Adam Leipzig

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Adam Leipzig

| image =TNW USA 2013 - Day 2 (10326942656).jpg

| caption =Adam Leipzig in 2013

| known_for =

Dead Poets Society (1989)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
Titus (1999)
The Way Back (2010)
March of the Penguins (2005)
A Plastic Ocean (2016)

| birth_date = c. 1958{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-15-ca-22999-story.html |title=Bill Bushnell Polishes His Dream |date=1985-09-15|last=Michaelson|first=Judith|website=Los Angeles Times }}

| birth_place =

| nationality = American

| occupation = {{hlist|Film producer|Theater producer|Author|Educator}}

| years_active = 1979–present

| spouse =

| children =

| relatives =

| website = {{URL|adamleipzig.com}}

}}

Adam Leipzig is the CEO of Entertainment Media Partners, an American film and theatre producer and executive, as well as an author. As a former Disney executive, he supervised films such as Dead Poets Society (1989) and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989).{{cite news |last1=Thomson |first1=Desson |title=March of the Cuddly-Wuddly Documentaries |newspaper=Washington Post |date=29 July 2007 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/27/AR2007072700731_pf.html}} Leipzig produced films such as Titus (1999), The Way Back (2010) and A Plastic Ocean (2016). While president of National Geographic Films, he acquired the international rights to March of the Penguins, and created the US version, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.{{cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2006|title=THE 78TH ACADEMY AWARDS in 2006 |date=December 4, 2015 |publisher=Oscars Nominations And Ceremonies In 2006 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/news/ni64359163/ |title=Filming Underway In Galápagos Islands On ‘Lions Of The Sea,’ Documentary Using “Fantastic Realism” To Explore Majestic Marine Mammal |first=Matthew |last=Carey |date=2023-12-11 |access-date=2025-02-13}} Leipzig authored two books on film making.

Leipzig is noted for contributing to the field of nature documentaries by implementing higher production standards and utilizing voice-over narration.{{cite news |last1=Carvajal |first1=Doreen |title=Penguins help lead way in documentaries' surge French movie's success buoys filmmakers in a transformed genre |publisher=International Herald Tribune |date=26 September 2005 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A136637825/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=c1d518c5}}

Leipzig is the current CEO of MediaU, an online learning center in the domain of filmmaking and television.{{cite web|url=https://www.mediau.com/about-us/|title=21st Century Skills for Today's Content Creators |publisher=MediaU }} He is a lecturer in the MBA and Executive Education programs at the University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business..{{multiref2

|1={{cite web |url=https://executive.berkeley.edu/adam-leipzig |title=Adam Leipzig : Lecturer, Haas School of Business |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=executive.berkeley.edu}}

|2={{cite web |url=https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/leipzig-adam/ |title=Adam Leipzig : Lecturer, Faculty listing |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=haas.berkeley.edu}}

}}

Early life and education

Leipzig was born around 1958 in Reseda, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in San Fernando Valley, California.{{cite web|url=https://soulvisionmagazine.com/adam-leipzig-the-movie-yoda/|title=Adam Leipzig: The Movie Yoda|publisher=SoulVision Magazine |date=2019-02-28}} He attended Yale University and graduated with a B.A. degree in literature in 1979. He also trained as Fellow in Arts and Public Policy at Coro Foundation.

Career

=Theater=

After graduating from Yale, Leipzig began his career in the Los Angeles Theatre Center (formerly the Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre) as an unpaid assistant stage manager, where he eventually became a dramaturge/associate director.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/leipzig-bows-terra-bella-ent-1117468143/|title=Leipzig bows Terra Bella Ent. |date=26 February 1998 |publisher=Variety }}

In 1984, he participated as a representative of Los Angeles theater companies in negotiations with the Los Angeles Olympic Arts Festival to include local theater productions.L.A. Times [http://www.matrixtheatre.com/press/olympicarts.html press for 1984 Olympic Arts Festival]. Retrieved September 7, 2010.

