By Robert Goldrich
LOS ANGELES—Bicoastal commercial production house Coppos Films is going out of business after 20 years. The shop’s New York office shuttered on June 25, and executive producer Michael Appel—who acquired Coppos Films from its founders, chairman Bill Bratkowski and director Mark Coppos, in 2001—confirmed at press time that the company’s Los Angeles headquarters was about to close.
Appel declined to discuss the extent of the production house’s debt. He said that as operations are winding down, he and legal counsel have been exploring possible courses of action relative to the company’s financial obligations.
When Appel took over the business some three-and-a-half years ago, Bratkowski went into a self-described "semi-retirement" while Coppos continued to direct select spots through the firm, primarily in tandem with co-helming colleague Virginia Lee. Both Coppos and Lee have now moved over to Green Dot Films, Santa Monica (see separate story, p. 1). Earlier, Joanne Ferraro, New York-based managing director of Coppos Films, departed to become executive VP of The Blue Rock Editing Company, New York (SHOOT, 6/25, p. 7).
Not yet known are the plans of the other directors at Coppos Films, including Tom Schiller, Maria Demopoulos and the recently signed Lisbon Okafor (SHOOT, 2/6, p. 7).
With the benefit of hindsight, Appel—who’s been with the company since its inception, serving for many years as a freelance producer and working regularly for director Coppos—said that he bought the shop at the worst possible time. He cited such factors as continued fallout from the six-month actors’ strike against the ad industry in ’00, the 9/11 tragedy, the war in Iraq and a spotty economy. Appel further observed that Coppos Films needed a mainstay director, particularly since Mark Coppos had elected to take on less work than in years past in order to devote time to other interests. Appel noted that the company had successfully groomed one such helmer, Craig Gillespie, but he left to join bicoastal/international Morton Jankel Zander in ’00, the year prior to Appel assuming ownership of the production house. Gillespie has gone on to garner two Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award nominations for best commercial helmer of the year.
Nonetheless, Appel noted that Coppos Films managed to make some progress during his tenure, such as helping to build the directorial careers of Schiller and Brian Aldrich, who is now with bicoastal/international Believe Media (SHOOT, 1/30, p. 7). Furthermore, Coppos Films made some inroads internationally through a reciprocal representation/production support agreement with Errecerre, a production house with offices in Barcelona and Madrid.
Appel came on staff with Coppos Films in ’99 as its VP/ executive producer. He said that he owes a debt of gratitude to Bratkowski and Coppos for giving him opportunities to develop his career over the years. Appel noted that Coppos Films has enjoyed many high points along the way, including winning the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes International Advertising Festival in ’91. That year, Coppos Films garnered two Gold Lions and four Silver Lions.
Coppos Films’ track record at Cannes also includes a Bronze Lion in ’88, a Silver and three Bronzes in ’92, two Silvers in ’94, a Silver and Bronze in ’95, and a Bronze in ’02. Additionally, Mark Coppos was nominated for the DGA Award as best commercial helmer of ’93. The Coppos Films-produced Energizer Batteries work, "Launch/Tres Caf?/Nasatine," directed by Brent Thomas (now with Green Dot Films) was inducted into the Clio Hall of Fame in ’02. And Coppos Films’ fare has scored multiple honors over the years at the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Show, as well as Gold and Silver Pencils at The One Show.
"It’s been a great run," related Appel of Coppos’ 20 years in business. "I’ve met and worked with some wonderful people. It’s just sad that things had to end this way."
Review: Director Nora Fingscheidt’s “The Outrun”
At some point during "The Outrun," it occurred to me that watching Saoirse Ronan act is a bit like looking into a magnifying glass: Everything somehow feels a bit clearer, sharper, more precise.
This singular actor gives one of her finest performances in a two-hour study of addiction that is poignant, sometimes beautiful but always painful to watch — and would likely be too draining if not for the luminous presence at its core. Would it even work — at all — if Ronan, who also makes her producing debut here, weren't onscreen virtually every second?
Luckily, we don't need to imagine that. Ronan, who plays a 29-year-old biology student named Rona (the name comes from a tiny island off Scotland) serves as both star and narrator, speaking the words — sometimes poetic — of the addiction memoir by Amy Liptrot. The script, adapted by Liptrot and director Nora Fingscheidt, makes frequent use of fantasy and whimsy, even veering into animation. Some may find these deviations a distraction from the plot, but they are frequently mesmerizing.
Besides, plot is a loosely defined thing here. We go back and forth in time so frequently that sometimes only the changing color of Rona's hair indicates where we are on the timeline. It takes a while to get used to this, but the uncertainty starts to make sense. We are, in a way, inside Rona's mind, experiencing the fits and starts of her journey. And recovery is hardly a linear process.
There's a fine supporting cast, but the true second star is nature itself. The film is based mainly in the Orkney Islands off Scotland, a windswept landscape that can be both punishing and restorative. It can also be stunning, especially the sea. And the sea is where we start, learning that Orkney lore holds that when... Read More