American Zoetrope

American Zoetrope is an American film production company founded by the American film directors Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas in 1969. The name goes back to an early motion picture device called zoetrope. Such a device had just been given to Coppola. The famous editor Walter Murch was there from the beginning.

The company was originally located in a warehouse in the 827 Folsom Street in San Francisco. The first film of the studio in 1969 was Francis Ford Coppola's The Rain People ( The Rain People), was followed by George Lucas visionary debut feature THX 1138. Moreover there among other Coppola's The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now were, as well as the films of his daughter Sofia like Lost in Translation produced. American Zoetrope also produced more films like Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi and Naqoyqatsi by Godfrey Reggio.