Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods of Little Rock, the state’s largest advertising, marketing and public relations firm, said Thursday that it is buying Jones Productions, a Little Rock-based film production company.
CJRW is buying the production company from founder Gary Jones.
“Gary Jones has long been recognized in the state and region as the undisputed leader in film and video production, absolutely the best in the business,” David Martin, chief operating officer of CJRW, said in a news release. “He’s been a leader in this changing business since 1968. Adding Gary and his talented staff to our agency is a real coup for us, our creative process and for the clients we serve.”
The deal includes the purchase of Jones Productions Inc. assets on South Chester Street in downtown Little Rock. Jones and his team will join the CJRW staff.
Jones has worked with CJRW for more than 25 years, with Jones shooting film for CJRW’s work on the state’s tourism account.
Jones also has done work as cinematographer of six IMAX documentaries, participating in film production projects around the world. His studio provides motion picture and video facilities and services including location and studio film production in 35 mm, 16 mm and 24p high-definition formats; commercial grip and lighting packages; 3-D computer animation and high-definition input capabilities; and postproduction.
Long History
Jones worked in film production in Dallas, Canada and Arkansas before founding Jones Film & Video in 1981. Many filmmakers who have worked at his shop have gone on to found their own production companies in Little Rock and elsewhere.
Jones has done work for a host of advertising agencies in the South, including most of the major ones in Little Rock. But his biggest cash cow is CJRW’s account with Arkansas Parks & Tourism.
IMAX — short for Image Maximum — is the brand of filmmaking that projects images onto a screen up to eight stories high. Jones is one of few filmmakers in the South licensed to operate an IMAX camera. His six IMAX projects include the $10 million film “Michael Jordan to the Max.”
Related:
Small Market Has Large Film Production Industry [Arkansasbusiness.com]
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