Chelsea Pictures executives Allison Amon, Steve Wax and Lisa Mehling have become full owners of the production company.

Chelsea, with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia, was purchased from Wax, its original owner, in March of 1999 by Minneapolis-based Intelefilm.

"I sold the company to them in return for stock in 1999, to get financial backing from a big company. They were very hands-off for the past three years and didn't meddle, but it proved for the three of us who run the company that it's better to have the cooks owning the kitchen. Production is a peculiar creative business and it's better that way," says Wax.

Intelefilm was, for a time, a major force in US commercial production, owning Chelsea, bicoastal Curious Pictures and now defunct-companies The End and Populuxe Pictures. Wax says Intelefilm's latest CEO, Mark Cohen was interested in divesting the company of its commercial production holdings and enthusiastically helped structure a deal. The company is now reported to be focusing its efforts on a Web-related advertising project.

Wax, Amon and Mehling are now partners in the venture. Wax maintains his role of president, Amon is managing director and Mehling is exec producer/head of sales. The three began the buyback in 2001 with the purchase of a 20 per cent interest in Chelsea.

"Now we share management equally. Lisa has a group of reps working for her, but is intimately involved in management. Allison is in charge of operations, particularly jobs and production but is managing director, and I have a hand in both," says Wax.

The hands-on approach favored by the triumvirate is one they feel is appropriate for the continuing state of affairs in the commercial production business.

"The production climate for the past year and a half has been brutal. A lot of companies have closed or folded, particularly ones with outside investment. Agencies that have had staffs stripped back are looking more and more to production companies and directors for creative input," says Wax.

Webfiles:
Chelsea Pictures> http://www.chelsea.com