Preliminary Shoot Pictures

Pakistani Cinemas

Atrium Cinema Karachi is the first 3d Cinema in Karachi. People of Karachi are very excited about this 3d cinema which gives a unique experience to people watched movies there. By coming to D-cinema old cinemas Karachi use film projectors and much of the cinemas is still in a poor condition. 3d film has a great impact with time but people having low salaries can’t effort to watch 3d film at Atrium Cinema.

Universe Cineplex was founded in September 2003. It is a modern state of the art Cineplex, housings five CINEMAS, with an expansive lobby catering to families & couples only.
The facility has been designed to cater specially to families who have shied away from going to present & existing cinemas in Karachi. The current films which are being shown are listed below.

BARFI: It is a Bollywood film starring again the love couple Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopara.  It is of romantic comedy genre. Three young people learn that love can neither be defined nor contained by society’s norms of normal and abnormal.

Show times in Atrium:  there would be one show/day (1^st-5^th Oct’12) and two shows/day (6^th-7^th Oct’12). The cinema would be showing this 9 shows/week and the duration is of one week. On weekends-10:00 am and 4:00pm. Weekdays- 3:00 pm

Show times in Cineplex: Show timings : 1^st-4^th Oct’12 (Mon-Thurs). three shows/day which means 12 shows/week and the duration for this film is 4 days. On weekends-2:30pm, 5:30pm, 8:30pm and 11:30pm. Weekdays- 3:30pm, 6:30pm and 9:30pm

HEROINE:  it is a film about a female superstar who struggles through the trials and tribulations of being a Bollywood actress.

Show times in Atrium: the show timings are from 1^st to 7^th Oct’12. There would be only one show/day  (from 6^th to 7^th Oct’12) and two shows/day (from 1^st to 5^th Oct’12). The film would be having 12 shows/week and the duration is one week. On weekends- 1:00pm. Weekdays-12:00pm

Show times in Cineplex: On weekends-3:00pm, 5:30pm, 8:00pm and 10:45pm

Weekdays- 3:30pm, 6:30pm and 9:30pm

TAKEN 2:

Show times in Cineplex: Shows timings : 5^th-11^th Oct’12 (Fri-Thurs) 2 shows/day which means 14 shows/week. The duration of Taken 2 was one week.

ENGLISH VINGLISH:

This film also marks the comeback of Sridevi to Tamil Cinema after 16 years. Sridevi plays the central role of a housewife, who enrolls for an English speaking course in order to please her husband and family.

Show times in Atrium: On weekends- 7:00pm, 09:45pm and 12:30am

Weekdays- 6:00pm, 8:45pm and 11:30pm

Show times in Cineplex: Weekdaysà3:00pm, 5:30pm, 8:15pm and 11:30pm

LOOPERS:

Show times in Atrium: On Friday 12^th October 2012à  4:00pm and 08:30pm. Weekend-12:00 and 08:30pm

Show times in Cineplex: On Friday 12^th October 2012 (2:00pm and 5:30pm)           Weekends-10:00am, 3:00pm and 9:00pm

The show times of each and every movie listed above shows the difference between the running time in Atrium and Cineplex cinemas. Atrium is a big cinema with huge screen, amazing sound system and spacious seating arrangement are an amusing change. Cineplex, where screen is compromised and seated are glued to each other. Atrium is the biggest cinema of Karachi which offers huge range of films every week. The people are more demanding to atrium as compares to ciniplex. To fulfill the demands of huge audience atrium tends to run every film in short timings. We can consider the example of film” Heroine”. In atrium cinema the film is shown for only a limited time as compared to Cineplex which is showing for five times in a day. The frequent changes of film in atrium attract more audience.

References:
http://www.atriumcinemas.com.pk/
http://www.theuniversecineplex.com/

180 Degree Rule, Camera Angles & Shots

In film making, the 180-degree rule is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene. An imaginary line called the axis connects the characters and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character will always be frame right of the second character, who is then always frame left of the first. If the camera passes over the axis, it is called crossing the line or jumping the line.

The 180 Degree Rule is an important aspect of the film grammar. The Director’s template has a tool for drawing in the 180 degree axis and it is worthwhile to get in the habit of drawing it in.

Crossing the 180 degree axis can be very confusing since the directions established for the viewer is changed. An example of this would be like watching a football game with the runner going to the right and all of a sudden we cut to him running to the left. It would make the viewer wonder if he was running the wrong way or not.  In professional productions, the applied 180-degree rule is an essential element for a style of film editing called continuity editing. The rule is not always obeyed. Sometimes a filmmaker will purposely break the line of action in order to create disorientation. Stanley Kubrick was known to do this, an example being the bathroom scene in The Shining.

Another “rule” concerning the axis is that the closer a camera is placed to the axis, the more emotionally involved the audience will be.

Camera Shots

A camera shot is the amount of space that is seen in one shot or frame. Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of a film’s setting, characters and themes. As a result, camera shots are very important in shaping meaning in a film.

An extreme long shot contains a large amount of landscape. It is often used at the beginning of a scene or a film to establish general location (setting). This is also known as an establishing shot.

A long shot contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of setting. A long shot may show the viewers the building where the action will take place. This is my attempt to capture a master shot/long shot.

A full shot contains a complete view of the characters. From this shot, viewers can take in the costumes of characters and may also help to demonstrate the relationships between characters. this is the full shot of my actor.

A mid shot contains the characters or a character from the waist up. From this shot, viewers can see the characters’ faces more clearly as well as their interaction with other characters. This is also known as a social shot. An example of mid shot:

A close-up contains just one character’s face. This enables viewers to understand the actor’s emotions and also allows them to feel empathy for the character. This is also known as a personal shot. this is a close up captured by me.

An extreme close-up contains one part of a character’s face or other object. This technique is quite common in horror films, particularly the example above. This type of shot creates an intense mood and provides interaction between the audience and the viewer.

These camera shots are used in all forms of visual texts including postcards, posters and print advertisements.

Camera angles

Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of setting, themes and characters. Camera angles are used to position the viewer so that they can understand the relationships between the characters. These are very important for shaping meaning in film as well as in other visual texts.

A bird’s eye angle is an angle that looks directly down upon a scene. This angle is often used as an establishing angle, along with an extreme long shot, to establish setting.

A high angle is a camera angle that looks down upon a subject. A character shot with a high angle will look vulnerable or small. These angles are often used to demonstrate to the audience a perspective of a particular character. The example above demonstrates to us the perspective or point of view of a vampire. As a viewer we can understand that the vampire feels powerful.

An eye-level angle puts the audience on an equal footing with the character/s. This is the most commonly used angle in most films as it allows the viewers to feel comfortable with the characters.

A low angle is a camera angle that looks up at a character. This is the opposite of a high angle and makes a character look more powerful. This can make the audience feel vulnerable and small by looking up at the character. This can help the responder feel empathy if they are viewing the frame from another character’s point of view.

As with camera shots, you will be able to see many examples of camera angles in any film or visual text that you view.

Camera movement

Composers of films also use camera movement to shape meaning. The following are some examples of common camera movements and how they can be used to shape meaning in films.

A crane shot is often used by composers of films to signify the end of a film or scene. The effect is achieved by the camera being put on a crane that can move upwards

A tracking shot and a dolly shot have the same effect. A tracking shot moves on tracks and a dolly shot is mounted on a trolley to achieve the effect in the example above. This camera movement is used in a number of ways but is most commonly used to explore a room such as a restaurant. By using a tracking shot or a dolly shot the composer of a film gives the viewer a detailed tour of a situation. It can also be used to follow a character.

