Vulcan_Productions

Vulcan Productions

Vulcan Productions

American documentary production company

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.

Quick Facts Company type, Industry ...

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

Vulcan 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

More information Year, Film ...

Where God Left His Shoes

  • Winner – The Humanitas Prize: 2008 Best Sundance Feature Film[17]
  • 2008 Imagen Awards
    • Nominated - Best Film [18]
    • Nominated - Best Actor - John Leguizamo [18]
    • Nominated - Best Supporting Actor - David Castro[18]
    • Winner - Best Supporting Actress - Leonor Varela [19]

Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas

  • 2006 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
    • Best Actress - Olivia Wilde[20]

Hard Candy (film)

  • 2006 Malaga Film Festival
    • Best Film
    • Best Director - David Slade
    • Best Actress - Elliot Page[lower-alpha 1]
    • Best Cinematographer - Jo Willems
  • 2005 Sitges Film Festival
    • Best Motion Picture
    • Best Screenplay
    • Audience Award for Best Motion Picture [21]

Coastlines

Far from Heaven

  • 75th Annual Academy Award nominations[22]
  • 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

The Safety of Objects

  • 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

The Luzhin Defence

Titus

  • 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

Men with Guns

Notes

  1. Credited as Ellen Page; Hard Candy was released before Page came out as transgender.[15]

References

  1. [1]
    "The Blues | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  2. [2]
    "Martin Scorsese's The Blues - Vulcan Productions". www.vulcanproductions.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  3. [3]
    Petski, Denise (2016-11-14). "Robert Redford & Animal Planet Team On Ocean Conservation Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  4. [4]
    "Four Vulcan Productions Films You Can Stream At Home". Paul Allen. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  5. [5]
    "Vulcan Productions Wins First Peabody Award". www.spaceref.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  6. [6]
    "Body Team 12 Oscar Nomination - Vulcan". www.vulcan.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  7. [7]
    "Clear Blue Sky Productions". BFI. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  8. [8]
    Far from Heaven, retrieved 2019-06-20
  9. [9]
    Where God Left His Shoes, retrieved 2019-06-20
  10. [10]
    Hard Candy, retrieved 2019-06-20
  11. [11]
    "Geek of the Week: Vulcan Productions GM Carole Tomko drives social change through storytelling". GeekWire. 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  12. [12]
    "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.
  13. [13]
    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.
  14. [14]
    "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.
  15. [15]
    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.
  16. [16]
    "American Masters Pictures Co-Producing Oliver Sacks Documentary | Blog | American Masters | PBS". American Masters. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  17. [17]
    "The Humanitas Prize, Past Winners". Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  18. [18]
    "Imagen Awards 2008 Nominees". Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  19. [19]
    "Imagen Awards 2008 Winners". Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  20. [20]
    "IMDb > Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas (2006) > Awards". IMDb. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  21. [21]
    "IMDb > Hard Candy (2005) > Awards". IMDb. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  22. [22]
    "Nominees & Winners for the 75th Academy Awards". Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  23. [23]
    "Twenty-Six Years of Nominees & Winners (.pdf)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  24. [24]
    "2003 Golden Globe Nominees and Winners". Retrieved May 2, 2011.
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