Good Machine

Last updated
Good Machine Productions
Industry Independent film
Founded1990;34 years ago (1990)
Founders Ted Hope
James Schamus
Defunct2003;21 years ago (2003)
FateMerged with USA Films and Universal Focus
Successors Focus Features
This Is That Productions
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Products Motion pictures
Parent Universal Studios (2002–2003)
Divisions Good Machine International

Good Machine Productions was an American independent film production, film distribution, and foreign sales company started in the early 1990 by its co-founders and producers, Ted Hope and James Schamus. David Linde joined as a partner in the late 1990s and also started the international sales company Good Machine International. [1] They sold the company to Universal Pictures, [2] where it was then merged with USA Films and Universal Focus to create Focus Features. [3] Hope, along with the heads of production development and business affairs (Anthony Bregman, Anne Carey, and Diana Victor) then went on to form the independent production company This Is That Productions. Schamus and Linde became co-presidents of Focus Features. [4]

Contents

In 2001, the Museum of Modern Art celebrated the tenth anniversary of Good Machine's work, commemorating their support of international and domestic filmmakers. [5]

Background

Good Machine was involved in production and/or distribution of a number of films, including Ang Lee's The Ice Storm and Ride with the Devil ; Hal Hartley projects such as Flirt (1995), Edward Burns's The Brothers McMullen , Todd Solondz's Happiness , and Todd Field’s In the Bedroom . [6] [7]

History

Launched in 1990 from a small loft space in lower Manhattan by writer/producer/Columbia professor James Schamus and his partner, Ted Hope, Good Machine produced many important independent films over the years, among them Safe (Todd Haynes, 1995) and The Wedding Banquet (Ang Lee, 1993). The company survived by doing line producing for hire and keeping overhead costs low. Many films were commercially successful thanks to centrist marketing strategies. David Linde joining in 1997 and creating the foreign sales company gave Schamus, Hope and Linde greater control of Good Machine's products, increased financing sources, and provided information about what people in the marketplace wanted. [8] In 1997, it was announced that Good Machine would become the foreign sales agent of films produced and distributed by October Films, in order to acquire worldwide rights of the films. [9] In 1998, it struck a deal with Universal. [10] Previously, the company had a one-time production deal with 20th Century Fox, which was signed in 1996. [11] It was dismantled in 2002, when it merged with Focus Features. [12] In 2001, Good Machine struck a deal with Radar Pictures to finance and distribute their films for international releases. [13] The deal was continued as Good Machine was absorbed into Focus. [14]

Disbandment

In 2002, Good Machine was acquired by Universal Pictures. [15] James Schamus and David Linde remained with Universal, serving as co-presidents of Focus Features. [16]

Ted Hope chose to part with the company to form the This is that Corporation [17] (This Is That Productions) with Good Machine Director of Development Anne Carey, Director of Production Anthony Bregman, and Director of Business Affairs Diana Victor. Under the This Is That banner they produced films such as Adventureland , The Savages , and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind . [18]

Filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Pictures</span> American film studio

Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures, is an American film production and distribution company that is a division of Universal Studios, Inc., which is owned by NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliance Atlantis</span> Canadian-American media company

Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Canadian media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon, and Sydney.

Focus Features LLC is an American independent film production and distribution company, owned by Comcast as a division of Universal Pictures, which is itself a division of its wholly owned subsidiary of NBCUniversal. Focus Features distributes independent and foreign films in the United States and internationally.

Working Title Films Limited is a British film studio that produces motion pictures and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a division of Comcast. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. Bevan and Eric Fellner are now the co-chairmen of the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Rock Entertainment</span> American film and television production company

Castle Rock Entertainment is an American independent film and television production company founded in 1987 by Martin Shafer, director Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Glenn Padnick and Alan Horn. It is a label of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandalay Pictures</span> American film production company founded in 1995

Mandalay Pictures is an American independent film production company founded on May 27, 1995, which is part of producer and businessman Peter Guber's Mandalay Entertainment. From 1997 until 2002, Lions Gate Entertainment owned a stake in Mandalay Pictures before selling it. The company's mascot is a tiger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PolyGram Filmed Entertainment</span> British-American film studio and film production company

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment was a film production company founded in 1975 as an American film studio, which became a European competitor to Hollywood within two decades, but was eventually sold to Seagram Company Ltd. in 1998 and was folded a year later. Among its most successful and well known films were The Deep (1977), Midnight Express (1978), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Flashdance (1983), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Dead Man Walking (1995), The Big Lebowski (1998), Fargo (1996), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Game (1997), Barney's Great Adventure (1998) and Notting Hill (1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interscope Communications</span> Motion picture production company

Interscope Communications, Inc. was a motion picture production company founded in 1982 by Ted Field. It soon became a division of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Schamus</span> American filmmaker (born 1959)

James Allan Schamus is an American screenwriter, producer, business executive, film historian, professor, and director. He is a frequent collaborator of Ang Lee, the co-founder of the production company Good Machine, and the co-founder and former CEO of motion picture production, financing, and worldwide distribution company Focus Features, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal. He is currently president of the New York–based production company Symbolic Exchange, and is Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University, where he has taught film history and theory since 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beacon Pictures</span> Film production company

Beacon Pictures is an American film and television production and international sales company founded in 1990 by Armyan Bernstein, who is also its chairman. The company produces motion pictures for studios such as Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment. In 1996, it struck a first look deal with Universal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Field</span> American media mogul (born 1953)

Frederick Woodruff "Ted" Field is an American media mogul, record executive, entrepreneur and film producer.

