Executive producers Bob Samuel and Allison Nunn-based in New York and Los Angeles, respectively-have resigned from bicoastal Coppos Films. Samuel plans to open what he describes as a directorial and production management company. His target date for the launch is Aug. 1. Nunn will serve as a consultant to help Samuel set up the new, as yet unnamed venture.
Samuel envisions the company as being a bicoastal boutique for which he’s currently in the process of securing directors. He said it would be premature for him to publicly discuss which directors might be joining him.
Samuel had been with Coppos for the past eight years. "I have very mixed emotions about leaving," he said, recalling that after his 15-year tenure as a New York agency producer (at such shops as DDB, McCann-Erickson, Saatchi and Ammirati), Coppos Films "gave me a wonderful opportunity to learn this side of the business." He broke in with Coppos as its East Coast rep, was later promoted to head of sales and then added executive producer responsibilities. Samuel was instrumental in the hiring of Nunn two years ago and the duo became hands-on involved in the day-to-day running of the company, reporting to executive producer Bill Bratkowski and director Mark Coppos.
The parties described the split as amicable. In fact, Samuel and Nunn were working out of the Coppos Films’ premises at press time, tying up some loose ends to help ensure a smooth company transition. Nunn explained that she and Samuel "just agreed to disagree" with Bratkowski and Coppos "over which directions we wanted the company to go. I still hold the people at Coppos in the highest regard. I’m proud of the association I had here and what we were able to accomplish."
Samuel added, "This was the best solution. They felt the company should turn one way and we wanted to go another." Declining to identify what those differences of opinion were, Samuel described his time at Coppos as "a great run … We-Allison, myself, Mark and Bill-accomplished a lot. We doubled the profit from ’97 to ’98. And I think Allison and I helped bring about positive change in the company." Those changes included several key additions to the company’s directorial roster that now consists of Coppos, Mike Bigelow, Craig Gillespie, Steve Suchman, and the teams of Marty & Brian and Libman & Williams. Coppos Films also represents feature filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld for spots.
Bratkowski said he expects that lineup of directors to stay intact at Coppos. Bratkowski added that he was surprised by the resignations of Samuel and Nunn and at press time was planning a trip to New York to seek an East Coast rep. The company recently hired an assistant East Coast rep, Kira Gourguechon. Bratkowski wasn’t sure if he would bring on an overall head of sales to assume the mantle held by Samuel. Similarly, Bratkowski said he was considering whether or not to find a successor to Nunn. He noted that he plans on stepping up his involvement in Coppos Films and that he has several capable staffers already in place, including executive producer Bill Reilly and head of production Alexandra Chamberlain. Reilly handles directors Bigelow and Marty & Brian.
