Cinécraft Productions, Inc. is a privately held American corporate film and video production studio in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the hundreds of production houses in the United States that specialized in sponsored films during the mid-20th century. In Cleveland alone, there were at least 13 sponsored film studios at the height of the area's film production era. [1] [2] Cinécraft was an important innovator in the early history of television. The studio is said to be the longest-standing corporate film and video production house in the U.S. [3]
Cinécraft was founded by Ray and Betty Culley in 1939. [4] Promoting "Sound Business Pictures in Natural Color," the studio began in rental space in the Card Building on St. Clair Ave. in downtown Cleveland. In 1947, the studio moved to 2515 Franklin Blvd. in Ohio City, Cleveland. [5]
Cinécraft was a pioneer in the use of teleprompters and filming using a multi-camera setup. Using two or more cameras with teleprompters to simultaneously film the same scene from different angles cut production costs tremendously. [6] The studio used the technique when it produced The Ohio Story, a TV-series that it filmed and ran from 1953 to 1961 for the Ohio Bell Telephone Company. The Ohio Story was based on the Frank Siedel-created radio series that ran from 1947 to 1953. In 1954, the format switched to two radio episodes and one television show per week. The radio series ended in 1955 after over 1,300 radio episodes had been produced. [7] Premiering on October 4, 1953, The Ohio Story TV-series lasted nine years, with 175 TV episodes being produced. [8]
Cinécraft was the first to film a TV infomercial. [9] [10] It featured William Grover "Papa" Barnard selling Vitamix blenders. The studio assembled many early productions featuring Cleveland-based Louise Winslow, a pioneer in television programming focused on sewing, cooking, and crafts. [11] A pioneering, five-part series was created for The Austin Company in 1948. It explained how live television was produced and broadcast. [12] [5] [13]
The Cleveland Play House [14] was a source for many actors used in Cinécraft films, and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra provided elaborate music scores for the company. Occasionally, they recruited Hollywood actors to appear in their movies at their client's request. Popular personalities that appeared in Cinécraft productions included Danny Kaye, Tim Conway, Ernie Anderson, Joel Grey, Chet Huntley, and Basil Rathbone. [5]
In 1970, Paul Culley bought the company from his older brother Ray Culley, the original founder. Paul led the transition from film to video in the 1970s. For over 50 years, a member of the Culley family had run the studio, and many Culley family members worked there. [15] Then, in 1985, Neil McCormick, a Cinécraft employee, and his wife, Maria Keckan, a video producer, bought the studio. [16] Together they completed the change from film to broadcast-quality video as industrial and commercial clients demanded faster and easier ways to make effective motion pictures. In the 1990s, the studio embraced digital technology with interactive computer-based medical training programs. This early period of digital technology was improved upon through the years as Cinécraft Productions became known for e-learning and producing national and international projects for Fortune 1000 companies. [17]
In 2018, Dan Keckan was named Chief Executive Officer, and Matt Walsh was named Chief Operating Officer. [18]
The Hagley Museum and Library acquired the Cinécraft film archives in 2021 and initiated a ten-year project to digitize the films, scripts, and records in order to make them available on the Hagley Library website. [19]
In 2023 the studio was still operating out of the John Eisenmann-designed building that had started as the home of the West Side Branch of the Cleveland Public Library in 1898. [20] [21]
Cinécraft's major film client's included DuPont, Hercules Inc., Standard Oil of Ohio, Seiberling Rubber Company, Firestone Tire and Rubber, Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Bethlehem Steel, Owens-Corning, Ohio Bell, General Electric, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, American Greetings, Carling Brewing, and Republic Steel. Most of the studio's film business came through advertising agencies, including Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. [22] and McCann-Erickson.
Cinécraft Productions, Inc. is a privately held American corporate film and video production studio in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the hundreds of production houses in the United States that specialized in sponsored films during the mid-20th century. In Cleveland alone, there were at least 13 sponsored film studios at the height of the area's film production era. [1] [2] Cinécraft was an important innovator in the early history of television. The studio is said to be the longest-standing corporate film and video production house in the U.S. [3]
Cinécraft was founded by Ray and Betty Culley in 1939. [4] Promoting "Sound Business Pictures in Natural Color," the studio began in rental space in the Card Building on St. Clair Ave. in downtown Cleveland. In 1947, the studio moved to 2515 Franklin Blvd. in Ohio City, Cleveland. [5]
Cinécraft was a pioneer in the use of teleprompters and filming using a multi-camera setup. Using two or more cameras with teleprompters to simultaneously film the same scene from different angles cut production costs tremendously. [6] The studio used the technique when it produced The Ohio Story, a TV-series that it filmed and ran from 1953 to 1961 for the Ohio Bell Telephone Company. The Ohio Story was based on the Frank Siedel-created radio series that ran from 1947 to 1953. In 1954, the format switched to two radio episodes and one television show per week. The radio series ended in 1955 after over 1,300 radio episodes had been produced. [7] Premiering on October 4, 1953, The Ohio Story TV-series lasted nine years, with 175 TV episodes being produced. [8]
Cinécraft was the first to film a TV infomercial. [9] [10] It featured William Grover "Papa" Barnard selling Vitamix blenders. The studio assembled many early productions featuring Cleveland-based Louise Winslow, a pioneer in television programming focused on sewing, cooking, and crafts. [11] A pioneering, five-part series was created for The Austin Company in 1948. It explained how live television was produced and broadcast. [12] [5] [13]
The Cleveland Play House [14] was a source for many actors used in Cinécraft films, and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra provided elaborate music scores for the company. Occasionally, they recruited Hollywood actors to appear in their movies at their client's request. Popular personalities that appeared in Cinécraft productions included Danny Kaye, Tim Conway, Ernie Anderson, Joel Grey, Chet Huntley, and Basil Rathbone. [5]
In 1970, Paul Culley bought the company from his older brother Ray Culley, the original founder. Paul led the transition from film to video in the 1970s. For over 50 years, a member of the Culley family had run the studio, and many Culley family members worked there. [15] Then, in 1985, Neil McCormick, a Cinécraft employee, and his wife, Maria Keckan, a video producer, bought the studio. [16] Together they completed the change from film to broadcast-quality video as industrial and commercial clients demanded faster and easier ways to make effective motion pictures. In the 1990s, the studio embraced digital technology with interactive computer-based medical training programs. This early period of digital technology was improved upon through the years as Cinécraft Productions became known for e-learning and producing national and international projects for Fortune 1000 companies. [17]
In 2018, Dan Keckan was named Chief Executive Officer, and Matt Walsh was named Chief Operating Officer. [18]
The Hagley Museum and Library acquired the Cinécraft film archives in 2021 and initiated a ten-year project to digitize the films, scripts, and records in order to make them available on the Hagley Library website. [19]
In 2023 the studio was still operating out of the John Eisenmann-designed building that had started as the home of the West Side Branch of the Cleveland Public Library in 1898. [20] [21]
Cinécraft's major film client's included DuPont, Hercules Inc., Standard Oil of Ohio, Seiberling Rubber Company, Firestone Tire and Rubber, Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Bethlehem Steel, Owens-Corning, Ohio Bell, General Electric, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, American Greetings, Carling Brewing, and Republic Steel. Most of the studio's film business came through advertising agencies, including Fuller & Smith & Ross, Inc. [22] and McCann-Erickson.