MEDIA INSTITUTIO

NSAS MEDIA STUDIES

OLIVIA SPENCER-PERKINS

INTRODUCTIONBack in the ‘Golden Age’ of Hollywood from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s, the film industry operated under the studio system. This means that certain companies controlled practically the entire process of film making, from production to distribution and exhibition. There were eight studios then, with five having fully integrated conglomerates, a production studio, creative workers under long-term exclusive contracts, distribution division and a wide network of theatre chains. These five studios were 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures and Warner Bros. There were three other companies that were considered to be major studios, namely Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures and United Artists, though they had substantially smaller theatre chains.

These came to an end in 1948 when the set up was challenged in the Supreme Court under anti-trust laws. Production was thereafter separated from distribution and exhibition.

Still, the term studio system is being used up to now as reference to the outputs of the different companies. Here is a list of the ten biggest Hollywood studios. The top six are considered to be the major studios, while the last four, along with Relativity Media and DreamWorks Animation, are considered as mini-majors that compete directly with the majors, though they also sometimes work together to help with the distribution of home videos and in the foreign market.

1. SONY

Sony is the conglomerate behind Sony Pictures Entertainment. Its major studio subsidiary is Columbia Pictures. The company is also friendly to independent producers with its own art house division that is called Sony Pictures Classics. The company, through its distribution subsidiary called Screen Gems, also backs genre and B movie producers. With a 17% share of the entire US and Canadian markets. Sony is considered as the biggest studio these days. It also owns companies and prominent film brands 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 combined markets of the US and Canada at 15.4%. Its parent division is called Warner Bros. Entertainment, while it’s major studio subsidiary is named Warner Bros Pictures.

It is also the owner of other brands and divisions. Among them are New Line Cinema, Castle Rock Entertainment, Turner Entertainment Co., Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment.

3.Walt DisneyThe Walt Disney Company controls about 14.3% of the entire North American market. Its parent division is called The Walt Disney Studios. Movie productions are done under its major studio subsidiary called Walt Disney Pictures.

The Walt Disney Company also owns other important film brands and divisions, among them being Lucas film, Marvel Studios, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney nature.

4. Comcast/General ElectricViacom is the conglomerate behind the Paramount Motion Pictures Group. Its major studio subsidiary is Paramount Pictures,

while art house movies are released under the name of Paramount Vantage. It also has a company dedicated for B movies called In surge Pictures. It has an 8.5% share of the entire North American market. It also owns MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies.

5. News Corporation

News Corporation is the outfit behind the Fox Entertainment Group. The major studio subsidiary is 20th Century Fox, while independent movies are distributed through its Fox Searchlight Pictures. Other companies under News Corporation include Fox Faith. 20th Century

Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios and Fox Animation Studios. It also has a minority stake in New Regency Productions. The company owns a 10.6% share of the US and Canadian markets.

6. Viacom

Viacom is the conglomerate behind the Paramount Motion Pictures Group. Its major studio subsidiary is Paramount Pictures, , while art house movies are released

under the name of Paramount Vantage. It also has a company dedicated for B movies called In surge Pictures. It has an 8.5% 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. Established in 1997 by Frank Giustra, the company is also the owner of Artisan Entertainment. It has recently been renamed as Lions Gate and the studio is now also the owner of Summit Entertainment, the highest earning mini major studio from 2009 to 2012. Lions Gate also has a share in Roadside Attractions.

8. The Weinstein CompanyHarvey 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 regularly use for genre movies. While it had a hit back in 2007 with the movie called “1408,” it then experienced a dry spell of two years without scoring a blockbuster. Their long relationship with Quentin Tarantino has helped the outfit turn around its fortunes, with the success of the director’s 2009 movie “Inglorious Bastards” considered as a watershed moment for the company.

9.MGM

MGM has downgraded itself from being a major studio into a minor media company that distributes films and television content.

It fully owns United Artists after it bought out the shares of Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner. It still owns the rights to the franchise of the James Bond movies. Its home video and overseas theatrical products are distributed by 20th Century Fox. Columbia Pictures, on the other hand, has helped distribute the first two Bond movies that starred Daniel Craig, with its mother company Sony helping out in subsequent releases.

10. DreamWorks

Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen established DreamWorks in 1994. Though not a full-service studio, 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 again after over two years. The Reliance ADA Group of India currently backs the company. Katzenberg has since completely divested from the company and now runs a separate studio called DreamWorks Animation.