Winchester Films was a British production company. It was started in March 1993 and was listed on the Alternative Investment Market to raise the capital needed to build an effective portfolio of films and TV programmes. In the late 1990s and the early part of the 21st Century, Winchester Films acquired produced many British films and acquired distribution rights to films from other countries. It also expanded into the US, setting up an office in Los Angeles in order to make connections with the Hollywood crowd. This led to Winchester Films being granted distribution rights to Heartbreakers.

Intermedia Films was an American independent film production company, wholly owned by IM Internationalmedia AG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Films</span> Animation production arm of comic book publisher Harvey Comics

The Harvey Entertainment Company was the production arm of comic book publisher Harvey Comics. It was founded in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C2 Pictures</span> Defunct US film and television studio

C2 Pictures was an American independent media-entertainment company, it specialized in film and television production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Hope</span> American film producer

Ted Hope is an American independent film producer based in New York City. He is best known for co-founding the production/sales company Good Machine, where he produced the first films of such notable filmmakers as Ang Lee, Nicole Holofcener, Todd Field, Michel Gondry, Moisés Kaufman, and Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, among others. Hope later co-founded This is That with several associates from Good Machine. He later worked at the San Francisco Film Society and Amazon Studios.

Mutual Film Company, LLC is an American film production company based in Hollywood, California. The company was initially founded by financer Gary Levinsohn in 1989 as Classico Entertainment, before combining with The Mark Gordon Company in 1995 to form Cloud Nine Entertainment. Mutual is a film financier that was involved in the co-production of feature films. Mutual notably co-produced and financed several feature films for Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios.

Seven Arts Entertainment Inc. is a British independent film production company founded in 1992. Notable films that were made by Seven Arts are Stander, Asylum, Noise and more recently, Night of the Demons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marv Studios</span> British production company

Marv Studios, formerly SKA Films, is a British production company owned by Matthew Vaughn. It is best known for the motion pictures Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle and The King's Man. The company name is an acronym deriving from Vaughn’s birth name: Matthew Allard Robert Vaughn.

David Linde has served as the CEO of Participant, chairman of Universal Pictures, co-founder of Focus Features, partner in the New York production company Good Machine, and owner of Lava Bear Films, where he produced the multi-Oscar nominated film Arrival. Films released during his tenures collectively earned more than $15 billion globally, with 204 Oscar nominations and 46 wins.

References

  1. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (9 September 2011). "James Schamus' Life on the Film Festival Circuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  2. ↑ Verrier, Richard (2002-05-03). "Universal Studios to Acquire Good Machine". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2017-10-30.
  3. ↑ "Universal buys Good Machine and merges it with USA Films". Screen. Retrieved 2017-10-30.
  4. ↑ Anderson, Ariston (11 May 2016). "Locarno Film Fest to Honor Producer David Linde". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Museum of Modern Art celebrates Good Machine's 10th anniversary," The Advocate (FEBRUARY 13 2001).
  6. ↑ "Good Machine [us]". IMDb. Retrieved 2017-10-30.
  7. ↑ Macnab, Geoffrey (2013). FilmCraft. Producing. Swart, Sharon. Burlington, MA: Focal Press. ISBN   978-0240823744. OCLC   859154290.
  8. ↑ Hopewell, John (5 August 2016). "David Linde Talks About His Career, China, the Future of Film at Locarno". Variety. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  9. ↑ "October Machine-ready". Variety. 1997-07-31. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  10. ↑ Petrikin, Chris (1998-08-27). "U tools deal with Good Machine". Variety. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
  11. ↑ Roman, Monica (1997-05-08). "MACHINE FOR HIRE". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  12. ↑ Harris, Dana; DiOrio, Carl (2002-05-03). "Good Machine buy alters Focus at U". Variety. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
  13. ↑ Dunkley, Cathy; Harris, Dana (February 23, 2001). "Pix on the Radar". Variety. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  14. ↑ Dawtrey, Adam (May 20, 2002). "Radar fixes Focus on 'Casca'". Variety. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  15. ↑ Verrier, Richard. "Universal Studios to Acquire Good Machine," Los Angeles Times (MAY 3, 2002).
  16. ↑ Anderson, Ariston (11 May 2016). "Locarno Film Fest to Honor Producer David Linde". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  17. ↑ Macaulay, Scott. "Indie Film is Alive," Filmmaker Magazine (Sep. 14, 2017).
  18. ↑ Pond, Steve. "Ted Hope, Anne Carey Shut Doors, Stay in Business," The Wrap (Sept. 28, 2010).
  19. ↑ Levy, Emanuel (February 8, 1997). "Arresting Gena". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  20. ↑ Stratton, David (October 13, 1997). "The Sticky Fingers of Time". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  21. ↑ Dawtrey, Adam (September 9, 1998). "Good Machine goes genre with 'Chucky'". Variety. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Carver, Benedict (February 25, 1999). "Good Machine moves 'Muse,' 'Trick,' others". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  23. ↑ Carver, Benedict (May 24, 1999). "Pics in Good mood". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  24. ↑ Harris, Dana (April 27, 2000). "Good Machine gears up to rep 'Peck' overseas". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  25. ↑ Dawtrey, Adam (February 2, 1999). "Good Machine in 'Love'". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  26. ↑ "IFC Films Acquires The King Is Alive From NewMarket And Good Machine International". AMC Networks. November 7, 2000. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  27. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill; Cox, Dan (May 10, 2000). "GMI talks the 'Talk'". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  28. ↑ Harris, Dana (September 12, 2000). "Good Machine scores 'Series 7' rights". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  29. ↑ Hopewell, John (March 26, 2002). "Almodovar looks tight with Good Machine". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  30. ↑ Harris, Dana (February 23, 2002). "Good Machine navigates 'Laurel Canyon'". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.