RadicalMedia
{{Short description|American media and production company}}
{{For|a form of alternative media|Radical media}}
{{promotional|date=September 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = RadicalMedia, LLC
| logo = File:RadicalMedia Logo.png
| logo_size =
| caption =
| foundation = {{Start date|1993}}
| founder = {{ubl|Jon Kamen|Frank Scherma}}
| location_city =
| location_country =
| location = {{Hlist|New York City,}} with offices in Los Angeles, London, Berlin, and Shanghai
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people =
| industry = Media production
| owner =
| num_employees =
| homepage = {{URL|radicalmedia.com}}
| footnotes =
}}
RadicalMedia is an independent global media and creative production company. Founded by Jon Kamen and Frank Scherma, the company had developed film, television, and branded content.{{cite web|url=http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100401/the-way-i-work-jon-kamen-of-radicalmedia.html |title=The Way I Work: Jon Kamen of @radical.media |publisher=Inc.com |date=April 1, 2010 |access-date=November 12, 2011}}
In 2010, Fremantle purchased a 60 percent stake in the company.{{Cite web|url=https://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/fremantle-buys-majority-stake-in-radical-media/|title=Fremantle Buys Majority Stake in @radical.media|last=Elliott|first=Stuart|date=October 4, 2010|website=Media Decoder Blog|access-date=December 25, 2018}} In 2015, RadicalMedia bought back the company's shares, retaining its majority ownership.{{Cite web|url=http://realscreen.com/2015/07/06/fremantlemedia-reduces-stake-in-radical-media/|title=FremantleMedia reduces stake in Radical Media|access-date=December 25, 2018}}
Entertainment
Company's projects include the Emmy-winning David Byrne's American Utopia and Spring Awakening: Those You've Known; the Tony Award-winning musical Come From Away; the series Crime Scene, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, and Conversations with a Killer; and Doris Kearns Goodwin's Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt on History Channel.
RadicalMedia produced Concert for George; Metallica: Some Kind of Monster on Metallica, the pilot episode of Mad Men; and the A&E documentary Under African Skies on Paul Simon's Graceland journey{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/paul-simons-graceland-journey-under-african-skies |title=Paul Simon's Graceland Journey: Under African Skies |publisher=Emmys.com |access-date=October 20, 2012}} directed by Joe Berlinger. The company also produced Ron Howard's documentary Made in America;{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jay-z-made-in-america-doc-brian-grazer-368142 |title=Brian Grazer on 'Made In America' Doc: 'Jay-Z Putting His Finger on a Place and Time' |publisher=Hollywood Reporter |date=September 5, 2012 |access-date=October 24, 2012}}[http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/ron-howards-feature-documentary-on-jay-z-made-in-america-will-world-premiere-at-tiff Ron Howard's Feature Documentary On Jay-Z ('Made In America') Will World Premiere At TIFF] indiewire.com. August 20, 2013. the docu-series Abstract: The Art of Design, Oh, Hello on Broadway, Bobby Kennedy for President, and My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman; and Hamilton's America, a documentary about Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway musical, Hamilton.{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2016/legit/news/pbs-hamilton-musical-documentary-1201681964/ |title=PBS to Air Behind the Scenes Documentary on 'Hamilton' Broadway Musical from RadicalMedia|last=Wagmeister|first=Elizabeth|date=January 18, 2016|work=Variety|access-date=February 29, 2020}}
The company had shot three performances of shows with the original principal cast at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City during a week in the summer of 2016.{{Cite news|last=Paulson|first=Michael|date=June 25, 2020|title='Hamilton' Is Coming to the Small Screen. This Is How It Got There.|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/movies/hamilton-movie-disney-streaming.html|access-date=June 28, 2020}} That footage was edited together into a full-length film recording of the musical, which was then offered for bidding to major film studios.{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/hamilton-may-be-headed-to-the-movies-1532450232 |title='Hamilton' May Be Headed to the Movies |first=Ben |last=Fritz |date=July 24, 2018 |access-date=July 24, 2018 |work=The Wall Street Journal}} Eventually, the distribution rights were purchased by Walt Disney Studios on February 3, 2020, for a total of $75 million.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/theater/hamilton-film-release-date.html|title='Hamilton' Movie, With Original Broadway Cast, to Hit Theaters Next Year|last=Paulson|first=Michael|date=February 3, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 3, 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/hamilton-movie-lin-manuel-miranda-2-1203490645/|title='Hamilton' Movie With Original Broadway Cast Coming to Theaters|last1=Rubin|first1=Rebecca|date=February 3, 2020|work=Variety|access-date=February 3, 2020}}
