MEDIA VENTURES, INC.:

An Inventory of Its Company Records at the Minnesota Historical Society

Sound and Visual Collection

Part or all of this collection is restricted.
For details, please see restrictions.

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Media Ventures, Inc.
	Title:	Media Ventures, Inc. company records.
	Dates:	1983-1999.
	Language:	Materials in English.
	Abstract:	Materials documenting the Minnesota-based film production company of the 1980s and 1990s from formation to dissolution including business files, partnerships, contracts, distribution, marketing, miscelleanous, project files, and video recordings. Project files contain screenplays, promotional materials, and correspondence, including materials for the feature film That was then... this is now. Video recordings included are mostly promotional clips of projects.
	Quantity:	3 cubic feet (2 boxes) and 7 master video files: MOV (45.2 GB).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Media Ventures, Inc., incorporated in 1982, was created to develop, finance, and produce film and video projects. It was started by Gary R. Lindberg and John Ondov with office space in the Itasca Building, 716 North First Street, Minneapolis. The goal of the company was to be a major finance and production force in the motion picture and video industries in America's heartland while working with the traditional film industry. That was then... this is now was Media Ventures, Inc.'s first feature film in 1985. Other projects included films for educational and television markets. The company was officially dissolved in 1997, although had not done new projects for approximately 10 years prior to the dissolution.

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ARRANGEMENT

Records are arranged in series supplied by donor:



		Business files
		Partnerships
		Contracs
		Distribution
		Marketing
		Miscellaneous
		Project files
		Video recordings

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions:

Video recordings are in copyright. Please consult the reference staff for more information.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Media Ventures, Inc. Media Ventures, Inc. Company Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: AV2020.11

Location of Master Files:

Digital masters of the video material are maintained on the Society's secure digital collections storage servers and is managed and preserved in accordance with archival best practices.

The original videocassettes were disposed after the material was digitally reformatted into mov files.

Processing Information:

Legacy Amendment logo

Processed by: Karen Obermeyer-Kolb, February 2020.

Digital video transferred from the master videocassettes by the Minnesota Historical Society for preservation purposes (January, 2021).

Digitization was made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.

Catalog ID number: 9989774940204294

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

BUSINESS FILES

Location

101.D.18.1B

Sample business plans, 1983, 1986.

Minnesota Cooperation Office for Small Business and Job Creation (MCO), Media Ventures, Inc. (MVI) formation, 1982.

Media Ventures, Inc. premiere, 1984.

Includes images from premiere on contact sheets.

Stock information, 1983, 1985.

Financial statements, 1986-1996. 2 folders.

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PARTNERSHIPS

Location

101.D.18.1B

Dissolution, 1997-1999.

Insurance, 1983-1987. 2 folders.

Letters of credit, 1983, 1985. 2 folders.

Prospectus file, undated.

Miscellaneous agreements, 1983-1984.

Limited partnership summary, approximately 1983-1986.

Mailing list and fundraising names, undated.

Investors, 1983.

Correspondence, 1983-1988. 2 folders.

Baumgardner interests, 1994.

Contains information in regards to Media Ventures I, a limited partnership.

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CONTRACTS

Location

101.D.18.1B

Employment of minors problem, 1984.

Gary Lindberg, Touch, 1984.

Colleen Dewhurst, talent, 1983.

Christopher Plummer, talent, 1983.

Trans-Form, co-producer, 1983-1988.

E. Krass, distribution, September 1, 1983.

Media Ventures Video, Inc. (MVVI), distribution, August 14, 1986.

Station Program Resources (SPR), distribution, 1984.

Simon & Schuster, Sometimes I wonder, distribution, 1984.

Nickelodeon, distribution, 1985.

Billy Budd, distribution, 1986.

Wilson Learning, distribution, 1984-1986.

Power of Purpose contracts, 1985-1986.

H. Pilhofer, music, 1984.

Michael Johnson, music, 1984.

Dick Winzeler, music, April 12, 1984.

Libby Larsen, music, Touch, 1984, 1989.

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DISTRIBUTION

Location

101.D.18.1B

Sample contracts, approximately 1983.

HBO, 1985.

Showtime, 1985.

Nickelodeon, 1985.

Station Program Resources, 1984-1985.