Leipzig was one of the producers of Secret Honor, written by Donald Freed and Arnold M. Stone and directed by Robert Altman, which Altman had also made into a 1984 film of the same name.{{cite book |last=Zuckoff |first=Mitchell |title=Robert Altman: The Oral Biography |date=2009 |access-date=September 7, 2010 |url=https://archive.org/details/robertaltmanoral0000zuck/page/384/mode/1up?view=theater&q=adam+leipzig |page=384 |isbn=9780307267689}} He left his staff position at the Theatre Center in 1986, but continued to consult and do translations for the company.{{cite web |last=Drake |first=Sylvie |title=L.A. Theatre Center Still Eclectic |website=Los Angeles Times |date=30 April 1987 |access-date=September 7, 2010 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-04-30-ca-2572-story.html}} Leipzig worked with Iranian theatre artist Reza Abdoh, and after Abdoh's death in 1995 organized the archiving of his works.{{cite web |last=Stayton |first=Richard |title=STAGE: Theater on the Edge: Teetering near financial ruin, LATC dares to stage one of its most costly, controversial shows, Reza Abdoh's outrageous 'Bogeyman' |website=Los Angeles Times |date=25 August 1991 |access-date=September 7, 2010 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-25-ca-2008-story.html}}{{cite book |last=Mufson |first=Daniel |title=Reza Abdoh |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |date=1999 |isbn=0-8018-6124-1}} In 1999, he contributed to the production of Bang, Bang, You’re Dead by William Mastrosimone.{{cite web |url=https://nationalgeographicpartners.com/press/?pageID=bios_detail&siteID=1&cid=1215456052911 |title=Adam Leipzig : President, National Geographic Films and National Geographic World Films |website=National Geographic |access-date=2010-09-08 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091127090832/http://press.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/index.jsp?pageID=bios_detail&siteID=1&cid=1215456052911 |archive-date=November 27, 2009 }} He also produced two plays by Donald Freed: American Iliad (2001){{cite web |last=Weinart |first=Laura |title=American Iliad. Black Stage West |date=14 June 2001 |access-date=September 7, 2010 |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/services/amusement-recreation-services/4373302-1.html |website=AllBusiness.com}}{{Dead link|date=December 2022}} and The Einstein Plan (2010).{{cite web |url=http://www.theeinsteinplan.com/aboutus.html |title=This is our team |access-date=September 7, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729171058/http://www.theeinsteinplan.com/aboutus.html |archive-date=July 29, 2010 |website=theeinsteinplan.com}}

=Filmmaking=

Leipzig joined Walt Disney Studios/Touchstone Pictures as a creative executive in 1987 and in 1991 was promoted to senior vice president of motion picture production.{{cite news |title=EXECUTIVE CHANGES |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/24/business/executive-changes-266791.html |accessdate=8 July 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=24 July 1991}}[https://tv.yahoo.com/adam-leipzig/contributor/28836 YahooTV.com (Retrieved September 7, 2010)] Films he supervised included Dead Poets Society, Good Morning, Vietnam, The Doctor, Billy Bathgate, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, 3 Ninjas, The Program,{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1993/film/news/leipzig-joins-interscope-ranks-104363/|title=Leipzig joins Interscope ranks |date=26 February 1993 |publisher=Variety }} Mad Love, Fire Birds and Paradise. Leipzig left to become a producer with PolyGram Entertainment's Interscope Communications in 1993, where he produced films including The Associate, Roommates, Two Much and Dead Silence.{{cite news |last1=James |first1=Caryn |title=A Thriller With a Two-in-One Hero |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/10/arts/a-thriller-with-a-two-in-one-hero.html |accessdate=8 July 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=10 January 1997}}[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500512/ IMDb.com (Retrieved September 7, 2010)] He started his own production company called Terra Bella Entertainment in 1999,Chetwyn, Josh. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011060503/http://business.highbeam.com/2012/article-1G1-50062525/leipzig-sets-up-prodn-company Leipzig sets up prod'n company] The Hollywood Reporter 26 February 1998. Retrieved September 7, 2010. where he produced films including Titus and I Was a Teenage Faust.

