Comedy director Bob Rice–with work that’s garnered Cannes Lions, Gold and Silver Pencils and Clios, among other honors–has joined the roster of Little Minx, the production house under the aegis of president Rhea Scott. Rice made his first industry mark on the agency side of the fence, serving as a writer and creative director at such shops as Saatchi & Saatchi and ChiatDay (now TBWAChiatDay) in L.A., NY and London.
With his agency experience, Rice understands the time and nurturing that goes into the creation of a campaign. Not only is Rice in his element helping creatives turn good boards into notable spots, he also used to be a script doctor at Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and recently wrapped his first feature film Dead of Winter.
Working with clients and creatives comes as second nature to Rice whose spot directorial credits span such brands as Honda, Samsung, ESPN and recent work for Oberto Beef Jerky (featuring Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl champ Richard Sherman).
Prior to joining Little Minx, Rice was repped in the U.S. by Splendid & Co. (formerly trio films).
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More