Director/cinematographer Peter Rodger has joined Bandito Brothers for exclusive U.S. spot representation. Among his credits is having served as director, cinematographer and producer of the documentary feature Oh My God, which explores people’s diverse opinions and perceptions of God. The film entailed two-and-a-half years of filming across 23 countries and featured Hugh Jackman, Seal, Ringo Starr, Sir Bob Geldof, Princess Michael of Kent, David Copperfield and Jack Thompson.
The docu-feature had its world premiere in July, 2009 at the Jerusalem International Film Festival, and is being distributed on DVD Hay House, and will be available as a Video-on-Demand release via Lionsgate in early 2011. That release will coincide with the release of a book by the director based on his experiences making the film.
“We all have a responsibility to live our lives with tolerance and understanding for our fellow man,” Rodger said of his life lessons. “I also learned that hostility is manufactured by power-seeking humans and has nothing to do with God. The world is way more united than divided, even though most of us are conditioned to believe otherwise. You only have to look into children’s eyes to see the spark of this ‘thing’ that is common to all of us. It is the glue that binds us all together.”
Rodger grew up looking through a camera lens. As a teenager, the British director honed his skills by assisting his father, George Rodger, a renowned photojournalist and co-founder of Magnum Photos. “My dad taught me not to shoot, but to see,” he recalled. After completing his education at England’s Maidstone College of Art, his skill with the lens made him a sought-after talent in the European and American advertising industry, shooting numerous car, clothing and cosmetics companies’ print and commercial campaigns in over 40 different countries. His directorial credits include Natural Resources Defense Council’s “The Earth’s Best Defense,” University of Houston’s “Dr. Paul Chu” and “Dr. Bowen Loftin,” and Mark McGwire Foundation for Children’s “Help.” Rodger’s previous production house roosts over the years have included Limelight UK, Fletcher Sanderson, Redback Films, and Cucoloris.
“Peter’s world-class photography and ability to canvass the globe are more arrows in our quiver,” said Bandito Brothers exec producer Jeff Rohrer. “Quite frankly, we are tired of shooting ‘in the zone’ and are designing teams that can deliver production in any location in the world for the same cost. Peter is one of the few directors who can do just that.”
Rodger said several factors drew him to Bandito Brothers, including the association forged between the company and recently launched VFX house Cantina Creative. “Much of my work involves visual effects, and it’s great to have this resource so close at hand,” related Rodger.
Rodger rounds out a Bandito Brothers roster comprised of partners/directors Mouse McCoy and Scott Waugh, directors Stewart Hendler and Sinuhe Xavier, directing duos Gentlemen and The Polish Brothers, and director/cinematographers Shane Hurlbut, Mitchell Amundsen, Matt Goodman, and Vic Huber.
TikTok’s Fate Arrives At Supreme Court; Arguments Center On Free Speech and National Security
In one of the most important cases of the social media age, free speech and national security collide at the Supreme Court on Friday in arguments over the fate of TikTok, a wildly popular digital platform that roughly half the people in the United States use for entertainment and information.
TikTok says it plans to shut down the social media site in the U.S. by Jan. 19 unless the Supreme Court strikes down or otherwise delays the effective date of a law aimed at forcing TikTok's sale by its Chinese parent company.
Working on a tight deadline, the justices also have before them a plea from President-elect Donald Trump, who has dropped his earlier support for a ban, to give him and his new administration time to reach a "political resolution" and avoid deciding the case. It's unclear if the court will take the Republican president-elect's views — a highly unusual attempt to influence a case — into account.
TikTok and China-based ByteDance, as well as content creators and users, argue the law is a dramatic violation of the Constitution's free speech guarantee.
"Rarely if ever has the court confronted a free-speech case that matters to so many people," lawyers for the users and content creators wrote. Content creators are anxiously awaiting a decision that could upend their livelihoods and are eyeing other platforms.
The case represents another example of the court being asked to rule about a medium with which the justices have acknowledged they have little familiarity or expertise, though they often weigh in on meaty issues involving restrictions on speech.
The Biden administration, defending the law that President Joe Biden signed in April after it was approved by wide bipartisan majorities in Congress, contends that... Read More