Panning  is used to give the viewer a panoramic view of a set or setting. This can be used to establish a scene

Gender Representation

Representation refers to the construction in any medium (especially the mass media) of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other abstract concepts. Such representations may be in speech or writing as well as still or moving pictures.

The term refers to the processes involved as well as to its products. For instance, in relation to the key markers of identity – Class, Age, Gender and Ethnicity (the ‘cage’ of identity) – representation involves not only how identities are represented (or rather constructed) within the text but also how they are constructed in the processes of production and reception by people whose identities are also differentially marked in relation to such demographic factors.

As media becomes an ever more powerful force in shaping the world’s perception of itself, an individual’s struggle to maintain a unique identity and self-understanding apart from media influence becomes increasingly difficult. Damaging to the idea of the self are the racial, gendered, and class-based stereotypes (always artificial and frequently physically, fiscally, and emotionally unattainable), which are broadly perpetuated and, because of their persistence, are apparently not broadly questioned. The prevalence and power of gender (especially female) stereotypes in the media are addressed in this paper.

All media texts are re-presentations of reality. This means that they are intentionally composed, lit, written, framed, cropped, captioned, branded, targeted and censored by their producers, and that they are entirely artificial versions of the reality we perceive around us. When studying the media it is vital to remember this – every media form, from a home video to a glossy magazine, is a representation of someone’s concept of existence, codified into a series of signs and symbols which can be read by an audience. However, it is important to note that without the media, our perception of reality would be very limited, and that we, as an audience, need these artificial texts to mediate our view of the world, in other words we need the media to make sense of reality. Therefore representation is a fluid, two-way process: producers position a text somewhere in relation to reality and audiences assess a text on its relationship to reality.

Heightened public awareness of both the existence of and potential damage caused by these stereotypes is essential if they are to be eliminated. Frequently, though, they are difficult to combat and even to identify because of the ways in which they are presented. Overwhelming amounts of time and energy are devoted to uplifting a small, specially selected portion of the population as models of physical perfection. These individuals are, predominantly, television and movie celebrities, fashion models, and sports figures. The glamorous ways in which these occupations are portrayed by the media are seemingly impossible to separate from the physical appearance of the people who hold them. The glamour that surrounds the media presentation of the lives and careers of these individuals extends, not surprisingly, to the clothes that they wear and the way that they look. In fact, so much attention is given to celebrity appearances that entire television programs are devoted to little else but visual exploitation of celebrity clothing and their tangible products of their latest fad workouts.

The media presentation of the celebrity body has a single unifying thread, regardless of the specific job title of a given celebrity. Celebrity bodies are desired, both subjectively and objectively. The media, without question, shapes this public response. It can be argued (and has been, on many occasions) that, because the media portrays celebrities’ bodies as attractive, desirable, and “good,” they become national symbols of these characteristics. Conversely, bodies that do not meet this lofty goal frequently are, consciously or unconsciously, regarded as “bad” or ugly. It is undeniable that the media shapes our conceptions of what it means to be male or female. We encounter many different male and female role models in the course of a day’s media consumption. The issue is, that although these different role models may at first glance appear to be very varied, do they actually represent enough of a range of men/women? Are we simply given variations on a stereotype that become sub-stereotypes in themselves? By adopting role models and parading them through the media as people it is desirable to ‘be’, are we stunting individual growth?

Sadly, though, there is a severe disconnect between the male and female body types lauded in the media and those of the public at large. A shockingly small minority of the population has the genetic dispensation to match with what the media purports to be attractive. For women, “desirable” physical characteristics (as they are portrayed in the media) include being thin, long-legged, slim-hipped, and large-breasted. The media-portrayed “desirable” physical characteristics for men include being muscular and possessing a full head of hair. Some characteristics are portrayed as desirable in both sexes, such as being tall, fit, athletic, young, and light-skinned.
In the gap between what is implicitly beautiful in the eyes of the media and the physical reality of the popular majority flourishes a market of “self-improvement” products and services, ranging from hair dye and makeup to tanning salons, dieting, and plastic surgery. It seems as though nearly everyone, at some point in his or her life attempts to alter him- or herself in a physical way, in order to conform more closely to the marketed “norm” of attractiveness and desirability. Television, magazines, and newspapers are filled with advertisements promoting self-loathing, while offering “miracle,” body-altering “cures.” The body that does not conform to a sexy, sleek stereotype becomes a thing to be hated, improved upon, and generally tortured into submission.

A portion of the damage caused by such a mentality is quantifiable, though observation of the huge profits accumulated yearly by various diet programs and plastic surgeons. The harm of this presentation of the human body can also be seen in our current societal epidemic of disordered eating, including anorexia, bulimia, over-exercising, excessive dieting, and over-anxiety over food. While the population subset living with and recovering from disordered eating is still predominately composed of women, the number of men with disordered and dangerous eating habits is on the rise.
In addition to physical damage, intangible psychological harm results from body image problems to which the media contributes daily. When men and women are faced with the implication that their bodies, if they fail to conform to an impossibly stringent set of standards, are unattractive, unhealthy, and unlovable, they begin to lose confidence in themselves. The perception that a single, narrow range of body types is acceptable and healthy for men and women is not only in error, but contributes to widespread social discontent. Instead of celebrating the diversity and beauty of the human form, the media stifles our desire to feel comfortable with ourselves in an attempt to fool us into supporting a billion dollar self improvement market, from which the media garners tremendous financial benefits.

In addition to (and perhaps more devastating than) the physical and emotional damage caused by the current media-driven obsession with achieving an arbitrary physical “perfection,” our society faces losing serious social perspective. As it is currently used in the media, the body is stripped of its uniqueness and forced into frustratingly narrow constraints: good/bad and attractive/unattractive. Little or no public attention is given to the countless other factors around which a person’s identity is structured: kindness, generosity, honesty, friendliness, work ethics, personal motivation, intelligence, and spirituality. By focusing too intensely on the physical, our society risks losing sight of the fuller sense of what people are, and what makes us truly beautiful.

References:
http://brianair.wordpress.com/film-theory/rough-guide-to-media-theory/
wikipedia.org
http://www.mediaknowall.com/representation.html

 

Hollywood Film Industry

Before moving on to Hollywood film industry its better to develop an understanding of  a basic film industry.

A film industry is not just about one country producing how much films it’s also actually about film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film personnel. Though the expense involved in making movies almost immediately led film production to concentrate under the auspices of standing production companies, advances in affordable film making equipment, and expansion of opportunities to acquire investment capital from outside the film industry itself, have allowed independent film production to evolve. Today, a ‘flick’ is a feature film or a ‘movie’. “Movie” naturally comes from the bigger word ‘moving picture’ and ‘film’ from the delicate and highly combustible cellulose nitrate film that early films were produced on. The very word ‘Cinema’ comes from the larger word ‘cinematograph’, an early form of projection camera. In early times if the film produced wasn’t good enough, then the editor would take out a pair of scissors, slice off the bad film and splice the good bits of film together to make a complete reel.

The major business centers of film making are in the United States, India and Britain. In Europe, France, Germany and United Kingdom are the countries that lead movie production. Distinct from the centers are the locations where movies are filmed. Because of labor and infrastructure costs, many films are produced in countries other than the one in which the company which pays for the film is located. For example, many U.S. and Indian movies are filmed in Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand or in Eastern European countries.

