Vulcan Productions produced documentary films, television programming and virtual reality experiences that drove awareness around environmental and social issues. The company was founded in 1997 by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and his sister Jody Allen. It closed in 2021.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founder | Paul Allen and Jody Allen |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Jody Allen (Founder and Interim Chairman) |
| Products | Movies, documentaries, television films and specials |
The company financed and co-produced films with directors such as Martin Scorsese,[1] Clint Eastwood[2] and Robert Redford.[3] Its films and TV series had aired on video on-demand services like Netflix, HBO and Hulu and across networks like The Discovery Channel and National Geographic.[4] Films produced by Vulcan Productions won Peabody Awards[5] and received Academy Award nominations.[6] The company focused on raising awareness on issues like mental health, girl's education, veterans, parenting, wildlife conservation, ocean health, climate change and modern-day slavery.
History
editVulcan Productions began under the name "Clear Blue Sky Productions"[7] and received its first critical success with the feature film Titus (1999). The company continued to produce feature films including Far From Heaven,[8] Where God Left His Shoes,[9] and Hard Candy.[10] With a name change in 2011, the then-Vulcan Productions shifted its measure of success from box office numbers and critical ratings to driving social impact and world change.[11] The company exclusively produced Social impact entertainment with a focus on topics ranging from wildlife and conservation, global health, contemporary social issues, science, technology, history and exploration.
As part of the larger Vulcan Inc. organization, Vulcan Productions’ mission was to “change minds and ignite action through the power of storytelling.”
On May 27, 2020 Vulcan Inc. announced that Vulcan Productions would be shutdown in 2021 citing the "economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis"[12] as well as "the ongoing transition after Paul Allen's passing in 2018."[13] A few weeks after winning top honors at the Sundance Film Festival for Summer of Soul, Vulcan Productions ceased operations.[14]
Films
edit| Year | Film | Type | Release Date | Director | Co-producers | Starring | Distributor | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Inspirations (film) | Documentary film | 1997 | Michael Apted | Argo Films | |||
| 1999 | Titus (film) | Feature film | 25 December 1999 | Julie Taymor | Overseas Film Group | Anthony Hopkins | Fox Searchlight Pictures | |
| Me & Isaac Newton | Documentary film | 1999 | Michael Apted | Gertrude B. Elion | First Look International | |||
| 2001 | Nova: Cracking the Code of Life | Television documentary | 17 April 2001 | Elizabeth Arledge | PBS | Robert Krulwich (Journalist) | PBS | |
| Evolution | Television special | 2001 | David Espar "Darwin's Dangerous Idea"
Susan K. Lewis "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" Joel Olicker "Great Transformations" Kate Churchill "Extinction!" Richard Hutton "Extinction!" Gail Wilumsen "Evolutionary Arms race" |
PBS | Liam Neeson (Narrator) | PBS | ||
| 2003 | Far from Heaven | Feature film | 10 January 2003 | Todd Haynes | Focus Features | Julianne Moore | Focus Features | |
| The Blues (film series) | Documentary series | 28 September 2003 | Martin Scorsese "Feel Like Going Home"
Wim Wenders "The Soul of a Man" Richard Pearce (director) "The Road to Memphis" Charles Burnett (director) "Warming by the Devil's Fire" Marc Levin "Godfathers and Sons" Mike Figgis "Red, White and Blues" Clint Eastwood "Piano Blues" |
Road Movies Filmproduktion | B.B. King
Laurence Fishburne (Narrator) |
PBS | ||
| 2004 | Black Sky: The Race For Space | Documentary film | 3 October 2004 | Sandy Guthrie
Jill Shinefield Scott B Gail Willumsen |
Discovery Channel
Gemini Productions Antenna Films |
Burt Rutan | Discovery Channel | |
| Lightning in a Bottle | Documentary film | 5 August 2004 | Antoine Fuqua | Jigsaw Productions | Aerosmith | Sony Pictures Classics | ||
| Strange Days on Planet Earth | Television series | 2004 | David Elisco | Sea Studios Foundation | Edward Norton (Narrator) | PBS | ||
| 2005 | Hard Candy (film) | Feature film | 21 January 2005 | David Slade | Launchpad Productions | Elliot Page[a] | Lionsgate Films | |
| Success at the Core | Educational film | 2005 | Richard Hutton | Education Development Center | Teaching Channel | |||
| Rx For Survival | Documentary series | 2005 | Mike Beckham (Producer) “Disease Warriors”
