Meet Rod Roberts | CEO of Rod and Reel Entertainment, director, writer, and producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rod Roberts and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rod, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
When the pandemic first started, the film industry shut down, and like everyone involved, I sat at home trying to simply understand what had just happened. Once I wrapped my head around the chaos, I began to think about how I was spending my time. Was binge-watching The Crown or Money Heist really a good use of my time? So, I started writing! By the end of the pandemic, I had half a dozen screenplays written and another 15 treatments fleshed out.

I began pitching them; I budgeted for my first suspense thriller, had a cast…, I was prepared and ready to go.

Then the writers and actors’ strike came.

I was right back where I started, at home, binge-watching The Crown. I began writing other stories, and I optioned and adapted books. I thought if I came out of this strike with so much diverse and original content, how could the studios say no?

It wasn’t difficult. At all! It felt like the writers emerged from the pandemic and strike with zero respect for their originality and work. The powers that be simply decided they were going to do the least to recoup the most. It was nothing but reboots, remakes, and really low-budget, underpaying projects.

I was taught that if one path is blocked, you simply make your own. I began to think about a company that celebrated storytelling, thought about how we could impact change in our society, and sought originality instead of being a Xerox copy of the 8,000 other production companies out there. I told a friend that I was fishing for better content. Their reply was, “Oh, you mean like with a rod and reel.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I grew up in the entertainment industry. My father owned a nite club in Chicago that showcased artists like Sammy Davis Jr, Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, and so many more. So naturally, by the time I was leaving high school, I wanted nothing to do with it. I thought about being an architect or software developer, and yet, by the time I left college, I found myself working in the entertainment industry.

I owned a swimwear company in the late 90s, and after dealing with photographers who were more interested in dating models than doing their jobs, I started shooting my own lookbooks and catalogs. I accidentally became a photographer. I moved to Sydney, Australia, and began traveling the world as a fashion photographer. While attending a wedding in Dubai in 2003, I latched onto another job as a model and talent agent, helping to provide extras for the film Syriana starring George Clooney. By the time the film was released, I had formed one of the largest agencies in the Middle East. With partners, we opened a sister agency in Hong Kong. And by 2009, I had left all of that behind and returned to the US after a family emergency.

In 2010, I moved to Los Angeles with the intention of working my way up to become a director. I latched onto a production company that very graciously allowed me to not only shadow their directors but also work in nearly every department on set. After 14 films, I decided to make my first short. When it was released in May 2017, it went nowhere. No one cared about an actress who was sexually assaulted by a film executive. Until Rose McGowan outed Harvey Weinstein. After that, my short about rape gained traction, received press, and truly mattered. I also realized what kind of filmmaker I wanted to be.

Looking back on it all, I think I just was always prepared to say yes to the next version of myself. I grew up around so many big moments that when they happened to me, they didn’t (and still don’t) seem that big at all.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The beach is the easiest and most obvious choice. However, since my best friend is a foodie and a music lover, I’d begin with brunch at The Serving Spoon in Inglewood. Although Dante’s in Beverly Hills may have a better view, but if you truly want a full spectrum of what LA has to offer, I’m taking my friend here first. I’d check out Vibrato for some jazz, as well as The Broad and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts museums. I’d drive up PCH to Malibu for Broad Street Oyster Company lobster rolls. I would hit my favorite taco truck at Olympic and La Brea. And depending on who’s DJing, we could go to Harriets or Soho House.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A while back, I was asked, “Who is a woman who has inspired you?”

My mother took me to see Star Wars when I was 7, and it blew my mind. Not only did she support my obsession with sci-fi, but she also cultivated it. I had every action figure, ship, and book. She had me reading Dune, The Hobbit, Hitchhiker’s Guide, and, of course, the Star Wars novels.

But then my parents bought me something else: a video camera. They gave me the freedom and encouraged me to create my own stop-motion adventures and see things creatively in ways that most 10-year-olds don’t. I dragged what felt like a 900-pound setup wherever my dad and I went. I filmed anything and everything.

When the next Star Wars films came out, there I was, camped out in the middle of the night while my mom sat in the car, keeping a close eye on me, bringing me Munchkins to keep me motivated and on a sugar high that would last until the doors opened.

Without a doubt, I would not be in the film industry if it weren’t for my mother. Everything I do in this industry is a Shoutout to her!

Website: https://www.rodandreelent.com

Instagram: @therodroberts and @rodandreelent

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therodroberts

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