India is the one of the largest producer of films in the world. In 2009, India produced a total of 2961 films on celluloid.  Indian film industry is multi-lingual and the largest in the world in terms of ticket sales and number of films produced and 2nd largest in terms of revenue. The industry is supported mainly by a vast film-going Indian public, and Indian films have been gaining increasing popularity in the rest of the world notably in countries with large numbers of Indian population. Largest film industry in India is the Hindi film industry mostly concentrated in Mumbai (Bombay), and is commonly referred to as “Bollywood”, an amalgamation of Bombay and Hollywood. The other largest film industries are Telugu cinema and Tamil cinema which are located in Hyderabad and Chennai are commonly referred to as “Tollywood” and “Kollywood”. Indian films are made filled with musicals, action, romance, comedy, and an increasing number of special effects. Some of the most famous production companies are Ashutosh Gowarikar Productions, Ramesh Sippy Entertainment, Dharma Productions and Prakash Jha Productions. 

A scene from first Bollywood movie “Raja Harishchandra” in 1931.

Some Bollywood movies of 21st century

The United Kingdom has had also been a significant film industry for over a century. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor.  Today some of the most famous production companies based in UK include Working Title Films, Film4 and Polygram Filmed Entertainment. Globally the British film industry has been profoundly influenced by the American film industry built around the major Hollywood studios, which has been at different times an overwhelming competitor and a major investor in film-making in the UK. The production arm of the British film industry is its strength. Unfortunately, American companies have always dominated the distribution sector where much of the profit is to be made. Despite several attempts, no British company has been able to emulate the American companies, which can finance and distribute their own and other companies’ production worldwide.

Introduction To Hollywood Film Industry:  

Hollywood is a district in Los Angeles, California that is situated in west- northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. The famous Hollywood symbol, originally read Hollywoodland. Due to its fame and cultural individuality of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a connotation for the cinema of United States which is popularly known as the Hollywood film Industry. It has a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20^th century.  Today the Hollywood film industry is positioned across the world. Without any doubt American cinema soon became the most dominant force in an emerging industry.

Old Hollywoodland sign

Hollywood Sign (Present)

How Hollywood Works?

The United States developed the sound in films in 1920s. Some of the most famous actors like John Wayne and Marilyn Monreo were iconic figures. The big producer like Walt Disney became a leader in animated film and its distribution. The major film studios of Hollywood were the main sources of the most money making movies in the world, such as Gone with the Wind (1939), Star Wars (1977), Titanic (1997), and Avatar (2009). At present, American film studios collectively generate several hundred movies per year, making the United States the third producer of films in the world with the most productive capacity. The first is India and Nigeria is second.

Hollywood has given recognition to many remarkable directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Copolla, James Cameron, Martin Scorcese, Roman Polanski, Tim Burton, David Fincher, Christopher Nolan and the list goes on.

Hollywood studio systems are the ones that are ultimately behind those big big money making films that you go and watch every summer. They have been around since the beginning, since the first motion picture was distributed across the country. The Hollywood Golden Era was when many of the studios were firmly established. They took off in the 30’s and 40’s and have built up their industry and have maintained it throughout the changing of times and technology ever since. In this day and age they are the power house production companies, not even production companies any more. They are referred to solely as studios. They are Warner Brothers, Paramount, 20th Century Fox and in a way they kind of hold their corner of the market in that there aren’t any new major studios that have emerged since the 80’s I would say definitely. I mean there were a few small ones that spring up an develop names for themselves like say DreamWorks or The Weinstein Company which aren’t even really that small but small compared to Warner Brothers and Paramount or 20th Century. They’re the ones that have really been around forever and what they do essentially is they finance all the major studio films that get released. They invest in them, they develop them, they shepherd them through production and ultimately they distribute them all over the world. Hollywood film industry always tries to target the international audience rather than just concentrating on their local audiences

They are also ultimately the ones who reap the biggest financial rewards from the success of the films and if you are making a movie within the studio system there is a great deal of money that production will more than likely receive to help insure the greatest possible product in the end. Many don’t have nearly the amount of creative freedom that you have in the independent film scene and are responsible to a committee, to a board, they have got share holders and all these different people to please and there is money to be made so it is kind of a cut throat business but they are also responsible for producing some of the best movies that we have out there and some of the worst ones and so that in a nutshell is The Hollywood Studio System.

Codes And Conventions:

As my genre of the final film would be “chick flick” so I would explain some common codes and conventions of this genre. This will help me in making my final film as to which props, costumes, set and make-up to use.

The term chick flick is slang used to describe a movie that primarily appeals to teenage girls and young women. Chick flicks are typically perky, upbeat, modern, and post-feminist in tone, although some movies do have sad and dramatic elements as well. The setting for a chick flick can vary. Movies such as Never Been Kissed transport viewers back to the torment of high school, while Notting Hill takes place in book store.The female characters in a chick flick are usually strong women who overcome adversity to reach their goals. The key to a successful chick flick is a message of female empowerment, although a snappy soundtrack and closets full of designer clothes will also help boost ratings.Since many chick flick movies are also classified as romantic comedies, they often feature a female lead character struggling with a humorous romantic predicament..Another popular theme for the chick flick movie genre is the bonds between friends. Thelma & Louise , Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion , Mona Lisa Smile , and The Sweetest Thing are examples of popular chick flicks that place friendship above romance.

Even though the chick flick genre is often criticized as mindless, sappy, and overly-commercialized fluff, chick flick movies continue to be a powerful bonding tool for mothers, daughters, sisters, and best friends. As long as these films continue to generate profits for movie executives, expect to see a fresh crop of chick flick titles released on a regular basis.The plot involves male protagonist after female protagonist he fancies and having to overcome obstacles and rivals for her affection. Soft and romantic music is used throughout the films.
There are attractive protagonists, particularly female and there is very cliché and stereotypical of the idea of ‘Love’. The movie is filmed in big city/town such as new York or London.
The Costume used are smart and sexy which appeals to the opposite sex. The colours used in set design are red which represents love, hearts, sexuality and passion, color white represents innocence, purity and color pink represents love, romance and femininity.

Genres In Hollywood:

I am only concentrating on the genres that are mostly preferred by the studios  and how much famous they are individually.  The table below shows the number of films produced under each genre by Hollywood.

Genre	Number Of Films
Action/Adventure	13
Comedy	126
Crime/Thriller	35
Drama	74
Family	30
Fantasy/Sci-Fi	20
Romance	35
Other	23
Total	356

Comedy:

The plot of the comedy genre film is often concerned with an illicit love affair or some other scandal. However, the plot is generally less important than its witty dialogues. The main character or character finds himself in an unusual environment, which drives most of the humor. Situations can be swapping gender roles like a freedom-loving individual fitting into a structured environment. Comedy, in particular, seems to be very different with 78% of films appearing in the list for only one country. Some of these are individual Hollywood films that have performed well in one country not the others; but many are films that only feature in the list of the country in which they were produced. Some of the comedy films include “Funny People”, “17 Again”, “Mrs. Doubt fire”, “Paul Blart:Mall Cop”, “Death At Funeral” and “Bad Teacher”

Crime/Thriller

The Crime/Thriller genre features several big-budget Hollywood films that were successful all over the world examples include “The Da Vinci Code”,  “Angels and Demons”, “No Country for Old Men”, “The Bourne Ultimatum”, etc. Some films that appear only once are Hollywood films neither of which are as good as the originals but most are successful only in the country in which they originate.

Drama

Only a few drama films appear in the top 50s (Australia, Blood Diamond, Brokeback Mountain, Shutter Island, and The Pursuit of Happyness), while 73% feature in one list only.

Romantic

Romantic films show the same pattern, with only seven (13%) films featuring five times (and three of these are from the Twilight franchise), and 65% of films featuring once only. The drama and romance films that appear once tend to feature only in the country from which they originate, but when drama films do cross borders they go between the continental countries. There does not appear to be the same level of cross-over for the romance films, and when a film from this category appears more than once it tends to be a Hollywood film.

