The Intellectual Property Corporation

The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC) is a United States-based reality television and documentary production company headquartered in Van Nuys, California. It was established in 2016 by television producers Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman, with private-equity backing from Sheldon Yellen, David J. Adelman, and Michael G. Rubin, who had previously collaborated with the founders. The company was created to develop and produce a broad range of nonfiction and unscripted entertainment rather than operate as a narrowly focused reality-TV supplier. Its stated scope has included television series, documentary films, feature-length nonfiction projects, and interactive mobile content. IPC became associated with high-profile programming across a range of distributors and platforms. Its best-known work includes Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, a documentary series that examined former members' experiences with the Church of Scientology; HBO's We're Here, which follows drag performers working with residents in small communities; the YouTube Originals documentary feature This Is Paris, centered on Paris Hilton; Mind Field; Selena Gomez's HBO Max cooking series Selena + Chef; the Netflix dating series Indian Matchmaking; Showtime's Active Shooter: America Under Fire; and Amazon Prime Video projects including Free Meek and The Last Narc. This portfolio illustrates IPC's combination of investigative documentary, social-issue programming, celebrity-led factual entertainment, lifestyle formats, and serialized reality television. The company underwent a major ownership and branding change in 2018. In August of that year, Core Media acquired IPC and relaunched the studio as Industrial Media. During the period in which it operated within that broader nonfiction group, IPC's production capabilities were connected to a larger corporate platform and, subsequently, to Sony Pictures Television's nonfiction operations. The reference material identifies Sony Pictures Television as the parent of the nonfiction division, formerly known as Industrial Media, from 2018 through 2026. In March 2026, Holzman and Saidman departed Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction and took IPC back into independent operation, marking a return to the company's original standalone identity. IPC and its principals have received recognition within the unscripted television sector. Realscreen has included the company among the world's leading nonfiction and unscripted production companies, while its programming has received nominations or awards associated with the Primetime Emmy Awards, Producers Guild Awards, and News and Documentary Emmy Awards. Holzman and Saidman were also identified by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 among the leading figures in reality television. Their previous credits included Project Greenlight, Project Runway, and Undercover Boss, experience that helped shape IPC's emphasis on commercially distinctive formats and premium nonfiction storytelling. The company has continued to work through producer relationships as well as direct production. In October 2023, Nile Cappello's production company Yes, Like the River entered an overall deal with IPC. This type of arrangement expanded IPC's development pipeline by aligning the company with an external producer and creator. Overall, IPC's brand is positioned around creator-led, platform-flexible nonfiction production, with a slate spanning premium cable, streaming services, digital platforms, and documentary distribution. Its ownership history has changed, but the company remains identified with the founders' production leadership and a broad unscripted-content strategy.

The Intellectual Property Corporation was founded in 2016 in Van Nuys, California, by television producers Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman. The company was financed with private-equity participation from Sheldon Yellen, David J. Adelman, and Michael G. Rubin, three investors and former collaborators of the founders. From the beginning, IPC was structured as a broad production company rather than a single-format studio. Its activities covered unscripted television, documentary production, feature projects, and interactive mobile content. The founders brought substantial experience in reality and nonfiction television. Holzman had previously been involved with programs including Project Greenlight and Project Runway, while Holzman and Saidman had also produced Undercover Boss. Their prior work informed IPC's focus on recognizable formats, strong personalities, and factual programming with a clear narrative or social angle. The company quickly developed a portfolio that reached broadcast-adjacent, premium-cable, streaming, and digital outlets. IPC's most prominent productions included Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, a documentary series centered on former members' accounts and the Church of Scientology; HBO's We're Here; the YouTube Originals feature documentary This Is Paris; Mind Field; Selena Gomez's HBO Max series Selena + Chef; Netflix's Indian Matchmaking; Showtime's Active Shooter: America Under Fire; and Amazon Prime Video productions Free Meek and The Last Narc. Taken together, these projects demonstrate IPC's range across investigative documentary, social commentary, celebrity-led entertainment, food and lifestyle programming, dating formats, and true-crime or current-affairs storytelling. A significant corporate transition occurred in August 2018, when Core Media acquired IPC and relaunched the studio as Industrial Media. The change placed the company within a larger nonfiction-oriented business structure. The reference material describes Sony Pictures Television as owning the nonfiction division, formerly known as Industrial Media, from 2018 to 2026. During this period, IPC's original identity was associated with a wider production operation while its founders continued to be recognized as major figures in unscripted television. The company and its leadership received industry recognition. Realscreen identified IPC as one of the leading unscripted production companies globally, and the company's programming received nominations or wins connected with the Primetime Emmy Awards, Producers Guild Awards, and News and Documentary Emmy Awards. In 2017, The Hollywood Reporter included Holzman and Saidman among the leading members of reality television's production community. IPC also expanded through relationships with outside creators. In October 2023, Nile Cappello's company Yes, Like the River signed an overall deal with IPC, adding a producer-led development relationship to the studio's activities. In March 2026, Holzman and Saidman left Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction after four years and took IPC with them, restoring the company to independent status. The resulting organization remains a nonfiction and unscripted producer whose identity rests on founder-led development, a multi-platform production model, and a slate that combines documentary seriousness with accessible entertainment formats.

