Format Films: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
VisualWikitext
imported>Waxworker
Undid revision 1289756593 by 2600:1700:B79:6E00:0:0:0:42 (talk) unsourced
 
imported>Poopdecktheoverlord
No edit summary
 
Line 6: Line 6:
| industry = Animation
| industry = Animation
| founder = [[Herbert Klynn]]<br>[[Jules Engel]]
| founder = [[Herbert Klynn]]<br>[[Jules Engel]]
| foundation = 1959
| foundation = October 1959
| defunct = 1970s
| defunct = 1970s
| hq_location_city = [[Burbank, California]] (1959–60)<br>[[Los Angeles, California]] (1960–63)<br>[[Studio City, California]] (1965–1970s)
| key_people = Herbert Klynn<br>Jules Engel<br>[[Rudy Larriva]]
| key_people = Herbert Klynn<br>Jules Engel<br>[[Rudy Larriva]]
}}
}}
Line 13: Line 14:


==History==
==History==
It was most active during the 1960s, producing episodes of ''[[The Alvin Show]]'' and ''[[Popeye the Sailor (1960s TV series)|Popeye the Sailor]]''. Klynn shut his studio in 1962 but reopened it by 1965 as Format Productions when Engels left for Europe. The studio made eleven sub-contracted shorts in [[Warner Bros.]]' theatrical ''[[Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner|Road Runner]]'' series as well as three ''[[Daffy Duck]] and [[Speedy Gonzales]]'' shorts, and produced ''[[The Lone Ranger (animated TV series)|The Lone Ranger]]'' animated series for [[CBS]] in 1966.
Format Films was founded in October 1959 by former [[United Productions of America|UPA]] animators [[Herbert Klynn]] and vice president [[Jules Engel]]. When the studio first launched, it had a staff of 15 people, with its original studios located in [[Burbank, California]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Format Films plans to relocate from Burbank to North Hollywood|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/684259816/|via=Newspapers.com |date=May 19, 1960}}</ref> The number of animation staff immediately grew by the following year. On March 11, 1960, Jerry Abbott, a Chicago top-sales representative at UPA, took over as vice president for Format Films.<ref>{{cite web |title=Klynn names Abbott as Format Films vice president|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/580401910/|via=Newspapers.com |date=March 11, 1960}}</ref>


Format Productions also created [[title sequence]]s for several TV series, including ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]'', ''[[Honey West (TV series)|Honey West]]'', the animated characters on the television variety show ''[[Hee Haw]]'', animated various TV commercials, and created [[film title design]]s for ''[[The Glory Guys]]'' and ''[[Clambake (film)|Clambake]]''.
In July 1960, the studio was relocated to a larger 10,000 square-feet building in the [[Valley Village, Los Angeles|Valley Village]] area of [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Format Films Incorporated studio moves to North Hollywood|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/580341747/|via=Newspapers.com |date=July 13, 1960}}</ref> Following its move to the Laurel Canyon Boulevard building that year, the number of employees grew from 62 people in May 1960 to 125 people in April 1961. At the same time, Format produced a total of 90 television commercials and several industrial shorts within a span of its first two years of business.<ref>{{cite web |title=Herbert Klynn and his double bills with Format Films|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/684256296/|via=Newspapers.com |date=May 19, 1960}}</ref> The company itself was widely known for producing their own cartoon series, such as the entirety of ''[[The Alvin Show]]'' and over 100 ''[[Popeye the Sailor (1960s TV series)|Popeye the Sailor]]'' episodes. ''The Alvin Show'' was Format's biggest hit, with a budget of over $1,500,000 for all 26 episodes of the series.<ref>{{cite web |title=Format Films picks Valley for new site|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/580745984/|via=Newspapers.com |date=April 24, 1961}}</ref>
 
