Meet Raphael Leopold of Rodeo Show Productions in Venice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Raphael Leopold.

Raphael, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
From a young age, I was always drawn to entertainment and theatre. I attended filmmaking camp as a kid and volunteered at local media networks to get my foot in the door. One of my first jobs was at a local-access TV station where I learned the ins-and-outs of production, from shooting to directing and editing. I later segued to the radio side, working in the business sponsorship (commercial) department of a local NPR station on the East Coast where I had the opportunity to shadow executives.

From there, I took several other gigs, including working at an ABC/FOX-affiliate TV network while also volunteering at a nonprofit and later in film production. Each position was different than the other, but so valuable. Since the beginning, I made sure that–regardless of the position level–I immersed myself in the role and learned as much as I could from those around me.

After being exposed to many forms of content creation, I was most drawn to short-form storytelling and enjoyed the creative challenges involved with it. I knew the commercial space was where I wanted to be, so I headed to LA and started working at advertising agencies, including TBWA/Chiat/Day and Team One, managing accounts for top clients such as Pepsi and Lexus.

After several years on the agency side of the business, I knew my real passion was in production and filmmaking overall. At the time, I saw an opportunity to tap into digital advertising, a niche that few were exploring and placing value and emphasis on. I knew that was my best way to break in. I also knew I could be an influential production partner to brands looking to resonate with young viewers in an authentic way.

I took some time to re-immerse myself into the production space, and once I felt that I regained enough knowledge and insight, I took the entrepreneurial step and launched my own commercial production company, Rodeo Show. I’ve been fortunate enough that since launching, the company has become a successful business producing commercials and original content for brands like Nike, ESPN, Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, Jeep, HP, Subaru, Verizon, and Michelob, among others.

Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been an educational road, for sure. A big struggle as an entrepreneur is that there is no manual. Things aren’t black and white, especially in the current advertising landscape where business models are constantly evolving.

Since launching Rodeo Show, there has been a lot of trial and error, but that’s also allowed me to shift my mindset and see failure as a positive step toward growth. Each struggle that I’ve come across has allowed me to become a better person and a better business leader.

From learning to be comfortable by yourself (your time will be overly consumed), to being put in high-stress situations, embrace it all.

Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc.
Rodeo Show is a content development and production company driven by the dynamic landscape of new media. It fully embraces the liveliness and creative culture of its Venice, CA headquarters and is most known for bringing a brand’s vision to life through traditional and non-traditional commercials, branded content and original content, regardless of scope and size.

We have also been lucky to work on television shows, short films, music videos, PSAs, and more. We also pride ourselves for being a creative incubator for directors. Our directors enjoy artistic freedom and are backed up by resources needed to collaborate with agencies and brands, allowing them to craft a message that leaves a long-lasting impact.

We like to say that this isn’t our first rodeo and we have the tenacity and agility to bring visions to life; we thrive on the excitement of solving artistic challenges to create something special each time out of the gate.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Rodeo Show Productions – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am most proud of providing a supportive environment and opportunities that can make a difference in the world of the artists and creatives I represent and collaborate with.

By helping build the careers of the directors on our roster, we have been able to positively affect not only the lives of the artists but also impact culture through the content they put out into the world. There is a larger purpose of providing artists with the right toolbox to create great content, and that purpose is to facilitate the making of videos that resonate with audiences and impact them emotionally.

For example, we recently had the opportunity to produce the video campaign that reintroduced Abercrombie & Fitch’s new brand vision to the world. The 125-year-old fashion brand wanted to break out of its preppy image and embrace the open-minded, millennial culture. We believed in the project and its ideals, and we brought the vision to life in an authentic way that truly resonated with its intended audience.

Through collaboration, hustle and top creative talent, we were able to produce a great end product that went on to receive industry acclaim and awards. That’s the type of content and collaborations that we pride ourselves in being a part of.