Sara Holt (Producer) “Rise of the Superbugs” Andy Young (Producer) “Deadly Messengers” Tabitha Jackson (Producer) “Back to the Basics” Rob Whittlesey (Producer) “How Safe Are We?” |
WGBH Educational Foundation | Brad Pitt (Narrator) | PBS | ||
| 2007 | Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial | Documentary film | 13 November 2007 | Gary Johnstone
Joseph McMaster |
WGBH Educational Foundation | PBS | ||
| Where God Left His Shoes | Feature film | 2007 | Salvatore Stabile | John Leguizamo | IFC Films | |||
| 2010 | This Emotional Life | Documentary series | 4 January 2010 | Matt Boatright-Simon | Kunhardt Films
McGee Media |
Daniel Gilbert (psychologist) | PBS | |
| 2013 | Girl Rising | Documentary film | 2013 | Richard E. Robbins | The Documentary Group
Double Exposure Studios |
Narration by Anne Hathaway | CNN Films | |
| Pandora's Promise | Documentary film | Robert Stone (director) | Robert Stone Productions | CNN Films | ||||
| 2014 | We The Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford To Miss | Documentary film | 2014 | 22 directors including, but not limited to: | Cinelan | Morgan Spurlock
among others |
45 different distribution partners Including, but not limited to: | |
| 2015 | Body Team 12 | Documentary film | 2015 | David Darg | RYOT Films | HBO | ||
| Racing Extinction | Documentary film | 18 September 2015 | Louie Psihoyos | Oceanic Preservation Society
Insurgent Docs |
Elon Musk | Discovery Channel | ||
| 2016 | Midsummer in Newtown | Documentary film | 1 April 2016 | Lloyd Kramer | Participant Media | Jimmy Greene | ||
| Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale | Documentary film | 5 June 2016 | Ben Bowie
Geoffrey Luck |
Off the Fence | Netflix | |||
| The Ivory Game | Documentary film | November 12, 2016 | Richard Ladkani | Terra Mater Factual Studios
Malaika Pictures |
Elisifa Ngowi
Craig Millar Andrea Crosta Hongxiang Huang Ofir Drori Ian Craig Georgina Kamanga
|
Netflix | ||
| Ocean Warriors | Television series | 4 December 2016 | Marc Benjamin | Sundance Productions
Brick City TV |
Sid Chakravarty
Peter Hammerstedt |
Animal Planet | ||
| 2017 | Unseen Enemy | Documentary film | 7 April 2017 | Janet Tobias | Sierra/Tango Productions
CNN Films |
CNN Films | ||
| 2018 | Ballet Now | Documentary film | 4 June 2018 | Steven Cantor | Stick Figure Studios | Tiler Peck | Hulu | |
| X-Ray Fashion | VR short | 29 August 2018 | Francesco Carrozzini | MANND | Francesco Carrozzini | |||
| Chasing the Thunder | Documentary film | 2 February 2018 | Marc Benjamin | Brick City TV | Sid Chakravarty
Peter Hammerstedt |
Animal Planet | ||
| Memphis Belle: The Restoration | Documentary film | 2018 | William Wyler | Creative Differences | ||||
| 2019 | USS Indianapolis: The Final Chapter | Documentary film | 8 January 2019 | Kirk Wolfinger | Lone Wolf Media | PBS | ||
| Everest VR | VR short | 10 April 2019 | Jon Griffith
Matthew Dejohn |
Alpine Exposures
Legend 3D |
Sherpa Tenji
Jon Griffith |
|||
| Drop in the Ocean | VR short | 25 April 2019 | Philippe Cousteau Jr. | Vision3 | Philippe Cousteau
Ashlan Cousteau |
|||
| Guardians of the Kingdom | VR short | 26 April 2019 | Sophie Ansel
Christophe Bailhache |
Underwater Earth
Seaview 360 Projects for Good ITRAMAS Spinifex |
Sylvia Earle
Finau Molisi |
|||
| The Cold Blue | Documentary film | 6 June 2019 | Erik Nelson | Creative Differences | HBO | |||
| Ghost Fleet | Documentary film | 7 June 2019 | Shannon Service
Jeffrey Waldron |
Seahorse Productions | Patima Tungpuchayakul
Tun Lin Chutima "Oi" Sidasathian Bustar Maitar |
TBD | ||
| Oliver Sacks: His Own Life | Documentary film | August 31, 2019 | Ric Burns | Steeplechase Productions
Motto Pictures PBS American Masters |
Oliver Sacks | PBS American Masters[16] |
- Winner – The Humanitas Prize: 2008 Best Sundance Feature Film[17]
- 2008 Imagen Awards
Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas
- 2006 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
- Best Actress - Olivia Wilde[20]
- 2006 Malaga Film Festival
- Best Film
- Best Director - David Slade
- Best Actress - Elliot Page[a]
- Best Cinematographer - Jo Willems
- 2005 Sitges Film Festival
- Best Motion Picture
- Best Screenplay
- Audience Award for Best Motion Picture [21]
- 75th Annual Academy Award nominations[22]
- Best Actress in a Leading Role - Julianne Moore
- Best Cinematography - Edward Lachman
- Best Writing (Original Screenplay) - Todd Haynes
- Best Music (Score) - Elmer Bernstein
- Independent Spirit Awards winner:[23]
- Best Picture
- Best Director - Todd Haynes
- Best Female Lead - Julianne Moore
- Best Supporting Male - Dennis Quaid
- Best Cinematography - Edward Lachman, A.S.C.
