at shaping ourselves to thrive. Plus, it’s going to be the most fun imaginable.”

    Crompton added, “Being chair of the Arrows (British ad competition) makes you all too aware of the new split in quality levels and I passionately feel the need to always be amongst the best. And Blink are market leaders in that department having been Production Company of the year three times. They’ll push us and we’ll push them. And it helps that Rogue and Blink have been friends and mutual admirers for many years and share common values, vision and ambition”.

    Rogue/Carnage’s van der Gaag added, “I’ve long admired the entrepreneurial spirit that runs through the Blink brand. The group of companies that Blink has created over the years all share the same commitment to the highest standards of creativity
    and a recognition that the best quality work comes through specialism. It was that ethos that had a profound impact on our deciding to launch Carnage.”

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    Category:News
    Tags:BlinkBlink IndustriesBlinkinkCarnageRogue



    To Tell Her Story In A Groundbreaking Documentary, Marlee Matlin Reached Out To First-Time Director Shoshannah Stern

    Friday, June 20, 2025

    When American Masters approached Marlee Matlin about doing a documentary, Matlin had one name in mind to direct: Shoshannah Stern.

    Like Matlin, Stern is deaf. She also hadn't directed before. But Matlin, who herself became the first deaf person in the Directors Guild of America just a few years ago, was certain she was up to the task.

    The resulting film, "Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore" is an intimate look at her life: Growing up in a hearing family; winning the best actress Oscar at 21 for her first movie role in "Children of a Lesser God," which film critic Rex Reed at the time called a "pity vote"; what she's described as an abusive romantic relationship with her co-star, the late William Hurt, which he denied; getting sober; and her experiences in an industry not equipped to accommodate deaf actors.

    It's also an evocative portal into the world of the deaf community that uses groundbreaking techniques and sound design to put American Sign Language (ASL) and visual communication first. The film opens in select theaters Friday.

    While Matlin told much of her story in the memoir "I'll Scream Later," on some level it wasn't a completely satisfactory experience. Before the #MeToo movement, its revelations were not treated entirely seriously in the media. But a documentary also provided an opportunity.

    "We communicate visually," she said.

    Matlin and Stern spoke though translators about the "CODA" effect, making the doc on their terms, and why they hope Reed sees this film. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

    Q: Shoshanna, what was your approach?

    STERN: I had never seen a deaf person direct an episode of TV or film. Never. I thought, what does that even... Read More

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