Laughter and love do not apparently travel well – in the cinema at least. And nor do crime and drama. The five markets are much less homogenized in these categories, unlike the Action/Adventure films where they are much more consistent in terms of the films in circulation. This clearly raises question about the extent to which we can speak of the Americanization or globalization of European cinema, as it appears to affect some categories of films more than others.

Family

For the family genre, 41% of films feature once and 39% of films feature five times. For the Fantasy/Science Fiction films, the equivalent statistics are 42% and 29%. This suggests that there is a divide in the market for these films. The majority of the films in these two genres are Hollywood blockbusters no matter how many time they occur. But we do see a clear split between films that are broadly successful against films that do not travel across borders so well; especially when it comes to animated family films that perform well in all markets (e.g. Cars, Flushed Away, Ice Age: The Meltdown).

ACTION/ADVENTURE

Some of the most common codes and conventions found in every action movie can be that one or more heroes are thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and chases. They tend to feature a resourceful character struggling against incredible odds, which may involve life-threatening situations, an evil villain, and/or being pursued, with victory achieved at the end after difficult physical efforts and violence. Story and character development are generally secondary to explosions, fist fights, gunplay and car chases. While action films have traditionally been a reliable source of revenue for movie studios, relatively few action films garner critical praise, mainly because of their two-dimensional heroes or villains.

As I said before, this is a crude way of measuring differences in audience taste, and I won’t have a much richer picture until I start to compare the box office gross of films in each country directly. But what the information in the above tables provides is a means of describing the national specificity of film a markets based on the types of in circulation and which achieve the highest box office rankings. There are many similarities between these five countries, but we should want to know why the Spanish do not go and see as many comedy films as the British, Germans, French, and Italians? Why do we all seem to watch the same Action/Adventure films but not the same Drama films? Perhaps the specificity of a national cinema is only evident in some categories of films and not others; or Hollywood has cornered the market on such blockbusters to the exclusion of all other producers.

Major Film Studio In Hollywood:

A major film studio is a production and distribution company that releases a substantial number of films annually and consistently commands a significant share of box-office revenues in a given market. In the North American, Western, and global markets, the major film studios, often simply known as the majors, are commonly regarded as the six diversified media conglomerates whose various movie production and distribution subsidiaries. The “Big Six” majors, whose operations are based in or around Hollywood, are all centered in film studios active during Hollywood’s Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s. In three cases—20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., and Paramount—the studios were one of the “Big Five” majors during that era as well. In two cases—Columbia and Universal—the studios were also considered majors, but in the next tier down, part of the “Little Three”. In the sixth case, Walt Disney Studios was an independent production company during the Golden Age; it was an important Hollywood entity, but not a major. Most of today’s Big Six control subsidiaries with their own distribution networks that concentrate on art house pictures several of these specialty units were shut down or sold off between 2008 and 2010. The major studios are today primarily backers and distributors of films whose actual production is largely handled by independent companies—either long-running entities or ones created for and dedicated to the making of a specific film. The specialty divisions often simply acquire distribution rights to pictures in which the studio has had no prior involvement. While the majors do a modicum of true production, their activities are focused more in the areas of development, financing, marketing, and merchandising.

Now in present there are six major media institution in Hollywood

• 20^th Century Fox
• Paramount Pictures
• Warner Bros
• Columbia Pictures
• Walt Disney Pictures
• Universal

Let us have a brief look on all the big six

20^th Century Fox:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation is one of the six major American film studios as of 2011. It is located in the Century City area of Los Angeles, just west of Beverly Hills, the studio is a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. The company was founded on May 31, 1935 as the result of the merger of Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Pictures.

The Fox Film Corporation was formed in 1915 by the theater chain pioneer William Fox, who formed Fox Film Corporation by merging two companies Greater New York Film Rental, a distribution firm and Fox Office Attractions Company, a production company. This merging of a distribution company and a production company was an early example of vertical integration. Twentieth Century Pictures was an independent Hollywood motion picture production company created in 1933 by Joseph Schenck, Darryl F. Zanuck from Warner Brothers, William Goetz from Fox Films, and Raymond Griffith. Company product was distributed by United Artists (UA), and was filmed at various studios. Some of the famous films by 20^th Century Fox in recent years were

• Night At The Museum (2007)
• Monte Carlo (2010)
• The Rise Of The Planet Of Apes (2010)
• Water For Elephants (2011)
• Avatar (2009)
• X-Men First Class (2011)
• RIO (2011)

Paramount Pictures:

Paramount Pictures Corporation is a film and television production/distribution company founded in 1912. It is the fourth oldest existing film studio in the world behind Universal Studios, Pathé and Gaumont Pictures. Also, it is the last major film studio still headquartered in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Paramount is consistently ranked as one of the largest (top-grossing) movie studios. It is a division of American media conglomerate Viacom.

Paramount Pictures is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Some of the famous films:

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

The Dictator

Titanic 3D

The Devil Inside

Paranormal Activity

Warner Bros:

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc also known as Warner Bros. Pictures is an American producer of film, television, and music entertainment. One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank, California and New York. Warner Bros. has several subsidiary companies, including Warner Bros. Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Home Video, New Line Cinema, TheWB.com, and DC Comics. Warner owns half of The CW Television Network. Warner Bros. is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

The Dark Knight Rises Magic Mike Journey 2: The Mysterious Island The Campaign Wrath of the Titans

 Columbia Pictures:

Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies in the world, a member of the so-called Big Six. It was one of the so-called Little Three among the eight major film studios of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

The studio, founded in 1919 as Cohn-Brandt-Cohn Film Sales by brothers Jack and Harry Cohn and Joe Brandt, released its first feature film in August 1922. It adopted the Columbia Pictures name in 1924 and went public two years later. The name is derived from “Columbia”, a national personification of the United States, which is used as the company’s logo.

The Amazing Spider-Man MIB 3 21 Jump Street Hotel Transylvania The Vow

 Walt Disney:

The Walt Disney Studios, also known as Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group and formerly known as Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group and Buena Vista Film Group, is an American entertainment industry company division which develops scripts and oversees theatrical production for The Walt Disney Company’s production companies and imprints founded in 1995. The studio, known for its film division, which is one of Hollywood’s major film studios, is based at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.Walt Disney Studios’ film division is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

Toy Story 3 Alice in Wonderland (2010) Tangled Tron Legacy Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Universal Studios:

Universal Studios, is an American film studio, and one of the six major movie studios. It is one of the longest-lived motion picture studios to be located outside of Hollywood.^[3] It is a division of American media conglomerate NBCUniversal.

Founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle,^[4] it is the oldest movie studio in the United States of America. It is also the third oldest in the world that is still in continuous production. On May 11, 2004, the controlling stake in the company was sold by Vivendi Universal to General Electric, parent of NBC.^[5] The resulting media super-conglomerate was renamed NBC Universal, while Universal Studios Inc. remained the name of the production subsidiary. It also acquired rights to several prominent filmmakers’ works originally released by other studios through its subsidiaries over the years. Selected clips and footage shot by Universal Studios are available for purchase from the NBCUniversal Archives.

