Six months after HBO Max abandoned its nonfiction efforts in the wake of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the department’s top two executives have set up shop together. Jennifer O’Connell and Rebecca Quinn have launched Velvet Hammer Media (VHM), a production company specializing in premium original nonfiction content.
O’Connell (former HBO Max EVP of nonfiction and live-action family originals) and Quinn (former HBO Max SVP of nonfiction original programming) will serve as co-CEOs and executive producers at their new outfit — with an eye on creating, producing and distributing formats, special-event programs and documentaries. Operating out of Los Angeles, the two have already hired development and production veteran Nick Alarcon (Lionsgate) as vice president.
“We have spent our entire professional lives in the content business, building and nurturing vital relationships with creatives and executives, and we look forward to furthering those collaborations and friendships through VHM,” said O’Connell and Quinn in a joint statement. “At this pivotal moment in our business, we’re excited to bet on ourselves and leverage our complementary strengths. While VHM will utilize our deep experience and creative acumen, we will put equal focus on the way business is done, with trust, transparency and an unwavering dedication to inclusion. We are humbled and grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve already received from buyers and creators and valued crew. We are ready for this moment and could not be more energized about our new venture.”
2023 is not a bad time to bet on nonfiction programming. With scripted TV orders expected to go down and the threat of a writers strike on the horizon, the reality, documentary and nonfiction spaces are comparatively well-positioned. And in their short time at HBO Max, O’Connell and Quinn made an outsized impression on their genre. Docs such as The Way Down, Class Action Park, Heaven’s Gate and LFG, as well as reality shows F Boy Island and Legendary came from their teams. In 2022, the pair were given the award for outstanding achievement in nonfiction programming by a network or streaming platform by the Critics Choice Association, with HBO Max beating out Discovery+, Hulu, Netflix and TLC.
Coinciding with the launch of their new company, the pair also announced its “Inside Access” program. The initiative is meant to ensure a line item in every production budget to hire exceptional BIPOC talent behind the camera in an effort to foster new talent. Inside Access will be applied to 100 percent of VHM’s productions, even if it means covering costs out of the company’s own fees.
