Production company Rodeo Show has signed director Matt Uhry for his first U.S. commercial representation. The move comes on the heels of a collaboration between Rodeo Show and Uhry on a Fancy Feast campaign that launched this month.
Affectionately referred to as “The Animal Guy,” Uhry’s animal directorial experience stems from extensive study under animal trainers and behaviorists, as well as deep experience observing and training behaviors. “It’s about more than liking animals, it’s creating the right conditions in the first place and then adjusting inputs to keep making the shot better,” said Uhry. “If there’s time for training that opens up a whole world of possibility, but much can be achieved with simply the right approach on set and a bit of patience.”
Decades of work range from mammals to bird and reptile shooting for brands including Netflix (and a Clio Award-winning tree frog), PetsMart, La Quinta, Meow Mix, Visit California, ASPCA and many more. His animal repertoire includes the aforementioned tree frog named Gerard, cats, leopards, grizzly bears, good dogs of all breeds, horses, dolphins, elephants, whales and bees.
Additional commercial exploits span branded content documentary work and VFX for clients such as Ketel One, Lenovo, Sony and Intel. Bringing a diverse skillset as a director/DP and photographer, Uhry has seen his nimble approach to production serve as an imperative offering for pandemic production. Since restrictions have come into place, he has shot numerous projects, embracing the limitations as a creative challenge across both remote and in-person shoots.
Ryan Wadzinski, Rodeo Show exec producer, said, “Matt has a unique ability to capture the authentic emotions of human and animal connection. On top of being such a standout ‘Animal Guy,’ his diverse background as a director and witty demeanor really allows him to bring a fresh approach to every project he works on.”
Uhry shared, “The Rodeo Show team has very quickly become family for me and their attention to detail and level of support along every step of the production process really allows me to focus on the creative process.”
Born and raised in Northern California, Uhry found his cinematic footing thanks to an aunt’s Super 8mm camera, discovered on a family trip when he was nine years old. A decade later, he graduated to a Bolex under the tutelage of experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage at University of Colorado Boulder, where he studied for his BFA. A formative trip in his early twenties set the stage for his career, from living in Paris to hitchhiking through Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He cut his teeth as a DP on numerous short films and music videos, before segueing to shooting and directing his own commercials. He most recently worked in China, the U.K., Chile, Bolivia, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Vietnam, UAE, Argentina, Portugal, India, Brazil, Cuba, France, Namibia, Thailand, Japan, and many more regions.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More