• 2026

  Return to independent ownership

  [1]The Intellectual Property Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Holzman and Saidman leave Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction and take IPC back into independent operation.

• 2023

  Overall deal with Yes, Like the River

  [1]The Intellectual Property Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Nile Cappello's production company enters an overall deal with IPC.

• 2018

  Acquisition and Industrial Media relaunch

  [1]The Intellectual Property Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Core Media acquires IPC and relaunches the studio as Industrial Media.

• 2017

  Founders receive industry recognition

  [1]The Intellectual Property Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  The Hollywood Reporter recognizes Holzman and Saidman among the leading figures in reality television.

• 2016

  The Intellectual Property Corporation is founded

  [1]The Intellectual Property Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman establish IPC in Van Nuys, California, with backing from Sheldon Yellen, David J. Adelman, and Michael G. Rubin.

A creator-led nonfiction and unscripted production studio focused on distinctive reality formats, documentary storytelling, social-issue programming, celebrity-led series, and platform-distributed television and digital content.

• Documentary television series

  Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath

  A documentary series associated with IPC that explores former members' experiences with Scientology and examines allegations and controversies surrounding the organization. The program is among the company's most recognized nonfiction productions.

• Unscripted television series

  We're Here

  An HBO unscripted series in which drag performers work with residents of smaller communities to stage drag performances. The format combines personal storytelling, community engagement, and performance-led television.

• Documentary feature

  This Is Paris

  A YouTube Originals feature documentary centered on Paris Hilton. It represents IPC's work in celebrity-led nonfiction and feature-length digital documentary production.

• Digital documentary series

  Mind Field

  A nonfiction series included in IPC's digital production portfolio, reflecting the company's involvement in documentary programming distributed through online platforms.

• Lifestyle and cooking series

  Selena + Chef

  A celebrity-led cooking series featuring Selena Gomez and distributed by HBO Max. The program extends IPC's work beyond conventional documentary storytelling into lifestyle and personality-driven entertainment.

• Reality dating series

  Indian Matchmaking

  A Netflix reality series focused on matchmaking and relationships. Its inclusion in IPC's slate illustrates the company's ability to develop internationally distributed reality formats with strong cultural and interpersonal themes.

• Documentary television series

  Active Shooter: America Under Fire

  A Showtime documentary series addressing the subject of active-shooter violence in the United States. It reflects IPC's interest in topical, public-affairs-oriented nonfiction.

• Documentary series

  Free Meek

  An Amazon Prime Video documentary project associated with IPC and focused on the legal and social issues surrounding rapper Meek Mill. It belongs to the company's strand of issue-driven documentary work.

• Documentary series

  The Last Narc

  An Amazon Prime Video documentary project in IPC's nonfiction portfolio. The production reflects the company's work in investigative and crime-related documentary storytelling.

• 2026

  Return to independent operationStrategy

  Background

  Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman left Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction after four years.

  Action taken

  The founders took The Intellectual Property Corporation back into independent operation.

  Aftermath

  The company returned to its original independent identity after its period within the Industrial Media and Sony Pictures Television nonfiction structure.

  Source

• 2018

  Sale to Core Media and Industrial Media relaunchM&A

  Background

  IPC had operated as an independent production company since its founding in 2016.

  Action taken

  Core Media acquired the company and relaunched the studio under the Industrial Media name.

  Aftermath

  IPC operated within a larger nonfiction production structure, later associated with Sony Pictures Television's nonfiction division.

  Source

1. 1The Intellectual Property Corporationen.wikipedia.org