In July 2012, RadicalMedia launched THNKR, the company's YouTube channel.{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcocreate.com/1681065/new-youtube-channel-thnkr-aims-to-make-you-and-edu-programming-smarter|title=New YouTube Channel THNKR Aims to Make You, and Edu-Programming, Smarter|work=Co.Create |date=July 10, 2012|publisher=Fast Company|access-date=October 24, 2012}}
Branded entertainment
RadicalMedia also produces brand-driven entertainment for its partners and advertisers. Productions include Nike Battlegrounds, a 3-season street basketball competition series.{{cite web|url=http://creativity-online.com/news/nike-takes-battle-of-the-brands/123520 |title=Nike Takes Battle of the Brands – Ann-christine Diaz – Ad Critic News |publisher=Creativity Online |date=April 21, 2006 |access-date=November 12, 2011}} Iconoclasts, a series featuring unscripted encounters with cultural figures,{{cite web|author=The Sundance Channel |url=http://www.sundancechannel.com/iconoclasts/about/ |title=ICONOCLASTS | About the Series |publisher=Sundance Channel |access-date=November 12, 2011}} was produced by RadicalMedia for the Sundance Channel in partnership with Grey Goose Entertainment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oneclub.org/awards/theoneshow/-award/12673/iconoclasts/iconoclasts|title=Grey Goose / Iconoclasts|website=www.oneclub.org|language=en|access-date=January 30, 2019}} In 2007, the company also worked with BBH to develop and produce the MTV-scripted reality dating series The Gamekillers, which was sponsored by Axe deodorant.{{cite web|url=http://www.sourceecreative.com/SF_Main.php?ID=8&a=4 |title=SourceEcreative |publisher=SourceEcreative |access-date=November 12, 2011}} In 2011, RadicalMedia and Ogilvy & Mather produced a short documentary series for IBM,https://www.canneslions.com/work/pr/entry.cfm?entryid=18731 {{dead link|date=February 2022}} "Watson".{{cite web|url=http://www.canneslions.com/inspiration/archive_advert.cfm?id=544387&playlist_id=5648 |title=WATSON |publisher=Cannes Lions |access-date=October 24, 2012}} In 2012, RadicalMedia won three Cannes Lions for "GT Academy" for Speed.{{cite web|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/caa-chipotle-snag-two-grand-prix-film-and-branded-content-141382 |title=CAA, Chipotle Snag Two Grand Prix |publisher=Adweek |date=June 23, 2012 |access-date=October 24, 2012}}
Music videos
In 2010, the company produced "The Johnny Cash Project", a crowd-sourced music video of Johnny Cash's Ain't No Grave, directed by Chris Milk. The music video received multiple awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?media_id=98&season=15 |title=Webby Nominees |publisher=Webbyawards.com |date=October 28, 2011 |access-date=November 12, 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?media_id=97&season=15 |title=Webby Nominees |publisher=Webbyawards.com |access-date=November 12, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415053345/http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?media_id=97&season=15 |archive-date=April 15, 2011 }}
Other productions include the Major Lazer document "Chasing the Sound" following the trio's tour through West Africa; the visuals for every track on Orville Peck's album Bronco and previous single "Queen of the Rodeo"; Tom Misch's video for "What Kinda Music"; Lil Xan and Charli XCX's video for "Moonlight"; Sia's video for "Rainbow"; and Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj's music video for "Swish".
Controversy
In April 2011, the company took legal action to prevent a collective of radical media organizations from using the trademarked phrase "radical media" to promote their upcoming Radical Media Conference in London, which was consequently renamed to the Rebellious Media Conference.{{cite news|author=Esther Addley |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/apr/15/esther-addleys-diary |title=Esther Addley's Diary | Politics |work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=November 12, 2011 |date=April 15, 2011}} On May 3, 2011, a group held a demonstration outside RadicalMedia's London offices. Protester Ewa Jasiewicz said the company had "locked off the term 'radical media' away from anybody else using it, including activists who really do make radical media".{{cite web|author=Ian Blunt says |url=http://www.redpepper.org.uk/we-make-radical-media-you-make-adverts/ |title=We make radical media, you make adverts | Red Pepper blog |publisher=Red Pepper |date=May 10, 2011 |access-date=November 12, 2011}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.radicalmedia.com}}
{{Bertelsmann}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Transmedia storytelling
Category:Mass media companies based in New York City