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AMS Pictures, founded in 1982, is the largest creative media company in the American
south South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
headquartered in
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. In 1996, AMS finished construction on their . production studio in Dallas, and in 2000, they opened a branch office in
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, Texas. The company has since started focusing heavily on the creation of original programming including several award-winning feature-length documentaries. In 2009, the company formally changed its name from AMS Production Group to AMS Pictures.


History

AMS Production Group was formally started in 1982, with $25,000 in loans from the founder Andy Streitfeld's friends and relatives. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the company grew in size and eventually moved out of Streitfeld's back bedroom and into rented warehouse space at KDFI-TV (Channel 27) in Irving, Texas. Two years later, the company moved into its own office building inside the Las Colinas Communications Complex, beginning its reputation as a full-fledged production company and signing clients such as
Radio Shack RadioShack, formerly RadioShack Corporation, is an American retailer founded in 1921. At its peak in 1999, RadioShack operated over 8,000 worldwide stores named RadioShack or Tandy Electronics in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Austra ...
and
JC Penney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
. In 1995, AMS broke ground on its new corporate headquarters and in the same year won the bid to handle all of the promotional and media elements of the Ross Perot's 1996 Presidential Campaign. In 2000, the company created its first satellite office in
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, Texas to cater to public sector markets around the state capital. Ten years after the Ross Perot Campaign, AMS was hired by the
Kinky Friedman Richard Samet "Kinky" Friedman (born November 1, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician, and former columnist for ''Texas Monthly'' who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mar ...
2006 Texas Gubernatorial campaign to produce the independent candidates Television spots. In early 2009, the company officially rebranded itself as AMS Pictures to further distinguish its original programming focus.


Facilities

The company's flagship corporate headquarters is currently located on the North Dallas Parkway in
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, Texas. Construction began on the facility in 1995, with the studio "themepark" completed in 1998 for 4.6 million dollars. The facility includes many
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
inspired elements throughout, stemming from the founder's love of all things Disney. The studio includes several soundstages as well as a “Main Street;” a TV diner; Santa Fe, Paris, and New York themed editing rooms among others; “Jodi’s Barber Shop” (the makeup room); and Egyptian-themed restrooms where Cleopatra silently plays on wide-screen television sets. In 2000, AMS broke ground on its first branch office studio in
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, Texas. The facility offers a large
soundstage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a soundproof, large structure, building, or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or ...
, a
fiber Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate ...
connected satellite booth,
final cut pro Final Cut Pro is a series of non-linear video editing software programs first developed by Macromedia Inc. and later Apple Inc. The most recent version, Final Cut Pro 10.6.4, runs on Mac computers powered by macOS Big Sur 11.5.1 or later. The ...
editing suites, and meeting rooms all themed to Disney much like its Dallas counterpart.


Productions

The company shoots a variety of marketing and web based media materials for companies like
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,
Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...
, and the Dallas-based
Texas Instruments Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is an American technology company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that designs and manufactures semiconductors and various integrated circuits, which it sells to electronics designers and manufacturers globa ...
, with 70% of its business attributed to fortune 500 companies in 2000. The Children's TV series
Jay Jay the Jet Plane ''Jay Jay the Jet Plane'' is an American live-action/CGI-animated musical children's television series which aired on The Learning Channel, PBS Kids, TBN and Smile. The series aired for a total of 4 seasons and has 62 episodes. The series is c ...
was filmed here from 1994 to 1996. Mark McGovern directed the show from its original run on December 13, 1994 until October 29, 1996. After the model series was cancelled, it was announced that the models would be replaced with
computer animation Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images ( moving images), while computer animation re ...
. AMS has also worked with many broadcasters televising national sports spots using their in house satellite booths. Since 2005, AMS has produced over 200 hours of original programming including several feature-length documentaries. In 2007, AMS created the documentary ''Bodacious Boots'' featuring the history and cultural impact of the
cowboy boot Cowboy boots are a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a high heel that is traditionally made of stacked leather, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing. Cowboy boots are normally ma ...
especially within the context of
Texas History The recorded history of Texas begins with the arrival of the first Spanish conquistadors in the region of North America now known as Texas in 1519, who found the region occupied by numerous Native American tribes. The name ''Texas'' derives ...
. The documentary featured several notable celebrities with roots in Texas, including
Lyle Lovett Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957)Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Active since 1980, he has recorded 13 albums and releas ...
,
Kinky Friedman Richard Samet "Kinky" Friedman (born November 1, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician, and former columnist for ''Texas Monthly'' who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mar ...
, and
Sydney Pollack Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack directed more than 20 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 movies or shows and produced over 44 films. For his film '' Out ...
. In 2008, AMS produced '' The Real Great Debaters of Wiley College'', which played film festivals around the United States.


Filmography

*''
Jay Jay the Jet Plane ''Jay Jay the Jet Plane'' is an American live-action/CGI-animated musical children's television series which aired on The Learning Channel, PBS Kids, TBN and Smile. The series aired for a total of 4 seasons and has 62 episodes. The series is c ...
'' (1994–1996) *''The Power of Harmony'' (2005) *''Race Car Driver'' (2005–2007) *''Rising from the Rails: The Story of the Pullman Porter'' (2006) *''Champ Car Season Preview'' (2006) (TV) *''Yoga for Life'' (2007) (Veria Living TV) *''Woman Driver'' (2007) *''The Art of Living Gallery'' (2007–2008) (Veria Living TV) *''Shock'' (2007) *''Portrait of Abuse'' (2007) *''Pilates from the Inside Out'' (2007) (Veria Living TV) *''In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema'' (2007) *''Flying for Freedom: Untold Stories of the Tuskegee Airmen'' (2007) *''Bodacious Boots'' (2007) *''The Real Great Debaters of Wiley College'' (2008) *''Natural Companions'' (2008–2012) (Veria Living TV) *''A Colored Life: The Herb Jeffries Story'' (2008) *''The Good Fight: The James Farmer Story'' (2009) *''Stop the Presses: The American Newspaper in Peril'' (2009) *''Resurrecting Moton Field: The Birthplace of the Tuskegee Airmen'' (2009) *''Girl Meets Gown'' (2009) (WE tv) *''Paul Mooney: It's the End of the World!'' (2010) (Showtime) *'' I Am Alive: Nando Parrado's Story'' (2010) *''Verizon-Road to the Finals'' (2011) (GMC TV) *''Ma's Roadhouse'' (2011) (TruTV) *''Home Strange Home'' (2011–2013) (HGTV) *''Food Attack'' (2011) (Food Network) *''Flightmares'' (2011) (Bio.) *''A Defining Moment'' (2011) *''Killer Teens'' (2012) (Bio.) *''Chuck's Eat the Street'' (2012–2013) (Cooking Channel) *''You Live in What?'' (2013) (HGTV) *''True Tales (2013)'' *''Cool Pools'' (2013) (HGTV) * ''Car Sharks'' (2013) (Velocity) *''Amazing Water Homes'' (2013) (HGTV)


References


External links


Official Site
{{Authority control Film production companies of the United States Mass media companies established in 1982 Companies based in Dallas Video production companies 1982 establishments in Texas