Its production studios are at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California. Distribution and other corporate offices are in New York City.Universal Studios is a Member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

Fast and Furious Couples Retreat Public Enemies Bruno Funny People

Here is the chart for the box office hit movies of recent years in Hollywood:

Year 2006	MoviesPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest	Total Box Office $423,315,812
1994	The Lion King	$422,780,140
2010	Toy Story 3	$415,004,880
2012	The Hunger Games	$408,010,692
2002	Spider-Man	$403,706,375
2009	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	$402,111,870
2011	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II	$381,011,219
2005	Star Wars Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith	$380,270,577
2003	Finding Nemo	$380,167,333
2003	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	$377,845,905
2004	Spider-Man 2	$373,524,485

 

 References:
http://nickredfern.wordpress.com/

http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Major_film_studio

http://www.slideshare.net/group025/film-industry-15723781
http://www.omnilexica.com/?q=The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Major_film_studio
http://wikipedia.org

Media Institution-Warner Bros

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. also known as Warner Bros. Pictures is an American producer of film, television, and music entertainment. It is one of the major film studios; it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank, California and New York. Warner Bros. has several subsidiary companies, including Warner Bros. Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Home Video, New Line Cinema, TheWB.com, and DC Entertainment. Warner owns half of The CW Television Network too.

It is a global leader in all forms of entertainment and their related businesses across all current and emerging media and platforms. The fully integrated, broad-based company stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD, digital distribution, animation, comic books, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.

In addition to its long-standing position as the industry’s preeminent creator and distributor of feature films, television programs, animation, video and DVD, Warner Bros. Studios has also become one of the foremost authorities on utilizing licensing and merchandising to grow and reinforce its brands, on pioneering new forms of distribution, and on marshaling its vast creative and business resources to build world-renowned entertainment franchises that become appreciating assets in its unrivaled library.

Warner Bros. is the most respected, diversified and successful motion picture and television studios in the world.

History

Warner Bros studios began when the brothers Albert Warner, SamWarner, Harry Warner and Jack L. Warner incorporated their fledgling movie company on April 4, 1923. In the early days, Warner Bros. had a hard time keeping up with older studios like Paramount, MGM and First National, which led them to become innovators just to try to make a profit.

In 1927, with the release of the world’s first “talkie,” which was a synchronized-sound feature film, “The Jazz Singer,” set a character and tone of innovation and influence that would become synonymous with the name Warner Bros. In 1928 the first all-talking feature, Lights of New York. In 1929, they were the first to release an all-color talking feature, On with the Show. Since those early days, Warner Bros. Studios has amassed an impressive legacy based on world-class quality entertainment and technological foresight and created a diversified entertainment company with an unparalleled depth and breadth. Its unmatched consistency and success is built on a foundation of stable management throughout its history (especially by entertainment industry standards), long-term creative relationships with many of the world’s leading talent, and an unwavering dedication to excellence.

Where M-G-M went in for bright, colorful musicals, Warner Bros preferred black & white, and gritty, realistic dramas. The studio put out numerous top notch gangster films, such as “Little Caesar,” “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang” (1932), “The Maltese Falcon” (1941), “The Big Sleep” (1946) and of course the unforgettable “Casablanca” (1941). They also gave us such Oscar winning dramas as “The Story of Louis Pasteur” (1936), “The Life of Emile Zola” (1937), and “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” (1948).

In 1989, Warner Bros. initiated its strategy of growing a market for its films by building state-of-the-art multiplex theaters in underserved territories overseas, operating them until they are mature businesses and then moving onto new frontiers. The first of these ventures was in Australia.

The 1990s was a seminal decade for the Studio, starting with the 1990 merger of Warner Communications, Inc. and Time Inc. to form Time Warner, Inc., one of the world’s largest communications and entertainment companies. Other important milestones include: the Studio’s creation and utilization of a unique film co-financing and worldwide distribution business model; the revitalization of Warner Bros. Animation with the animated television series “Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures” (1991); the opening of Warner Bros.’ first international theme park (Movie World in Australia, 1991); the consolidation of Warner Bros. Television and Lorimar Television (1993); the debut of such megahits as “ER,” “Friends” and “The Drew Carey Show” (1994, 1994 and 1995, respectively); the launch of the Company’s first, and the country’s fifth, national television network, The WB (1995); becoming a dominant force in the production and worldwide distribution of first-run syndicated programming; taking over of the management of the Turner library (1996); becoming an early adopter of the Internet as a promotional tool and outlet for original content; and leading the development and the launch of the revolutionary DVD format.

At the box office in the 1990s, Warner Bros. Pictures continued to break records and and earn critical raves around the world. The decade got off to a great start as “Driving Miss Daisy” won Academy Awards for “Best Picture,” “Best Actress” and “Best Screenplay” for 1989. “Best Picture” Oscar nominations followed for “GoodFellas” (1990) and “JFK” (1991). Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” (1992) garnered four Oscars (“Best Picture,” “Best Director,” “Best Supporting Actor” and “Best Editing”), followed by an Oscar nomination for “The Fugitive” (1993). The Studio made history in 1999 when, for the first time, its domestic box office surpassed the $1 billion mark and for the third time in the 1990s, it passed $1 billion internationally. “The Matrix,” alone, took in some $460 million at the worldwide box office, breaking Warner Bros. Pictures’ worldwide revenue record and creating an extraordinary new brand for the Studio.

Distribution And Recent Box Office Rates :

The year 2000 brought the Studio continued success with such films as “The Perfect Storm,” “Space Cowboys” and Castle Rock’s “Miss Congeniality.”

In 2001, Warner Bros. Pictures shattered every one of its own box office records and several industry records thanks to the beginning of the Harry Potter phenomenon (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”), “Ocean’s 11,” “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” “Cats & Dogs” and, internationally, “Miss Congeniality.” Domestic box office reached $1.23 billion, and international box office soared to $1.34 billion. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” holds a worldwide box office of $973.6 million, and stands as the Studio’s highest-grossing film and the industry’s third-highest grossing film of all time in worldwide box office.

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” the fourth-highest grossing film internationally of all time), “Scooby-Doo,” “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” “Insomnia,” “A Walk to Remember” and “Two Weeks Notice” made 2002 another record-breaking year for Warner Bros. Pictures, with box office receipts surpassing the $1 billion mark for the third time domestically and the fifth time internationally. Warner Bros. Pictures’ $1.6 billion in international receipts led all studios and was both a new record for Warner Bros. Pictures, as well as the second-highest gross ever from a major studio.

Warner Bros.’ various businesses continued to be category leaders in 2003. Warner Bros. Pictures had its second-best domestic box office year in history ($1.16 billion) and its best-ever year at the international box office ($1.63 billion), making for the Studio’s most successful worldwide box office year ever. Warner Home Video was number one in overall marketshare, and Warner Bros. Television was the industry’s number-one supplier of television programming. Consumer Products celebrated its 20th anniversary having racked up $50 billion in worldwide retail sales in two decades, and International Cinemas opened Paradise Warner Cinema City in Shanghai, marking the first time the Chinese government allowed a major U.S. theatrical company to extensively brand an in-country theater.

2004 was a history-making year for the Studio. Warner Bros. Pictures had its most successful year ever, with $3.41 billion in worldwide box office, which included $2.19 billion in overseas receipts, marking the first time a studio crossed the $2 billion mark internationally in a single year (it was also the fifth time domestically and seventh time internationally Warner Bros. Pictures broke the billion-dollar barrier). Contributing to this success were “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Troy,” “Ocean’s 12” and “The Polar Express.” WBTV was again the industry’s leading supplier of programming to the six networks, and Warner Home Video finished the year as the industry’s marketshare leader (for the sixth time in the preceding eight years).

In 2005, “Million Dollar Baby” brought the Studio four Oscars, including “Best Picture” and “Best Director.” In February of that year, Warner Home Video established an in-country video distribution and marketing operation in China, making WHV the first U.S. company ever to do so. “Batman Begins” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” were two of the summer’s biggest hits with more than $370 and $470 million in worldwide box office, respectively. In an unprecedented entertainment industry trifecta, Warner Home Video, Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures International all finished 2005 as the market share leader in their respective business categories.

