| Colossal Pictures | |
| Fate: | Closed; employee base purchased by Wild Brain |
| Successor: | USFX M5 Industries Wild Brain |
| Location: | San Francisco, California, U.S. New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Industry: | Media |
| Key People: | Drew Takahashi Gary Gutierrez Japhet Asher |
| Products: | Animation Stop-motion Computer graphics Special effects Interactive media Live-action |
| Subsid: | USFX BIG Pictures Noyes and Laybourne |
Colossal Pictures (also styled as (Colossal) Pictures or (C)P) was an American entertainment company[1] that developed and produced television programming, advertising, network branding, and visual effects. Colossal's work has won every major industry award, from the Clio, Emmy, and Grammy Awards to the Cannes Gold Lion and Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Top Honor.
In the mid-1970s, Drew Takahashi and Gary Gutierrez were working with John Korty on animated shorts for children's programs such as Vegetable Soup. When Vegetable Soup was renewed for a second season, Korty began working on a movie, and suggested to Drew and Gary that they start their own production company. The two founded Colossal Pictures in 1976 and worked on projects such as shorts for Vegetable Soup, the opening sequence of The Grateful Dead Movie and commercials for Boise Cascade, KQED, KSAN-FM, and Gap Inc.[2] The Boise Cascade commercial received national attention and attracted many businesses to Colossal.
In 1981, Colossal began producing dozens of network IDs for MTV, which led to the company receiving more high-profile clients including Nickelodeon, Levi's, and Coca-Cola. The following year, Gary Gutierrez launched USFX, a new division of Colossal, while he was working on The Right Stuff. Colossal started producing computer animation in 1983, when they collaborated with Pacific Data Images to produce a commercial for the Atari game Joust and a network ID for MTV. In 1986, Colossal began working with Western Images using a Quantel Harry unit, resulting in Colossal being able to create state-of-the-art computer graphics. Colossal also launched a new division, BIG Pictures, which produced television programs. In January 1989, New York City production company Noyes & Laybourne became Colossal's East Coast division. In September, Colossal began representing Pixar to produce CGI-animated commercials. As part of the deal, Colossal would receive a project and develop the storyboards, while Pixar animated the project.[3] Colossal terminated its relationship with Pixar in 1992 when they started production on Toy Story for Walt Disney Pictures.
During the early 1990s, well-known artists like Caroline Leaf and Henry Selick were hired to direct commercials at Colossal. In 1991, Colossal began representing Sculptoons and the Brothers Quay, but their relationships with Colossal did not last very long. That same year, after Colossal's relationship with Pixar ended in 1992, Stuart Cudlitz and Brad DeGraf launched a new digital media division, which produced projects such as The Moxy Show, RoboCop: The Ride, and a Living Books game. Colossal closed BIG Pictures in 1994; that October, Colossal employees John Hays, Phil Robinson, and Jeff Fino left the company and launched a new animation studio, Wild Brain.
Earlier in 1994, Colossal created exhibits for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Due to cost overruns, production delays and other problems, the museum refused to pay all of Colossal's bills. In April 1996, Colossal laid off a third of its staff, including co-founder Gary Gutierrez, and on May 30, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Colossal sued the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for $1,200,000 in damages plus $10,000,000 in punitive damages. That year, Colossal signed a development deal with the Disney Channel to produce content for the network. Colossal produced the interstitial series Frankenguy and the Professor and The Mix-Ups plus the Zoog Disney block for the Disney Channel. After Colossal decided to restructure itself into a smaller company, consolidating all of its activities into one building in the process, they emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on December 1, 1997. Jamie Hyneman, manager of Colossal's model shop, took over the facility and turned it into M5 Industries.[4]
Although Colossal was able to sustain itself the following year with a lean work force, the company experienced a downturn in revenue at the beginning of 1999. On August 31, Colossal closed after 23 years in business. The decision was made in order to liquidate property and honor outstanding debts. Many of Colossal's employees, such as Ed Bell, Charlie Canfield, and George Evelyn moved to Wild Brain as a result.
