| Industry | Documentary/New Media |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Seth Kramer Daniel A. Miller Jeremy Newberger |
| Headquarters | |
| Website | ironboundfilms.com |
Ironbound Films is an independent documentary film production company specializing in stories of how people succeed and fail to connect. With its 2008 film The Linguists and 2010 film The New Recruits, Ironbound has earned a reputation for comedic and penetrating observations of characters whose missteps often undermine their stated intentions but also expose their humanity. Ironbound’s next feature documentary Évocateur is about conservative talk-show icon Morton Downey, Jr.
History
editIronbound Films, Inc., was founded in 2003 by Seth Kramer and Daniel A. Miller, with Jeremy Newberger joining as CEO in 2004.[1] Based in Garrison, NY, Ironbound has both in its feature documentaries and commercial production taken on issues surrounding globalization: intercultural and mass communication, technology, terrorism, poverty and capitalism.
Their first feature documentary The Linguists set the stage for their later work by introducing a staple protagonist who is well-intentioned yet endearingly flawed. The film follows two linguists, Gregory Anderson and David Harrison, as they circle the globe attempting to record dying languages. “It’s a hoot,” noted one reviewer. “Things go fabulously wrong.”[2] The Linguists premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival before airing nationwide on PBS in February 2009. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Science and Technology Programming in 2010.
With their second feature documentary The New Recruits, Ironbound embarked on another ‘round-the-world journey on a road paved with good intentions. The New Recruits shadows three business students attempting to bring capitalism to developing nations through social enterprise. The New Recruits was funded by the Skoll Foundation and aired on PBS in June 2010. Wrote one reviewer, “Though the situation is ripe for glorification, the filmmakers unflinchingly show the challenging fish-out-of-water situations the recruits earnestly face. Savvy editing and an interesting choice of narrator— The Office’s Rainn Wilson—ensure a lack of solemnity, and leaves the question of capitalism’s ability to help combat poverty up to the viewer to ponder.”[3]
Ironbound’s latest project Évocateur explores the life and times of conservative talk-show icon Morton Downey, Jr., the “King of Trash TV.”[4] A meditation on our symbiotic relationship with mass-media demagoguery, Évocateur is the next chapter in Ironbound’s study of the complexities of communicating ideas.
Ironbound’s other work includes America Rebuilds II: Return to Ground Zero, a PBS documentary that aired in 2006 and chronicles the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site and the lives of those involved. It follows America Rebuilds: A Year at Ground Zero, a PBS documentary that aired in 2002 and was produced and directed by Kramer and Miller. America Rebuilds unwittingly generated widespread conspiracy theories about the demolition of WTC 7 when developer Larry Silverstein suggested to Miller in an interview that the FDNY should “pull it.” By “it,” Silverstein meant the team of firefighters in the burning building; conspiracy theorists took "it" to mean the building itself. The theory was promulgated by various 9/11 Truthers,[5] including Charlie Sheen[6] and Rosie O’Donnell.[7]
Ironbound also produced Moment in Time, a documentary short that premiered as the centerpiece to ESPN's Beijing Olympics coverage; and The Fantastic Two, a 17-part comedy web series about fantasy football starring William "The Refrigerator" Perry[8] with cameos by Donald Gibb, Kato Kaelin and Richard Moll.[9] It was sponsored by McDonald's and Honda.
Ironbound also creates videos for an extensive client list, including Fortune 500s like Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, and Xerox; charities like the LCU Foundation and Episcopal Charities; and museums like the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Filmography
edit- Évocateur
- The New Recruits
- The Linguists
- America Rebuilds II: Return to Ground Zero
- The Fantastic Two
References
edit- ^ Blotcher, Jay (29 June 2009). "Revenge of the Nerds: Ironbound Films". Chronogram. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
- ^ Allis, Sam (26 February 2009). "'Linguists' Explore a World of Words". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
- ^ Archer, Michele (7 June 2010). "Watch, Listen & Read". USA Today. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
- ^ "Trash TV king Dies". Herald Sun. Melbourne. 15 March 2001. pp. World 28.
- ^ WeAreChange (13 March 2008). "WeAreChange Confronts Larry Silverstein". YouTube.com. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ Jones, Alex (24 March 2006). "The Alex Jones Show". PrisonPlanet.com. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ Roberts, Jim (22 March 2007). "Rosie O'Donnell & Charlie Sheen: Idiot Brigade of 9/11 Conspiracy". NationalLedger.com. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
- ^ Kreda, Allan (28 August 2007). "`The Fridge' Tries Hand at Acting in Fantasy Football Webisodes". Portfolio.com. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ Serico, Chris (30 November 2007). "Sundance to Shine Light on Stanley Tucci, Other LoHud Filmmakers". Suburbarazzi.com. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
External Links
editCategory:Film production companies of the United States Category:Documentary film production companies