Law Upon earning his Juris Doctor, Caplin was special counsel to
Common Cause and oversaw Appellate litigation enforcing the
Clean Water Act with the
Environmental Protection Agency.
The Business of Art Caplin worked as a Special Assistant Chairman with the
National Endowment for the Arts. In conjunction with the U.S.
Small Business Administration, in developing The Business of Art and the Artist, a national program designed to teach business skills to America's artists. This effort culminated in
Prentice Hall Trade publishing Caplin's textbook,
The Business of Art, a 3-time bestseller. Caplin's publishing companies have produced over 200 titles of illustrated educational and children's books.
Picture Entertainment Caplin founded Picture Entertainment Corporation (PEC) in 1984. Beginning with projects like
The Great American Art Game and
Andy Warhol: Made in China, Caplin went on to executive produce
Ali, starring
Will Smith, with
Sony Pictures Entertainment and
Columbia Pictures in 2001. Will Smith and
Jon Voight both received
Academy Award nominations for their performances. In 2005, Caplin's mother, Ruth Sacks Caplin, wrote an adaptation of a 1971
Elizabeth Taylor novel. Caplin purchased the film rights and produced
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, directed by
Dan Ireland, starring Academy Award-nominated
Joan Plowright opposite
Rupert Friend in the title roles.
Stephen Hunter of
The Washington Post described Plowright's performance as "possibly her best role in the flickers," and
Roger Ebert called the film "a delight…in ways both expected and rare." PEC has evolved into a multifaceted operation spanning the entertainment, literary, and sports industries. PEC's subsidiary, Picture Entertainment Sports, focuses on Pay Per View boxing, mixed martial arts, and soccer.
William Faulkner Caplin is the Executor of the Literary Estate of
Nobel Prize, author
William Faulkner. In this role, he produces motion picture, television, and theatrical productions based on Faulkner's works, and oversees the development of the William Faulkner brand. In 2003, Caplin granted the rights to Aaron Schneider to bring Faulkner's 1942 short story,
Two Soldiers, to the screen. Schneider's adaptation went on to win the
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the
76th Academy Awards. In 2013, Caplin produced
James Franco's directorial debut,
As I Lay Dying, adapted from Faulkner's 1930 novel of the same name The film premiered at the
66th Annual Cannes Film Festival. In 2014, Caplin partnered with James Franco once more to produce
The Sound and the Fury (2014 film), the second film adaptation of Faulkner's 1929 novel of the same name. The film was selected to screen out of competition at the
71st Annual Venice International Film Festival.
Producing Caplin co-produces
HBO's
True Detective. The critically acclaimed series has been nominated for numerous awards, and has won the
Primetime Emmy Awardfor Outstanding Main Title Design, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Makeup, Outstanding Casting, and Outstanding Directing. True Detective received a
Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, and
Woody Harrelson,
Matthew McConaughey, and
Michelle Monaghan received nominations for their Season 1 performances.
Other work Caplin was a Founding Faculty member of the
California State University at Monterey Bay (CSUMB). He, with
Luis Valdez, established CSUMB's Cinematic Arts & Technology department. He continues to lecture and offer courses in film and television, communications, art, business, and law. Caplin is co-owner of
Keystone Studios, the successor to America's first motion picture studio, founded by
Mack Sennett in 1912. ==Personal life==