In 2003 Leipzig became president of National Geographic Films,{{cite news |last1=Revkin |first1=Andrew |title='Arctic Tale': Global warming goes family friendly |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/arts/23iht-ice.1.6778326.html |accessdate=8 July 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=23 July 2007}}Thompson, Anne. [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000902862 National Geographic a natural for Hollywood] The Hollywood Reporter 29 April 2005. Retrieved September 7, 2010. where he supervised acquisition and distribution of films including March of The Penguins, The Story of the Weeping Camel, Amreeka, Kekexili: Mountain Patrol and God Grew Tired of Us; and he produced The Way Back, The Last Lions and Arctic Tale. In October, 2008, National Geographic Films announced $100 million in financing with an equity investment from Abu Dhabi Media Company and a credit facility from JP Morgan.[http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20081011005009&newsLang=en Academy Award-Winning National Geographic and Imagenation Abu Dhabi Form Joint Venture to Finance Feature Films: Partnership to Commit $100 Million to Finance 10 to 15 Features over Next 5 Years] National Geographic 8 October 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2010. Leipzig left National Geographic Films in March, 2010.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2010/01/exclusive-daniel-battsek-becoming-president-of-national-geographic-films-adam-leipzig-leaving-to-produce-21277/ |title=EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Battsek Becoming President Of National Geographic Films; Adam Leipzig Leaving To Produce |date=2010-01-05|last=Finke|first=Nikki |publisher=Deadline }}

In 2005, while at National Geographic, he co-produced ‘’March of the Penguins’’, adapting the French nature film for American market. Changes included narration by Morgan Freeman, a new script, and a new musical score composed by Alex Wurman. This approach, described by the Los Angeles Times as creating a "hybrid" genre of wildlife filmmaking,{{cite news |last1=Crabtree |first1=Sheigh |last2=Piccalo |first2=Gina |title=It's a not-a-doc -- and truth is inconvenient |website=Los Angeles Times |date=22 July 2007}} combined traditional nature documentary elements with features of romantic drama, comedy, and suspense to appeal to a broader audience. The film grossed over $133 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing documentary of all time and winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary.{{cite news |last1=Ramsey |first1=Nancy |title=Lives of cold comfort; 'March of the Penguins' details the birds' remarkable quest to survive their Antarctic environment (film review) |website=Los Angeles Times |date=26 June 2005}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Marche-de-l-empereur-La#tab=summary|title=La marche de l'empereur (2005) - Financial Information|access-date=2016-10-01}}

In 2024, Leipzig produced Sicilian Holiday. Working through his company Credential Media Ventures, Leipzig also oversaw the film's sales and distribution.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2022/12/michela-scolari-adam-leipzig-sicilian-holiday-post-production-1235196406/ |title=Italy-Set Romance ‘Sicilian Holiday’, From Former Nat Geo Boss & Disney Exec, Heads Into Post-Production|date=2022-12-12 |first=Melanie |last=Goodfellow |access-date=2025-02-13}}

As noted by Variety in February 2024, he was working on the documentary Lions of the Sea, directed by Luis Felipe Fernández-Salvador, which depicts the challenges faced by a sea lion orphaned due to illegal fishing. {{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/global/goodfellas-berlinale-adam-leipzig-march-of-the-penguins-galapagos-1235906999/ |title=Paris-Based Goodfellas Snags Worldwide Sales Rights to Galapagos Adventure Doc ‘Lions of the Sea’ (EXCLUSIVE) |first=Anna Marie |last=De la Fuente |access-date= |date=2024-02-14}}

