HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

  HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS?

From the late 1920s to the 1940s, the film industry operated under the studio system. This means that certain companies controlled practically the entire process of filmmaking, from production to distribution and exhibition. There were eight studios with five having fully integrated conglomerates, with a production studio, creative people, distribution division and a wide network of theatre chains. These five studios were: 20^thCentury Fox, Loew’s Incorporated/MGM, Paramount Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures and Warner Bros. There were three other companies that were more important and those were: Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures and United Artists.

The term studio system is used as reference to the outputs of the different companies. Here is a list of the ten biggest Hollywood studios. The first six studios are considered the more important and the last four are not much.

   1-    SONY

  Sony is the conglomerate behind Sony Pictures Entertainment. Its major studio is Columbia Pictures. The company is also friendly to independent producers with its own art-house division that is called Sony Pictures Classics. It has a 17 percent share of the USA and Canadian markets. Sony is considered the biggest studio. It also owns companies like Tri Star Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Destination Films, Triumph Films, Stage 6 Films and Affirm Films.

2-   TIME WARNER 

Time Warner is a conglomerate that owns the second biggest share of the USA and Canada markets. Its parent division is called Warner Bros. Entertainment; while it’s more important studio is named Warner Bros. It is also the owner of other brands and divisions like: New Line Cinema, Castle Rock Entertainment, Turner Entertainment Co., Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment. 

        3-   THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

The Walt Disney Company controls about 14.3 percent of the North American market. Its parent division is called The Walt Disney Studios. Movie productions are done under its major studio called Walt Disney Pictures. The Walt Disney Company also owns other important film brands like: Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disneynature.

4-   COMCAST / GENERAL ELECTRIC 

Comcast/General Electric owns is the company behind Universal Pictures. It also owns Focus Features that it uses for art-house and independent movies. It has a 13.6 percent share of the USA and Canadian markets. Other companies under it are Illumination Entertainment, Working Title Films and Universal Animation Studios.

                                                            5-   NEWS CORPORATION 

News Corporation is the outfit behind the Fox Extertainment Group. The most important studio is 20^thCentury Fox, while independent movies are distributed through Fox Searchlight Pictures. Other companies under News Corporation are: Fox Faith, 20^th Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios and Fox Animation Studios. The company owns a 10.6 percent share of the USA and Canadian markets.

6-   VIACOM 

Viacom is the conglomerate behind the Paramount Motion Pictures Group. Its major studio is Paramount Pictures, while art-house movies are published under the name of Paramount Vantage. It has an 8.5 percent share of the entire North American market. It also owns MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies.

                                                           7-      LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT 

Lions Gate Entertainment is the most successful studio not based in Los Angeles. It was established in 1997 by Frank Giustra. The company is also the owner of Artisan Entertainment. It has recently been renamed as Lionsgate and the studio is now the owner of Summit Entertainment. Lionsgate also has a share in Roadside Attractions.

                                                         8-    THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY 

Harvey and Bob Weinstein established The Weinstein Company in 2005 after leaving Miramax Films, which they had helped establish in 1979. It holds the right to Dimension Films, an outfit that the brothers use for genre movies. Their long relationship with Quentin Tarantino has helped the outfit turn around its fortunes, with the success of the director’s 2009 movie “Inglourious Basterds” considered as a important moment for the company.

        9-    MGM 

MGM has downgraded itself from being an important studio into a minor media company that distributes films and television content. It still owns the rights to the franchise of the James Bond movies. Its home video and theatrical products are distributed by 20^th Century Fox. On the other hand, Columbia Pictures has helped to distribute the first two Bond movies that starred Daniel Craig.

                                                             10-                      DREAMWORKS 

Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenburg and David Geffen established Dreamworks in 1994. Dreamworks arranges for the production and financing of movies. It then ties up with one of the majors for help in the distribution. It actually had a brief stint as part of the Viacom group, but it became independent after over two years. The Reliance ADA Group of India currently backs the company. Katzenburg has since completely divested from the company and now runs a separate studio called Dreamworks Animation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

 The Richest: http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/the-biggest/the-10-biggest-hollywood-studios/ [Access 10/ 02/2015]