In 2006, Warner Bros. Pictures’ domestic and international divisions each had their sixth consecutive billion-dollar-plus years at the box office; Warner Home Video was the industry’s marketshare leader; and the Warner Bros. Television Group was the industry’s leading supplier of primetime series to the broadcast networks. The Studio’s The WB Television Network was replaced by The CW, a joint venture with CBS Corporation; the Warner Bros. Television Group launched Warner Horizon Television (lower-budgeted scripted and reality primetime series for network and cable) and Studio 2.0 (original short-form digital programming for broadband and wireless devices); and Warner Premiere, a new direct-to-platform production arm, was founded.

In 2007, Warner Bros. Pictures’ domestic and international divisions each had their most successful years ever, as well as their seventh consecutive billion dollar-plus years at the box office. The Studio’s domestic box office reached $1.42 billion, and overseas receipts soared to $2.24 billion, an industry record. Warner Home Video was once again the industry’s leader, with an overall 20 percent marketshare. The Warner Bros. Television Group’s companies remained category leaders, producing for all platforms and outlets, and are moving boldly into the digital realm with ad-supported video-on-demand as well as broadband and wireless destinations.

In 2008, Warner Bros. had a worldwide box office of $3.59 billion. Warner Bros. Pictures set a Studio and an industry record with $1.78 billion in domestic receipts, international box office reached $1.81 billion, and the year marked the eighth time Warner Bros. crossed the billion-dollar mark domestically and the 11th time internationally. Warner Home Video dominated the U.S. sales categories as the number one company in total video sales (DVD and Blu-ray combined), DVD, new theatrical releases, TV on DVD releases and total high-definition titles sold. Internationally, WHV is the number one studio with 16 percent world market share and a 23 percent world market share among all Hollywood studios. The Warner Bros. Television Group’s companies remained category leaders, producing for all platforms and outlets, and are moving boldly into the digital realm with ad-supported video-on-demand as well as broadband and wireless destinations.

In 2009, Warner Bros. had a record-breaking worldwide box office of $4.01 billion. Warner Bros. Pictures set a Studio and industry record with $2.13 billion in domestic receipts, international box office reached $1.88 billion, and the year marked the ninth time Warner Bros. crossed the billion-dollar mark domestically and the 12th time internationally. Warner Home Video dominated the U.S. sales categories as the number one company in a number of key categories, including total video sales (DVD and Blu-ray combined). Internationally, WHV is the number one studio with 14 percent world market share and a 21 percent world market share among all Hollywood studios. The Warner Bros. Television Group’s companies remained category leaders, producing more than 40 series for the broadcast, cable and first-run programming marketplaces. Charged with growing the Studio’s entire portfolio of television businesses, WBTVG is continually developing new business models for the evolving television landscape, including VOD, broadband, wireless and home video exploitation of its vast library.

In 2010, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group broke the all-time industry worldwide box office record with receipts of $4.814 billion, which surpassed the prior record of $4.010 billion (set by the Studio in 2009). Warner Bros. also established a new industry benchmark for the international box office with a total of $2.93 billion (marking a record third time of crossing the $2 billion threshold) and retained its leading domestic box office ranking with receipts of $1.884 billion. 2010 also marked the 10th consecutive year Warner Bros. Pictures passed the billion dollar mark at both the domestic and international box offices. Warner Home Video was, once again, the industry’s leader, with an overall 20.6 percent marketshare in total DVD and Blu-ray sales. The companies comprising the Warner Bros. Television Group and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group remain category leaders, working across all platforms and outlets, and are trendsetters in the digital realm with video-on-demand (transaction and ad-supported), branded channels, original content, anti-piracy technology and broadband and wireless destinations.

In 2011, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group grossed $4.7 billion at the worldwide box office ($1.83 billion domestic, $2.87 international) with both its domestic and international divisions crossing the billion-dollar mark for an 11th consecutive year, a feat unmatched by any other studio. The Pictures Group has exceeded $4 billion globally for three consecutive years, also a milestone no other studio has ever achieved. Warner Home Video was, once again, the industry’s leader, with an overall 21.9 percent market share in total DVD and Blu-ray sales. WHV was also the number one home entertainment studio internationally in 2011. The companies comprising the Warner Bros. Television Group and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group remained category leaders working across all platforms and outlets.

Filmography (Production And Distribution):

Mama’s Boy	November 30, 2007
I Am Legend	December 14, 2007	co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures, Weed Road Pictures, Overbrook Entertainment, Heyday Films and Original Film
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street	December 21, 2007	International distributor, co-production with DreamWorks Pictures, Pakres/MacDonald Productions, The Zanuck Company and Neal Street Productions
P.S. I Love You	December 21, 2007	co production with Alcon Entertainment
The Bucket List	January 21, 2008
One Missed Call	January 4, 2008	co-production with Kadokawa Pictures, Intermedia Films and Alcon Entertainment
Fool’s Gold	February 8, 2008
10,000 B.C.	March 7, 2008	co-production with Legendary Pictures, Centropolis Entertainment and The Mark Gordon Company
Broken Angel	March 14, 2008	first Turkish film released by WB
Chaos Theory	April 11, 2008	co-production with Warner Independnet Pictures and Castle Rock Entertainment
Speed Racer	May 9, 2008	co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures Silver Pictures, Anarchos Productions, Velocity Productions and Sechste Babelsberg Film
Death Note	May 20, 2008	co-production with Nippon Television
Get Smart	June 20, 2008	co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures, Mosaic Media Group, Mad Chance Callahan Filmworks

The Rite	January 28, 2011	distribution only, produced by New Line Cinema and Tribeca Productions
Unknown	February 18, 2011	co-production with Dark Castle Entertainment and Studio Babelsberg
Hall Pass	February 25, 2011	distribution only, produced by Conundrum Entertainment and New Line Cinema
Red Riding Hood	March 11, 2011	co-production with Appian Way Productions
Sucker Punch	March 25, 2011	co-production with Legendary Pictures and Cruel and Unusual Films
Arthur	April 8, 2011
Born to Be Wild	April 8, 2011	Co-production with IMAX
Something Borrowed	May 6, 2011	North American distribution; co-production with Alcon Entertainment, 2S Films and Wild Ocean Films
Fractionary	February 17, 2012	co-production with Legendary Pictures and Green Hat Films
Project X	March 2, 2012	co-production with Green Hat Films and Silver Pictures
Wrath of the Titans	March 30, 2012	co-production with Legendary Pictures
The Lucky One	April 20, 2012	co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures, DiNovi Pictures and Langley Park Productions
To the Arctic 3D		co-production with IMAX
Dark Shadows	May 11, 2012	co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures, GK Films and Infinitum Nihil
Chernobyl Diaries	May 25, 2012	co-production with Alcon Entertainment and FilmNation Entertainment
Rock of Ages	June 15, 2012	distribution only, produced by New Line Cinema, Corner Stone Entertainment, Material Pictures, Offspring Entertainment and Maguire Entertainment
Magic Mike	June 29, 2012	US distribution only
The Dark Knight Rises	July 20, 2012	co-production with Legendary Pictures, DC Entertainment and Syncopy Films
The Campaign	August 10, 2012	co-production with Gary Sanchez Productions and Everyman Pictures
The Apparition	August 24, 2012	co-production with Studio Babelsberg and Dark Castle Entertainment
Thunderstruck	August 24, 2012	co-production with Warner Premiere

Source: Wikipedia

List Of Chick Flick:  

• Gossip (2000) : co produced with Village Roadshow Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros.
•  Elephant (2003):  studio HBO films which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros and it is distributed by Fine Line Features.
• 17 Again (2009): coproduced with Offspring Entertainment and distributed by New Line Cinema.
•  Rocket Science (2007): it was distributed by HBO Films and Picturehouse.
• The Notebook (2004): distributed by New Line Cinema.
• Two Weeks Notice: coproduced with Castle Rock Entertainment and Village Roadshow Entertainment. Distributed by Warner Bros.
• P.S I Love You (2007): studios Alcon Entertainment, Grosvenor Park Productions
  and 2S Films.
• Love Doesn’t Cost Anything (2003): studio Alcon Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros.
• Laws of Attraction (2004): distributed and produced by New Line Cinema.
• Crazy Stupid Love (2011): studio Carousel Productions and distributed by Warner Bros.
• What A Girl Wants (2003): distributed by Warner Bros.
• The Sisterhood Of Travelling Pants (2005): co produced with Alcon Entertainment,12th Street Productions and Di Novi Pictures. Distributed by Warner Bros.
• A Cinderella Story(2004):  distributed by Warner Bros.
• Another Cinderella Story (2008) distributed by Warner Premiere.