- Golden Globe Award nominations:[24]
- Best Actress - Julianne Moore (Drama)
- Best Supporting Actor - Dennis Quaid
- Best Screenplay - Todd Haynes
- Best Music Score - Elmer Bernstein
- Deauville Festival of American Film
- International Critics Prize
- Best Performance: Patricia Clarkson,
- Ralph Lauren Fragrances Prize
- Seattle Women in Cinema Film Festival
- Third-place prize
- San Sebastian International Film Festival
- Nominated: Golden Seashell Award
- 2000 Academy Awards
- Nominated: Best Costume Design
- 2000 Art Directors Guild
- Nominated: Excellence in Production Design Award
- 2000 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists
- Winner: Silver Ribbon Award – Best Production Design
- 2000 Edgar Allan Poe Awards
- Nominated: Best Motion Picture
- 2000 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
- Nominated: Sierra Award – Best Costume Design
- Best Screenplay – Adapted
- 2000 Satellite Awards
- Winner: Gold Satellite – Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama
- Nominated: Best Art Direction, Production Design
- Best Costume Design
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama
- Best Screenplay – Adapted
- Best Visual Effects
- 2001 London Critics Circle Film Awards
- Nominated: Best British Actor of the Year
Notes
edit- ^ a b Credited as Ellen Page; Hard Candy was released before Page came out as transgender.[15]
References
edit- ^ "The Blues | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
- ^ "Martin Scorsese's The Blues - Vulcan Productions". www.vulcanproductions.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
- ^ Petski, Denise (2016-11-14). "Robert Redford & Animal Planet Team On Ocean Conservation Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
- ^ "Four Vulcan Productions Films You Can Stream At Home". Paul Allen. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
- ^ "Vulcan Productions Wins First Peabody Award". www.spaceref.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
- ^ "Body Team 12 Oscar Nomination - Vulcan". www.vulcan.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
- ^ "Clear Blue Sky Productions". BFI. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
- ^ Far from Heaven, retrieved 2019-06-20
- ^ Where God Left His Shoes, retrieved 2019-06-20
- ^ Hard Candy, retrieved 2019-06-20
- ^ "Geek of the Week: Vulcan Productions GM Carole Tomko drives social change through storytelling". GeekWire. 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
- ^ "Future of Seattle's Cinerama and Living Computers museum in doubt as Paul Allen's Vulcan shutters arts and production divisions". GeekWire. 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
- ^ McNary, Dave (2020-05-27). "Film News Roundup: Paul Allen's Vulcan Productions to Close in 2021 Due to Pandemic". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
- ^ "Vulcan Productions shuts down, 23 years and more than 80 films after Paul Allen launched the venture". GeekWire. 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
- ^ Shoard, Catherine (December 1, 2020). "Elliot Page: star of Juno and X-Men announces he is transgender". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ "American Masters Pictures Co-Producing Oliver Sacks Documentary | Blog | American Masters | PBS". American Masters. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
- ^ "The Humanitas Prize, Past Winners". Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Imagen Awards 2008 Nominees". Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ "Imagen Awards 2008 Winners". Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ "IMDb > Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas (2006) > Awards". IMDb. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ "IMDb > Hard Candy (2005) > Awards". IMDb. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ "Nominees & Winners for the 75th Academy Awards". Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ "Twenty-Six Years of Nominees & Winners (.pdf)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ "2003 Golden Globe Nominees and Winners". Retrieved May 2, 2011.