Vulcan Productions

Initially, he channeled his passion for creating great films into a partnership with Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and David Geffen when, in 1995, Paul invested $500 million to help create DreamWorks. That was his largest single investment to that point — and five times what the other three contributed. But Hollywood was never a place Paul felt totally comfortable. After eventually selling his stake in DreamWorks, he said “When the smoke cleared, I wound up more or less doubling my money. After a dozen years in the glamorous, high-wire world of film production, I would have done about as well with a certificate of deposit. I just didn’t mesh well with Hollywood. I could never tell how much of what people told me was real.” 

Paul and Jody also formed their own film company in 1997. This time, though, he was determined to do things differently. Initially called Clear Blue Sky Productions, the name later changed to Vulcan Productions. The vision was to create artistically driven, small-budget, independent films and documentaries by providing financing and creative guidance. Their first release was Inspirations, a Michael Apted documentary exploring how artists including Roy Lichtenstein, Dale Chihuly, and David Bowie get their ideas. A follow-up documentary was Me and Isaac Newton, using the same storytelling approach to share how scientists such as Michio Kaku, Gertrude Elion, and Ashok Gadgil get inspired.

The company went on to create feature films that received critical acclaim. Titus, Hard Candy, and Where God Left His Shoes won outstanding reviews, while Far from Heaven with Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid earned four Oscar nominations.  

But Vulcan Productions, which ceased operations in early 2021, is probably most well-known for its powerful documentaries that bring compelling stories about critical issues to life. These include productions such as Racing Extinction, Body Team 12, Girl Rising, Evolution, Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge, and Martin Scorsese’s The Blues. Not only did these go on to receive critical acclaim (including Emmy, Peabody and other awards), they had a very real impact on lives around the world.