MTI/Coronet, 1985.

Power of Purpose, 1983-1985.

Media Ventures Video, Inc., marketing distribution home video, 1986.

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MARKETING

Location

101.D.18.1B

MTI/Coronet sales as of 8/1/85, August 1, 1985.

Media Ventures I, limited partnership: account recap, 1986.

Touch and sometimes I wonder, miscellaneous, 1984-1985.

Touch, 1983.

Sales brochures, approximately 1984-1985.

MTI Teleprograms Inc. license agreement, 1984.

International Dairy Queen special offer, April-July 1985.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Location

101.D.18.1B

Reviews and general information, 1984-1985.

Endorsements and awards, 1984-1985.

Press, August-November 1984.

Screen Actors Guild application, 1987.

Rev. projections, 1985.

Touch information, 1981-1986.

Correspondence, 1984-1985.

Loan out agreement, 1984.

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PROJECT FILES

Location

101.D.18.2F

Power of purpose, 1983-1997. 6 folders.

Contains multiple drafts of screenplay, correspondence, financials, and memorandums.

Sometimes I wonder, 1983-1988. 5 folders.

Contains screenplays, financials, and distribution correspondence.

Film had also been titled Jinx's little mystery and kept this title for the production's limited partnership.

Touch, 1983-1989. 4 folders.

Project was a partnership between Illusion Theater of Minneapolis and Media Ventures, Inc. Majority of materials pertain to theater's sexual abuse education programming called Project abuse and the stage production of Touch. Series also contains financials, project summary, release forms for children at Fulton School for filming, and screenplays.

That was then ... this is now, 1984-1985. 3 folders.

Contains cast, services, and shot lists; financials; call sheets; publicity plans; recruited audience survey; and screenplay.

River City, Minnesota, 1984.

Contains project proposal for film to be shot and funded in Minnesota by Minnesotan author.

Hired Gun, 1986.

Contains summary treatment with screenplay and internal note regarding the writer and screenplay.

Soul tracker, 1986.

Contains overview of film industry and Media Ventures, Inc., screenplay, and project proposal.

Not without laughter, 1986, 1990, 1999.

Contains correspondence and screenplay.

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VIDEO RECORDINGS

Location

Internet

Project abuse, WCCO special presentation of Touch, May 1, 1984. 1 master video file (1 hour): MOV (27 GB).

Touch created by Illusion Theater of Minneapolis featuring Lindsay Wagner.

In copyright.

The Power of purpose, September 27, 1984. 1 master video file (7 minutes, 22 seconds): MOV (3.3 GB).

Biographical story about Terry Fox, an amputee who runs a marathon across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

Partial capture due to poor video quality.

In copyright.

That was then ... this is now, press conference, October 17, 1985. 1 master video file (5 minutes, 1 second): MOV (2 GB).

In copyright.

That was then ... this is now, clips, October 21, 1985. 1 master video file (8 minutes, 22 seconds): MOV (3.7 GB).

Clips from the movie.

Clip 2. Hospital cafeteria (1:29)

Clip 3. Bus ride (1:03)

Clip 4. School parking lot (1:09)

Clip 6. Burger stand (0:55)

Clip 7. Happy face (1:32)

In copyright.

That was then ... this is now, Randy Wayne, Pendulum Productions, October 29, 1985. 1 master video file (4 minutes, 46 seconds): MOV (2.1 GB).

Music video of title track from the motion picture film featuring Randy Wayne and Carol Sue Hill.

In copyright.

Trailers montage worktape, April 22, 1986. 1 master video file (12 minutes, 59 seconds): MOV (5.8 GB).

Touch trailer worktape, Power trailer worktape, Wonder trailer worktape.

In copyright.

Special delivery, Sometimes I wonder, approximately 1986. 1 master video file (2 minutes 34 seconds): MOV (1.2 GB).

Poor video quality.

In copyright.

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CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Cinematography -- Minnesota.; Motion picture industry -- Minnesota.; Motion pictures -- Distribution.; Motion pictures -- Production and direction -- Minnesota.

Organizations:: Illusion Theater Company.

Document Types:: Contracts.; Correspondence.; Financial records.; Screenplays.; Video recordings (physical artifacts).

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