I think Warner Bros would be great to distribute my film on local, national and even international levels. As it have Home Box Office as its subsidiary and Warner Bros television would help my film to be distributed in even on television. The Warner bros also owns half of the CW television which would add extra credits on my film. Time Warner being the biggest parent company would find it a lot easier to distribute my film. They also have Warner Bros Home Video Market which would help in getting my film on DVD, HD-DVD and even Blu ray disc. I think my final film would be able to cover a huge range of audience as the most of the chick flicks by them are put up on thousands of multiplexes screens.

References:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=786986&page=187
http://beyondthemarquee.com/12766/
http://www.warnerbros.com/studio/divisions/
http://www.visualhollywood.com
http://moviescomments.com

 

 

UK Film Distribution

The film and television industries make an important contribution to the British economy. The British film industry has experienced periods of booms and recession. The film industry globally has been profoundly influenced by the American film industry built around the major Hollywood studios, which has been at different times an overwhelming competitor and a major investor in film-making in the UK. The production arm of the British film industry is its strength. Unfortunately, American companies have always dominated the distribution sector where much of the profit is to be made. Despite several attempts, no British company has been able to emulate the American companies, which can finance and distribute their own and other companies’ production worldwide.

Some of the most renowned film companies that I am going to include are:

Working Title Films: 

Working Title Films is a British film production company, based in London. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radcliffe in 1983. The company found fame when it released “Four Weddings And A Funeral” with Hugh Grant which became a hit in the box office. It was said that it was hard to finance the company as it was almost bankrupt for a lot of time. In 2004 however, the company made a profit of 17.8 million pound, however Universal studios owns 67% of the company and a lot of films have been co-produced with American studios makes the debate of whether it is truly British. It is known for having a limited number of employees. The company also has other offices located in Los Angeles, and Ireland.

The most famous films produced by the working title films are:

Four Weddings And Funeral:

It is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant. The film was an unexpected success, becoming the highest grossing worldwide box office in excess of $244 million worldwide.

It was a co-production of three companies:

• Working Title film being the main

• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

• Channel Four films.

All over the world this film was distributed by various companies through cinemas, theaters, DVD’s and blu ray disc.

The names of distributor companies in UK are given below.

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (UK) (theatrical)
• Ufilms (Spain PolyGram) (UK) (VHS)
• PolyGram Video (UK) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (UK) (VHS)

The name of the companies that distributed the film globally are:

• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Distribution Company (video)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS, DVD and laserdisc)
• PolyGram Video (USA) (VHS, DVD and laserdisc)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment  (Netherlands) (VHS and DVD)

The above data shows us that the film four weddings and a funeral was distributed by only a few numbers of companies within the UK. But it was distributed by many companies globally. This shows that British film industry isn’t much expressive and has fear in distributing their own films.

Mr. Beans Holiday:  

Mr. Bean’s Holiday is a 2007 British comedy film starring Rowan Atkinson, which was released in the United Kingdom and Australia on 24 March 2007 and on 24 August 2007 in the United States and Canada. It is the second film based on the television series Mr. Bean, and a sequel to 1997’s Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie. The story starts when Mr. Bean wins a trip to Cannes where he unwittingly separates a young boy from his father and must help the two come back together. On the way he discovers France, bicycling, and true love, among other things. Mr. Bean’s Holiday is directed and performed in a way that’s very reminiscent of a silent movie. Most of the laughs come from the rubber face, wide eyes, and clueless behavior of the talented Atkinson. It’s slapstick in some places, parody and satire in others.

Again this film is co produced by many companies both UK and American:

• Universal Pictures
• Studio Canal (as Studio Canal) (present)
• Motion Picture Alpha Productions (in association with)
• Working Title Films
• Tiger Aspect Productions (as Tiger Aspect Pictures) (in association with)
• First step Productions
• Paramount Pictures (presents)

The companies that distributed this film mainly in UK are:

• Universal Pictures (2007) (UK) (theatrical)

The distribution companies globally were:

• United International Pictures (2007) (Argentina, Greece, Sweden, Singapore, Switzerland, Spain and Netherland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Network (2011) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Pictures (2007) (Non-USA) (all media)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (HD-DVD)

In this case we can see that there was only one company which was also USA based who distributed the films only in UK. However number of companies distributed the film globally whether in cinemas or DVDs.

Pride And Prejudice:  

The story is based on Jane Austen’s novel about five sisters – Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia Bennet – in Georgian England. Their lives are turned upside down when a wealthy young man (Mr. Bingley) and his best friend (Mr. Darcy) arrive in their neighborhood. Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice?

The companies that produced this film were:

• Focus Features (presented by)
• Universal Pictures (presents)
• Studio Canal (in association with) (as Studio canal)
• Working Title Films (as Working Title)
• Scion Films (produced in association with)

The distribution companies for “Pride & Prejudice” all over the world were:

• Studio Canal (2006) (France) (all media)
• Focus Features (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands and Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (collector’s editition and Blu-ray)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Pictures (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (2-disc collector’s edition)(Blu-ray).

Pride And Prejudice was a film which was not just famous in UK but it also got great appreciation from around the world. The global audience liked the way the particular British scenario had been shown. This film perfectly shows the culture and traditions of British family.

Film4

Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The company’s first production was Walter, directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982.

Some of the most famous and box office hit movies of “Film4” are:

127 Hours:

127 Hours is a 2010 biographical survival drama film directed, co-written and produced by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco as real-life canyoneer Aaron Ralston, who became trapped by a boulder in an isolated slot canyon in Blue John Canyon, southeastern Utah, in April 2003, and was eventually forced to amputate his own right arm in order to free himself. The film was received well by critics and audiences and it was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor to James Franco.

This film was also a co-production of seven companies:

• Pathé
• Everest Entertainment
• Cloud Eight Films (as Cloud Eight)
• Decibel Films
• Darlow Smithson Productions (as Darlow Smithson)
• Dune Entertainment (made in association with)
• Big Screen Productions

The distribution companies all over the globe were:

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (2010) (worldwide) (all media)
• 20th Century Fox Australia (2010) (Australia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2011) (theatrical) (through Warner Bros.)
• 20th Century Fox (2011) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2011) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2011) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox C.I.S. (2011) (Russia) (theatrical)
•   Warner Bros. (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (through)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2011) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (2011) (USA) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British drama film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. The movie is set and filmed in India, the film tells the story of Jamal Malik, a young man from the Juhu slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers. And exceeds people’s expectations, thereby arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials. The movie combines elements of crime and adventure.

