Director Rod Blackhurst has signed with bicoastal The Famous Group for spots and brand content. Blackhurst’s first feature Here Alone won an audience award at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Next month his Netflix Original documentary Amanda Knox will premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Blackhurst is probably best known in the ad industry for his recent branding campaign for Airbnb,,,.
New York-based production studio Sibling Rivalry has added Gerald Ding to its directorial roster. Ding has helmed spots for brands such as Apple (“Loved”), Google (Android “Handshake”), Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola, Gillette, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Samsung and Converse. He has also worked with musical artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Vampire Weekend and Kid Cudi….
Cast & Crew Entertainment Services has completed its previously announced acquisition of CAPS Payroll, a leading payroll provider spanning multiple entertainment markets including commercial production, venues, music tours, live events, unscripted television and independent film. As previously disclosed, Silver Lake, the global technology investing leader and controlling shareholder of Cast & Crew, committed substantial additional equity to fund the acquisition and support Cast & Crew’s continued growth. Following its acquisition by Silver Lake in mid-2015, Cast & Crew has accelerated investments to extend its technology leadership and to strategically align itself for the industry’s digital future. In addition to the acquisition of CAPS, itself a technology pioneer in the entertainment subsectors it serves, Cast & Crew’s other recent investments include the release of new and advanced digital workflow solutions and the acquisition of screenwriting software leader Final Draft, Inc….
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