Atom.com

Atom.com
Company typecomedy, film website
IndustryOnline video entertainment, film
Founded1998
FounderMika Salmi
Defunct2012
SuccessorCC Studios
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, United States
ParentParamount Media Networks (Paramount Global)
Websiteatom.com

Atom.com (formerly AtomFilms) was a broadband entertainment network offering original short subject movies, animations, and series by independent creators.[1][2][3] The company was founded in 1998 in Seattle by Mika Salmi.[4] Sequoia Capital, led by Michael Moritz, was the lead investor in Atom Films.[5][6]

Overview

Atom Films was the first online video platform for Oscar winners Jason Reitman,[7][8] Aardman Animations,[9][10] and David Lynch.[11] It was the first site to work with a property rights owner to allow works by the general public when it created a partnership with George Lucas for The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards in November 2000.[12][13]

Buyout

On August 10, 2006, Atom Entertainment was bought by MTV Networks with all properties, including AtomFilms, Addicting Games, Addicting Clips (renamed AtomUploads) and Shockwave.com.[14] The buyout occurred after negotiations against with Google to buy YouTube. In 2012, Atom.com was absorbed into Comedy Central, and was renamed CC Studios.

References

  1. ↑ Marriott, Michel (April 29, 2004). "NEWS WATCH: ENTERTAINMENT; Hurtling Onto Your Hard Drive, Short Films on Demand". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Lyman, Rick (March 27, 2000). "MEDIA; Hollywood Greets Online Entrepreneurs". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Harmon, Amy (December 16, 2000). "COMPANY NEWS; SHOCKWAVE.COM SETS ATOMFILMS TAKEOVER". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Houston, Frank (June 15, 2000). "Hollywood Flirts With Short Films on the Web". The New York Times.
  5. ↑ "Viacom's MTV Unit Buys Atom Entertainment for Its Film, Gaming Web Sites - The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
  6. ↑ "A VC With A Silicon Touch: Michael L. Moritz, WG' 78". Wharton Magazine. 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  7. ↑ Nichols, Peter M. (2000-12-30). "Now Playing, Short Stories At a Web Theater Near You". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  8. ↑ "AtomFilms trusts in Sundance short".
  9. ↑ "Mika Salmi : AtomShockwave va diffuser les prochains épisodes d'Aardman Animations". 4 February 2002.
  10. ↑ "Aardman's 'Angry' at AtomFilms site". 12 April 2000.
  11. ↑ "David Lynch to produce "crude and bad quality" cartoons for web". TheGuardian.com. 23 March 2000.
  12. ↑ "AtomFilms.com is the official site for Star Wars spoofs | EW.com". Entertainment Weekly.
  13. ↑ "Lights, sabers, action! / 'Star Wars' fan films out of this world thanks to cheaper, powerful technology". 9 May 2005.
  14. ↑ Ahrens, Frank (August 10, 2006). "Viacom's MTV unit buys Atom Entertainment for its film, gaming web sites". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2006.