The production companies involved in the making of this film were

• Celador Films (presents)
• Film4 (presents)
• Pathé Pictures International

The distribution companies all over the world were:

• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (Canada) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Channel 4 Television Corporation (2010) (UK) (TV)
• Fox STAR Studios (2009) (India) (all media)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (2009) (USA) (TV)
• Volga Film (2009) (Russia) (all media)

This was distributed in each and every country but above I have mentioned only a few big names. The movie was a box office hit and it got a really very good response from the critics as well as from the global audience.

 Shaun Of The Dead:

Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed and co-written by Edgar Wright, and co-written and starring Simon Pegg alongside Nick Frost. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather. At the same time, he has to cope with an apocalyptic uprising of zombies that have returned from the dead to eat the living. The film was a critical and commercial success in the UK, and the US. It received a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 76 out of 100 at Metacritic. Shaun of the Dead was a BAFTA nominee.

This film had been produced by many companies but film4 having a main role consider this to be a British film. Below are the names of production companies.

• Universal Pictures (present)
• Studio Canal (present)
• Working Title Films (present)
• WT2 Productions
• Big Talk Productions (in association with)
• Inside Track 2 (in association with)
• FilmFour (developed and produced with the assistance of)
• De Wolfe Music (Production Music)

Below is the list of the distribution companies for the film:

• Focus Features (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rogue Pictures (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures ) (2004) (Switzerland, UK, Italy and Netherlands)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Argentina) (all media)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Germany) (DVD)Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray).

Big Talk Productions:

Big Talk Productions Ltd. is an English film and television production company established in 1995 by Nira Park. The company, located in London, has produced films such as “Hot Fuzz”; it is also known for its British sitcoms such as “Spaced and Free Agents”. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey are several actors that have risen to fame under Big Talk’s production banner. On October 13, 2008, it was announced that BBC Worldwide had bought a 25% stake in Big Talk from CEO, Nira Park, and Managing Director, Matthew Justice. The deal meant that former BBC creative head of comedy, Kenton Allen joined Big Talk as joint CEO.

Some of the most famous films are listed below:

Hot Fuzz:

Hot Fuzz is a 2007 British action mystery comedy film directed and co-written by Edgar Wright, and co-written and starring Simon Pegg alongside Nick Frost. Hot Fuzz received wide acclaim with a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 81/100 from Metacritic. The total international box office gross reached $80,573,774 before its home media release. The film revolves around two jealous colleagues conspire to get a top London cop transferred to a small town and paired with a witless new partner. On the beat, the pair stumbles upon a series of suspicious accidents and events.

The production companies that produced Hot Fuzz are:

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• Studio Canal (as StudioCanal) (in association with)
• Working Title Films (as Working Title)
• Big Talk Productions (in association with)
• Ingenious Film Partners (as Ingenious Film Partners 2 LLP) (produced in association with)

The film was distributed not just in UK but also globally.

• Paramount Pictures (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (2007) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Rogue Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Studio Canal (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2007) (Singapore, Switzerland, Spain, Netherland and UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2012) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (both releases Comic Book Collection editions)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (ultimate edition) 

Paul:

Paul is a 2011 British-American science fiction comedy film directed by Greg Mottola and written by and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Seth Rogen provides the voice of the title character. The film contains numerous references to other science fiction films, especially those of Steven Spielberg, as well as to general science fiction fandom. The film won the national movie award for the best comedy in 2011. This film is about Two British comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.

The companies that produced the film were:

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• Relativity Media (in association with)
• Working Title Films (as Working Title)
• Big Talk Productions (as Big Talk) (in association with)

The companies that helped in distributing the film in UK and as well as globally are:

• United International Pictures (UIP) (2011) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures Canada (2011) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2011) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2011) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Attack The Block:

Attack the Block is a 2011 British science fiction thriller film written and directed by Joe Cornish. Attack the Block’ is a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a London housing estate into a sci-fi playground. A tower block into a fortress under siege. And teenage street kids into heroes. It’s inner city versus outer space.

The film was produced by the production companies given below:

• Studio Canal (as Studio Canal Features) (presents)
• Film4 (presents)
• UK Film Council (presents)
• Big Talk Productions (as Big Talk Pictures)

The distribution companies of this film are:

• Optimum Releasing (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing Canada (2011) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2011) (Thailand) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2011) (Argentina) (all media)

The movie was distributed all around the world with small distribution companies.

Polygram Filmed Entertainment:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (PFE) (aka PolyGram Films and PolyGram Pictures) was a film studio, founded in 1979 as an European competitor to Hollywood, but eventually sold to Universal Pictures in 1998 and folded in 1999. Among its most successful films were Dead Man Walking (1995), Fargo (1996), Trainspotting (1996) and Notting Hill (1999). In 1992, PolyGram partnered with Universal Pictures to create a joint venture called Gramercy Pictures. Gramercy primarily distributed PolyGram films in the USA. After PolyGram’s folding into Universal in 1999, Gramercy merged with October Films to form USA Films, which eventually became Focus Features.

Dead Man Walking:

Dead Man Walking is a 1995 American crime drama film starring Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn and directed by Tim Robbins, who adapted the screenplay from the non-fiction book of the same name. It tells the story of Sister Helen Prejean, who establishes a special relationship with Matthew Poncelet (played by Sean Penn), a prisoner on death row in Louisiana. Particularly the story is about a nun, while comforting a convicted killer on death row, and empathizes with both the killer and his victim’s families.

“Dead Man Walking” was a production by three big companies at that time:

• Havoc
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment
• Working Title Films

The list of distribution companies in UK and internationally is given below:

• Gramercy Pictures (I) (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Film Distribution (1996) (France) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Video (1996) (USA) (laserdisc)
• PolyGram Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• PolyGram Video (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (rental)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1999) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1996) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video  (Australia) (VHS)

Notting Hill

Notting Hill is a 1999 British romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, released on 21 May 1999. The screenplay was by Richard Curtis, who had written Four Weddings and a Funeral. It was produced by Duncan Kenworthy and directed by Roger Michell. The film stars Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee and Hugh Bonneville. The film was well received by critics, and became the highest grossing British film released that year. The film won a BAFTA, and was nominated in two other categories. Notting Hill won other awards, including a British Comedy Award and a Brit Award for the soundtrack. The film is about The life of a simple bookshop owner changes when he meets the most famous film star in the world.

The production companies of this movie are:

• Polygram Filmed Entertainment
• Working Title Films
• Bookshop Productions
• Notting Hill Pictures

The distribution companies in UK and globally are given below:

• Polygram Filmed Entertainment (1999) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• PolyGram (1999) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1999) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1999) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures France (UPF) (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (1999) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)

Fargo:

Fargo is a 1996 American crime film produced, directed and written by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Frances McDormand as a pregnant police chief who investigates a series of homicides and William H. Macy as a car salesman who hires two criminals to kidnap his wife. Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare play the criminals and Harve Presnell plays the salesman’s father-in-law.

The film earned seven Academy Award nominations, winning two for Best Original Screenplay for the Coens and Best Actress in a Leading Role for McDormand.^[1] It also won the BAFTA Award and the Award for Best Director for Joel Coen at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. 

The film was produced by two companies:

• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
• Working Title Films

The distribution companies of this film within UK and globally were:

• Gramercy Pictures (I) (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1996) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1996) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Channel Four (1999) (UK) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment (video)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

In the end all the above production companies mentioned are somehow under the influence of American film industry. We can see that all the Hollywood distributors are distributing the British films. Almost all of the British production houses do not have much finance to produce and distribute their films nationally and internationally.

References:
wikipedia.com (for the initial details of films)