M5 Industries
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Special effects, Research and development |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Jamie Hyneman |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jamie Hyneman |
| Products | Special effects props, animatronics, research and development projects (e.g., wildfire suppression tanks) |
M5 Industries (commonly known as M5) is a special effects firm located in San Francisco, established in 1997 by entrepreneur Jamie Hyneman. Originally, the company concentrated on crafting props and animatronics for film and television productions such as James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas. After the conclusion of the television show MythBusters, for which it functioned as the main workshop, M5 broadened its scope to incorporate research and development activities.
History
Jamie Hyneman founded M5 Industries by purchasing the workshop previously owned by Colossal Pictures, dedicating the business to the fabrication of special effects props. The company demonstrated its engineering capabilities through innovative creations like motorized vending machines designed for 7 Up and remote-controlled equipment developed for Nike. The original M5 facility was pivotal in producing MythBusters, serving as the filming location for the series' first season. To support an additional team introduced in season two, M5 expanded by leasing another workspace in San Francisco, referred to as "M7."
Key personnel involved with MythBusters, including Kari Byron and Tory Belleci, were initially part of M5’s workforce, underscoring the company's role in cultivating talent within the industry. After MythBusters ended, M5 transitioned from focusing solely on special effects toward research and development projects, such as creating tanks designed for wildfire suppression, marking a strategic expansion into engineering solutions.
Remaining privately owned, M5 Industries is based at 1268 Missouri Street in San Francisco. Due to insurance limitations, it does not host public tours. The company’s progression from a provider of special effects to a research-oriented enterprise reflects its adaptive approach within both the motion picture support sector and engineering fields.
Name
The name "M5" was proposed by Adam Savage, who aimed to reference the British intelligence agency featured in James Bond stories (Q Branch) or MI6 but mistakenly suggested "M5" instead. Jamie Hyneman adopted this name following an internal naming contest among staff members. Savage has stated that he never received the $50 reward that was promised for his suggestion.
According to Grant Imahara, when he inquired about the meaning of "M" in M5, Hyneman explained it stood for "Movies, Monsters, Mechanics, Machining," with a playful addition of "Mustache." On its website circa 2000, M5 Industries described its name as symbolizing "Models, Machines, Miniatures, Manufacturing... and yes, at least a little bit of Magic."