LOS ANGELES-L.A.-based U Ground, known for its diverse offerings of animation, live-action and visual effects filmmaking, has struck up a strategic alliance with bicoastal, Atlanta and Chicago-based Crossroads Films.
Andy Rosen, U Ground CEO/ executive producer, and Cami Taylor, partner/executive producer at Crossroads, said they are now in the middle of formalizing the exact terms of the deal. This will include Crossroads having an as-yet-undetermined ownership stake in U Ground, although both companies will retain their separate identities and sales reps. Taylor noted, however, that Crossroads head of sales Kathleen Cornell has been in touch with Rosen on a regular basis and has been meeting with U Ground’s salespeople.
Rosen added, "It’s obvious we’re going to capitalize on being together. If you’re hearing about lots of jobs, and one of Cami’s directors can’t do the job, it’s obvious we’re going to hear about it before it goes to another company."
Per the interim arrangement, some of U Ground’s expenses and overhead, including such functions as accounting and bidding, will be amortized over Crossroads’ departments. This sharing of resources and personnel began several months ago when U Ground began sharing offices with Crossroads. Said Taylor, "Basically, U Ground is going to be relying on Crossroads for our established qualities and our expertise in production. But they’re going to be maintaining a certain amount of independence in that Andy is still the man to talk to. We’re just hoping that, together, we can make it grow."
Taylor added that, for Crossroads, one of the most intriguing aspects of the affiliation was Rosen’s demonstrated track record of finding and developing new talent. "We’ve always felt Andy had an incredible eye and taste level in talent," related Taylor. "We’ve admired the people he’s been able to identify and secure. That’s something that he’s now going to be able to do more intensely, because he’ll be relieved of some of the pressures-financial and otherwise-of having [to operate] U Ground independently."
Rosen affirmed that joining forces with Crossroads enables him to concentrate on talent and to better compete in the marketplace. "A lot of smaller companies that have great talent and a great work ethic really can’t compete with the bigger companies," said Rosen. "I’ve realized that in order for me to go forward and compete with a radical.media or a Propaganda Films or an RSA, I need those big guns and ammo of a much larger company. This deal allows us to retain our small-shop identity, so I think it’s the best of both worlds."
While Rosen said this affiliation would primarily benefit his company’s commercial and music video operations, he added that Crossroads’ television and feature development divisions were also attractive prospects. "I think TV, feature films, multimedia, Web sites, software development-all of these are things that interest all of the partners here," said Rosen. "But I think we couldn’t even begin to talk about them yet."
Since its inception some eight years ago, U Ground has formed and dissolved a number of business associations, including with London-based Limelight Pictures (SHOOT, 8/16/91, p. 6), New York-headquartered R/Greenberg Associates (SHOOT, 4/24/92, p. 7), Island Pictures, L.A. (SHOOT, 1/23/93, p. 1) and bicoastal GLG (SHOOT, 9/9/94, p. 1).
According to Rosen, U Ground has just signed director Jacques Rey, formerly of bicoastal/international Propaganda Films. The remaining directorial roster is composed of Paul Andresen, the bolexbrothers, Peter Christopherson, Daniel Gruener, Hammer & Tongs, Rad-ish, Marc Over, Mike Wang, Martin Weisz and Harvey White. The company is repped by Santa Monica-based Lisa Giminez on the West Coast, Chicago-based Susan Prickett in the Midwest and New York-based Commercial Artists Management on the East Coast. U Ground is now also sometimes going by its former moniker, The Underground.
