Production company Superprime has added Rodrigo Valdes to its roster of filmmakers for commercial representation in the U.S.
Mexican-born, L.A.-based director Valdes blends his unique vision and elevated craft to create genre-bending and immersive cinematic experiences. Valdes nurtured his passion for filmmaking at his father’s postproduction company, where he honed his talents by experimenting with color correction, VFX, and green screens. After dropping out of film school, Valdes and a few friends pooled their tuition money to shoot short films. These short films would become music videos and commercials and lead to his co-founding of The Maestros, which has evolved into a leading production company in Latin America.
“As a director, I strive to fuse my passion for cinema with inspired acting and visual storytelling to bring out unexpected feelings in the audience,” said Valdes. “I’m very excited to join the incredibly talented roster at Superprime and take my craft to the next level.’’
Valdes has helmed campaigns for VW, Toyota, Honda, Fiat, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, and The North Face, among others. In the last two years alone, his work has garnered three Cannes Film Lions and two gold Ciclopes, as well as many other international awards. Prior to joining Superprime, he was repped in the U.S. ad arena by Gloria Content.
“Rodrigo’s style is fresh and unique,” said Michelle Ross, managing director/EP of Superprime. “His work with luxury car brands and the way he tells a story in such a beautiful way really captivated us.”
Is “Glicked” The New “Barbenheimer”? “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” Hit Theater Screens
"Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen.
The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.
And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).
This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.
"'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."
As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More