In October 1960, Format Films and [[Mark VII Limited]] made a reciprocal arrangement for Format to supply animation for Mark VII's television spots.<ref>{{cite web |title=Format Films and Mark VII makes reciprocal arrangement|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/684250678/|via=Newspapers.com |date=October 12, 1960}}</ref> That same year, Format Films released its first theatrical animated cartoon ''A Tale of Old Wiff'' (or simply ''Old Wiff''), the only cartoon that was produced in [[Smell-O-Vision]]. The cartoon, released on [[70 mm film|70mm film]], produced by Nathan Zucker, directed by [[Alan Zaslove]], written by Leo Salkin (who later worked with ''The Shrimp'' and ''The Alvin Show'') and animated by [[Mr. Magoo]] animator [[John Hubley]], bombarded moviegoers with distinctive smells.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lost and Found: A Tale of Old Whiff by Randy Gitsch|url=https://inglorioussmellovision.com/interviews/lost-and-found-a-tale-of-old-whiff-by-randy-gitsch/|website=Inglorioussmellovision}}</ref>
 
Just before the company's ''Alvin'' era became Format's stardom, Format Films had already finished making a handful of pilots before its contract was made to both [[CBS]] and [[Ross Bagdasarian]], including a proposed half-hour animated series called ''The Shrimp''. In October 1960, [[Four Star Television]] signed a contract with Format Films to produce ''The Shrimp'' that was originally pitched in for CBS, but was immediately tossed by the Eye Network themselves after finishing its unsold pilot.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/format-films-unsold-pilot-the-shrimp/ | title=Format Films Unsold Pilot 'The Shrimp' |website=cartoonresearch.com}}</ref> At the same time, Format originally planned to produce a movie that Four Star denied on making, ''The Illustrated Man'', based on the best-selling [[Ray Bradbury]] book, but was never made nor released.<ref>{{cite web|title=Illustrated Man moves to Format Films|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/380942397/|via=Newspapers.com |date=October 3, 1960}}</ref>
 
The following year in 1962, another Bradbury-based film, ''Icarus Montgolfier Wright'', was released on December 21 of that same year as Format's second theatrical animated cartoon, and was known for its artistic designs, explanatory history, and poetic writing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Illustrated Man moves to Format Films|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/733215828/|via=Newspapers.com |date=October 11, 1962}}</ref> The short itself was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]] in 1963.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Icarus Montgolfier Wright'' (1962)|url=https://letterboxd.com/film/icarus-montgolfier-wright/|website=Letterboxd}}</ref> That same year in 1963, Klynn briefly closed his studio when Engels left the United States for [[Paris, France]] to direct ''The World of Siné''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Holland|first=Steve|date=2003-09-17|title=Obituary: Jules Engel|url=http://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/sep/17/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102140721/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/sep/17/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries|archive-date=2020-11-02|access-date=2020-11-02|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> Klynn returned to Format soon afterward and reopened the studio again by 1965 as Format Productions, with Henrietta Jordan taking over as vice president of the studio.<ref>{{cite web |title=Behind the work with Henrietta Jordan and Format Films|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/382104177/|via=Newspapers.com |date=November 29, 1965}}</ref> At the same time, its headquarters were relocated again to [[Studio City, California]]. The studio made eleven sub-contracted shorts in [[Warner Bros.]]' theatrical ''[[Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner|Road Runner]]'' series as well as three ''[[Daffy Duck]] and [[Speedy Gonzales]]'' shorts, and produced ''[[The Lone Ranger (animated TV series)|The Lone Ranger]]'' animated series for [[CBS]] in 1966.


==TV series==
==TV series==
*''[[Popeye the Sailor (1960s TV series)|Popeye the Sailor]]'' ([[King Features Syndicate]], [[Jack Kinney Productions]]/1960)
*''[[Popeye the Sailor (TV series)|Popeye the Sailor]]'' ([[King Features Syndicate]]/1960)
*''[[The Alvin Show]]'' (Bagdasarian Film Corporation/1961–1962)
*''[[The Alvin Show]]'' ([[Bagdasarian Productions|Bagdasarian Film Corporation]]/1961–1962)
*''[[The Lone Ranger (animated TV series)|The Lone Ranger]]'' (Jack Wrather Corporation, Lone Ranger Productions/1966–1969) (as Format Productions)
*''[[The Lone Ranger (1966 TV series)|The Lone Ranger]]'' ([[Halas and Batchelor]]/1966–1969) (as Format Productions)
== TV Pilot ==
 