==Entertainment Media Partners and Creative Future==

In 2014 he founded Entertainment Media Partners, a film consultancy,{{cite news |last1=Brooks |first1=Barnes |last2=Cieply |first2=Michael |title=More Movies At Sundance Sidestepping Big Screen |work=The New York Times |date=13 January 2014}} that also produces films,{{cite news |last1=French |first1=Agatha |title=Money talk for writers and other creatives |website=Los Angeles Times |date=3 August 2017}} such as [http://www.plasticoceans.org/ A Plastic Ocean].{{Cite web|url=http://www.plasticoceans.org/film/team.html|title=A Plastic Ocean|website=www.plasticoceans.org|access-date=2016-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001144752/http://www.plasticoceans.org/film/team.html|archive-date=2016-10-01|url-status=dead}} From 2015-2016, Leipzig was the Chief Operating Officer of CreativeFuture, a non-profit organization that advocates for creative communities, and is currently their Senior Creative Adviser. He also is on the advisory board of the philanthropic social media platform and app, Pixhug.

Teaching and public speaking

Leipzig is on faculty at the University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business, where he has been a lecturer since 2013, teaching in the MBA and Executive Education programs. His courses include Audience-Focused Communication, Mastering Communication, and The Art and Science of Storytelling and Communication{{cite news |last1=Barney |first1=Chuck |title=FRACTIOUS TIMES BEDEVIL SUPER BOWL ADVERTISERS |publisher=The Mercury News |date=5 February 2017}} From 2013 to 2015, he also served as a part of the faculty at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

Leipzig has given two TEDx Talks. "The Real Culture Wars", given at TEDx Fullerton in 2010,{{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=TEDxFullerton - Adam Leipzig - The Real Culture War|date=2010-09-19|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGj_OnHdYLk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/mGj_OnHdYLk |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|accessdate=2016-10-01}}{{cbignore}} and "How to Know Your Life Purpose in 5 Minutes", given in 2013.{{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=How to know your life purpose in 5 minutes {{!}} Adam Leipzig {{!}} TEDxMalibu|date=2013-02-01|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVsXO9brK7M|accessdate=2017-07-06}} As of April 20, 2023 it has 6,7 million views on YouTube.{{cite web |url=https://thesunnyclub.co/ted-talk-life-purpose-woman/ |title=5 Best TED Talks to find your life purpose as a working woman (*voted* by ACTUAL boss ladies!) |date=2023-04-20 |access-date=2025-02-13}}

Writing

Leipzig has written for American Theatre, Written By, Screen International, and High Performance, and he was the founding editor of Theatre LA magazine.[http://www.allmovieportal.com/m/2007_Arctic_Tale_about_the_filmmakers.html AllMoviePortal.com (Retrieved September 7, 2010)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707113525/http://www.allmovieportal.com/m/2007_Arctic_Tale_about_the_filmmakers.html |date=July 7, 2011 }} In 2005 Leipzig wrote two articlesLeipzig, Adam. [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/16/movies/16leip.html The Sundance Odds Get Even Longer] The New York Times 16 January 2005. Retrieved September 7, 2010.Leipzig, Adam. [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/movies/13leip.html How to Sell a Movie (or Fail) in Four Hours] The New York Times 13 November 2005. Retrieved September 7, 2010. for The New York Times about how the movie business works for theatrical and home video releases.

Leipzig is also the publisher of Cultural Daily (former Cultural Weekly), a daily digital publication and media project for participatory civic journalism.{{cite web|url= https://www.bigspeak.com/bigspotlight-adam-leipzig-film-producer-leadership-and-communications-expert/|title=BigSpotlight: Adam Leipzig, Film Producer, Creative Leadership & Communications Expert |date=31 May 2017 |publisher=Big Speak }}

Bibliography

Inside Track for Independent Filmmakers: Get Your Movie Made, Get Your Movie Seen (2013, Macmillan; {{ISBN|978-0988534209}})
Filmmaking in Action: Your Guide to the Skills and Craft, a comprehensive textbook (2016, Macmillan; {{ISBN|978-0312616991}}) - written with Barry S. Weiss and Michael Goldman.