Boston's Scout pacts with CineAtlantica

Move comes amid deals with new media outfits

By JONATHAN BING

Scout, the Boston-based film and TV shingle behind such features as Errol Morris' "Mr. Death" and Brad Anderson's "Session 9," has inked a production deal with German film company CineAtlantica Media.

Move comes as Scout is partnering with new media outfits iVast and Soup2Nuts and undergoing a corporate rehaul, grouping its activities into three separate divisions.

Shingle's feature film arm, Scout Prods., will handle the film and TV production that's been Scout's mainstay. Deal with CineAtlantica -- a company founded by "Stranger Than Paradise" producer Otto Grokenberger and former Helkon Media exec Matthias Peipp -- positions Scout Prods. to produce four to six features a year, with budgets in the $3 million-$15 million range. CineAtlantica will provide anywhere between 40% and 75% of financing for the slate, and Scout will find Stateside distribution.

First feature to be developed with CineAtlantica is likely to be "Nightfall," helmed by "The Fast and the Furious" exec producer John Pogue, based on an original script by suspense writer Dennish Lehane.

Company's new media division, Frontier, will produce interactive content for narrowband, broadband, interactive TV and wireless markets. The creative alliance with Soup2Nuts gives Frontier more muscle in developing interactive live-action and animated content. Partnership with iVast allows Frontier to deliver content to Internet-ready devices, including computers and cell phones.

The third arm of the company, Camp, is a production and editorial facility with four thousand square feet of production spaces. Clients like Disney, DreamWorks, MGM and USA Films have already rented the facilities.

Odd timing

Given the soft economy and the recent collapse of Gotham production shingle the Shooting Gallery and its post house Gun-For-Hire, it may seem an odd time for Scout to ramp up its new media and production facilities. But Scout partner David Collins said the production biz in New England is robust, and Scout has little competition.

"We're not looking to create a gigantic facility," he said. "In Boston, we're the only shop in town."

Collins and partners Dorothy Auffiero and Michael Williams founded Scout in 1994. Among its other productions are the series "Errol Morris' First Person," which airs on IFC and new features from Morris and Anderson.