THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 4, 1995 TAG: 9502040281
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LON WAGNER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
Atlantic Studios Corp., a Suffolk motion picture studio, and Big Dog Productions joined forces Friday to form a music video, television and commercial production company.
The joint company is named Atlantic/Big Dog Filmworks. Atlantic hopes to tap into Big Dog's production expertise, and Big Dog wants to use Atlantic's video distribution network and production facilities.
``We have a perfect marriage,'' said Ethan E. Marten, vice president of Atlantic Studios. ``We can take you now from concept through post production under one roof.''
The two companies plan to link their equipment this weekend and be open for business Monday. Atlantic has about 20 full-time employees, and Big Dog, formerly located in Norfolk, has four. The companies will continue to have separate operations outside their joint venture.
Bill Gaunce, president and CEO of Big Dog, said Atlantic's production studio - including full sound stage capabilities - should help Big Dog move up to larger-scale productions.
Atlantic has just completed a docudrama called ``Beyond This Earth,'' and has two other films in development. The new company will target ``controlled-budget films,'' Marten said, aiming to keep production costs low.
Big Dog produces an alternative-music TV show called Radio Vision, which airs in the early hours of Saturday mornings on WTKR in Norfolk and on the NBC affiliate in Raleigh-Durham. The company wants to expand the show to Baltimore and other markets. It also wants to create a similar country music show. Big Dog hopes Atlantic can help it sell those shows.
KEYWORDS: MERGER by CNB