| Title | Year | Notes | Client |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Grateful Dead Movie | 1977 | Opening sequence | Grateful Dead |
| Vegetable Soup | 1978 | "Children's Questions" (season 2) | New York State Education Department |
| What Is An American? | 1979 | Short film | Pyramid Films |
| The Black Stallion | Title sequence and storyboards | American Zoetrope | |
| One from the Heart | 1982 | Title sequence | Zoetrope Studios |
| The State of the Language | 1983 | Pilot (main titles) | Power Rector Productions |
| Playboy's Hot Rocks | Bumper | The Playboy Channel | |
| The Right Stuff | Special photographic effects and storyboards | The Ladd Company | |
| Flicks | Animation, opening titles, and film dating | Edward R. Pressman | |
| The Cotton Club | 1984 | Title sequence and photography | American Zoetrope |
| Seven Minutes in Heaven | 1985 | Title sequence | Warner Bros. |
| Stroh's Circle of Sports | Opening sequence | Ohlmeyer Communications | |
| The Twilight Zone | Main titles and special effects | CBS Productions | |
| A Chorus Line | "Surprise, Surprise" music video | Columbia Pictures | |
| Fast Times | 1986 | Main titles | Universal Television |
| Children of a Lesser God | Title sequence | Paramount Pictures | |
| Peggy Sue Got Married | Title sequence and production | American Zoetrope | |
| Top Gun | Special effects | Paramount Pictures | |
| The Rock 'n Roll Evening News | Main titles | Andy Friendly Productions | |
| Soul Man | "Soul Man" music video | New World Pictures | |
| Eyes on the Prize | 1987 | Main titles | Blackside |
| Gardens of Stone | Title sequence | American Zoetrope | |
| The Running Man | Special visual effects | Taft Entertainment | |
| The Serpent and the Rainbow | 1988 | Special visual effects | Universal Pictures |
| Title sequence | Zoetrope Studios | ||
| The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley | [5] | Hanna-Barbera | |
| Dead Pan Alley | Set design for TV pilot | KQED | |
| D-TV² | Title | The Walt Disney Company | |
| New York Stories | 1989 | Titles for Life Without Zoë | American Zoetrope |
| The All-New Mickey Mouse Club | Main titles | Walt Disney Television | |
| Lunch Box | Main titles and bumpers | The Walt Disney Company | |
| Title sequence and soundstage | New Yorker Films | ||
| The Betty Boop Movie Mystery | As BIG Pictures | King Features | |
| Saturday Night Live | 1990 | Main titles | Broadway Video |
| Big Beast Quintet | TV pilot | Nickelodeon | |
| Liquid Television | 1991–1994 | MTV | |
| Back to the Future | 1991–1992 | As BIG Pictures | Universal Cartoon Studios |
| Fresh Arithmetic | 1991 | Interstitial series | Fox Kids |
| The Wonderful World of Disney Disney Family Films Presents | 1991 1994 | Opening sequences | The Walt Disney Company |
| The Wish That Changed Christmas | 1991 | Children's Television Workshop | |
| Bram Stoker's Dracula | 1992 | Special effects | American Zoetrope |
| GTV Planetary Manager | Videodisc | National Geographic Society | |
| The Great Depression | 1993 | Main titles | Blackside |
| Demolition Man | Virtual reality sex scene | Silver Pictures | |
| RoboCop: The Ride | Ridefilm | Iwerks | |
| The Moxy Show | 1993–1995 | Cartoon Network | |
| Natural Born Killers | 1994 | Animation | Regency Enterprises |
| Mickey's Fun Songs | Opening sequence | Walt Disney Home Video | |
| Living Books: Ruff's Bone | Video game | Random House/Broderbund | |
| Tank Girl | 1995 | Animation | United Artists |
| Psychic Detective | Video game[6] | Electronic Arts | |
| Æon Flux | MTV | ||
| Jack | 1996 | Title sequence | American Zoetrope |
| Play-Doh Creations | Video game | Hasbro Interactive | |
| 1997 | Video game | Broderbund | |
| Frankenguy and the Professor | Interstitial series | Disney Channel | |
| ZOOB Toons | Short film | Primordial Toys | |
| Showtime Championship Boxing | 1998 | Main titles | Showtime Networks |
| The Mix-Ups | Interstitial series | Disney Channel | |
| Super Chunk | Show packaging | Cartoon Network | |
| Zoog Disney | 1998–1999 | First season only; co-produced with Mondo Media | Disney Channel |
Noyes and Laybourne
Formerly known as Cyclops Films (1969–1978) and Eliott Noyes Productions (1978–1983).
| Title | Year | Notes | Client | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sesame Street | 1971–1972 1974 | "Mad Painter" and "Sand Alphabet" shorts | Children's Television Workshop | |
| The Fable of He and She | 1974 | short film | Learning Corporation of America | |
| Pinwheel | 1979–1982 | animation | Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment | |
| Braingames | 1983 | pilot | HBO | |
| About Alcohol | 1984 | short film | Channing L. Bete Company | |
| MTV Top 20 Video Countdown | 1984 | opening | MTV | |
| The Great Ape Activity Tape | 1986 | Karl-Lorimar Home Video | ||
| Colorforms Learn 'n' Play | 1986 | two kits | Karl-Lorimar Home Video Scholastic Productions | |
| Clifford's Sing Along Adventure | 1986 | Karl-Lorimar Home Video Scholastic Productions | ||
| About Drinking and Driving About Drug Abuse About Cocaine and Crack Young People & AIDS | 1987 | short films | Channing L. Bete Company | |
| Eureeka's Castle | 1989–1992 | Nickelodeon | ||
| Stories to Remember | 1990 | "Beauty and the Beast" (animation production) | Lightyear Entertainment | |
| Liquid Television | 1991–1994 | MTV | ||
| Adventures in Wonderland | 1992 | opening title sequence | Walt Disney Television | |
| 1996 | video game | Spectrum HoloByte |
Noyes and Laybourne