*'' The Shrimp'' (1961)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/format-films-unsold-pilot-the-shrimp/ | title=Format Films Unsold Pilot "The Shrimp" &#124; }}</ref>
== TV pilot ==
*'' The Shrimp'' (1961)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/format-films-unsold-pilot-the-shrimp/ | title=Format Films Unsold Pilot 'The Shrimp' |website=cartoonresearch.com }}</ref>


==Theatrical shorts==
==Theatrical shorts==

Latest revision as of 21:02, 20 December 2025

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Format Films was an animation studio which was founded by Herbert Klynn in 1959 with Jules Engel as vice president,[1] Bob McIntosh and Joseph Mugnaini, all of whom were animators.

History

Format Films was founded in October 1959 by former UPA animators Herbert Klynn and vice president Jules Engel. When the studio first launched, it had a staff of 15 people, with its original studios located in Burbank, California.[2] The number of animation staff immediately grew by the following year. On March 11, 1960, Jerry Abbott, a Chicago top-sales representative at UPA, took over as vice president for Format Films.[3]

In July 1960, the studio was relocated to a larger 10,000 square-feet building in the Valley Village area of Los Angeles.[4] Following its move to the Laurel Canyon Boulevard building that year, the number of employees grew from 62 people in May 1960 to 125 people in April 1961. At the same time, Format produced a total of 90 television commercials and several industrial shorts within a span of its first two years of business.[5] The company itself was widely known for producing their own cartoon series, such as the entirety of The Alvin Show and over 100 Popeye the Sailor episodes. The Alvin Show was Format's biggest hit, with a budget of over $1,500,000 for all 26 episodes of the series.[6]

In October 1960, Format Films and Mark VII Limited made a reciprocal arrangement for Format to supply animation for Mark VII's television spots.[7] That same year, Format Films released its first theatrical animated cartoon A Tale of Old Wiff (or simply Old Wiff), the only cartoon that was produced in Smell-O-Vision. The cartoon, released on 70mm film, produced by Nathan Zucker, directed by Alan Zaslove, written by Leo Salkin (who later worked with The Shrimp and The Alvin Show) and animated by Mr. Magoo animator John Hubley, bombarded moviegoers with distinctive smells.[8]

Just before the company's Alvin era became Format's stardom, Format Films had already finished making a handful of pilots before its contract was made to both CBS and Ross Bagdasarian, including a proposed half-hour animated series called The Shrimp. In October 1960, Four Star Television signed a contract with Format Films to produce The Shrimp that was originally pitched in for CBS, but was immediately tossed by the Eye Network themselves after finishing its unsold pilot.[9] At the same time, Format originally planned to produce a movie that Four Star denied on making, The Illustrated Man, based on the best-selling Ray Bradbury book, but was never made nor released.[10]

The following year in 1962, another Bradbury-based film, Icarus Montgolfier Wright, was released on December 21 of that same year as Format's second theatrical animated cartoon, and was known for its artistic designs, explanatory history, and poetic writing.[11] The short itself was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1963.[12] That same year in 1963, Klynn briefly closed his studio when Engels left the United States for Paris, France to direct The World of Siné.[13] Klynn returned to Format soon afterward and reopened the studio again by 1965 as Format Productions, with Henrietta Jordan taking over as vice president of the studio.[14] At the same time, its headquarters were relocated again to Studio City, California. The studio made eleven sub-contracted shorts in Warner Bros.' theatrical Road Runner series as well as three Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales shorts, and produced The Lone Ranger animated series for CBS in 1966.

TV series

TV pilot

  • The Shrimp (1961)[15]

Theatrical shorts

Film and television titles (as Format Productions unless otherwise noted)

Further reading

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Notes

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ 1963|Oscars.org
  18. ↑ "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award – 1962 -" cartoonresearch.com

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Template:Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Animation industry in the United States

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Format_Films&oldid=6177315"