What is ‘The Big 6’ ?

Who are ‘The Big 6’ ?

‘The Big 6’ refers to the 6 major film production companies that are producing the highest grossing movies around. With ‘The Big 6’ it is difficult for the smaller film companies to stay in business due to trying to compete with the larger production companies.

1) Warner Bros. pictures

2) Paramount Pictures

3) Walt Disney Studios

4) Columbia Pictures

5) Universal Studios

6) 20th Century Fox

Warner Bros. PicturesWarner Bros. was founded on the 4th of April 1923 by 4 brothers: Sam, Albert, Harry and Jack Warner. These brothers originally starter showing movies around mining towns which then later lead to them to founding an amusement and supply company in 1904, this then lead to them soon producing films by the time of WW1. The warner brothers then went on to opening the warner brothers studios in Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. With this, Sam and Jack Warner produced the pictures, while Harry and Albert Warner and also their Auditor (Paul Ashley Chase) handled finance and the distribution among New York City. Their first film was called ‘My Four Years in Germany’, which was based on a famous book, was released on the 4th of April 1923.

Warner Bros. Pictures produces around 18-22 films per year, advertising via billboards, trailers, adverts etc.

Well Known Films:- Harry Potter- The Matrix- Batman- Space Jam- I Am Legend- Green Mile

Well Known TV shows:- The Big Bang

Theory- Charmed- Two and a Half Men- Smallville- Supernatural- Gossip Girl

Paramount PicturesParamount Picture was founded in 1912 by Adolph Zukor who had just released his first full-length drama which was shown in the US in 1912, Which was then followed up by Zukor Distributing his films through a Start up company which he named Paramount Pictures. In 1926 Zukor released his first full feature length film (also the first produced in Hollywood) with his own company as the distributor.

Well Known Films:- Forest Gump- Star Trek- Anchorman- Top Gun - Transformers- Titanic

Well Known TV shows:- Star Trek: Deep

Space Nine- NCIS- Charmed- 7th Heaven- Everybody Hates

Chris

Walt Disney StudiosWalt Disney studios started in 1923 in Los Angeles. It was in a small office which was occupied by Holly Vermont Realty in which Walt Disney and his brother Roy, produced multiple short animation or live-action films. Which were known as the Alice Comedies. This led to the two brothers moving to a larger facility and the sign outside read “Disney Bros. Studio”. The studio the got re-named to “Walt Disney Studio” in 1926 after getting married a year before. In 1937 Walt Disney released their first full length animated feature which was ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.

Well known Disney films:- The Lion King- Frozen- The little Mermaid- Aladdin- Cinderella- Tangled

Disney short shows/TV shows:- Mickey Mouse- The Jonas Brothers- The Wuzzles- Kim Possible- Quack Pack

Columbia PicturesThis Studio was founded in 1918 as Cohn-Brandt-Cohn Film sales and the three name represented brothers Jack and Harry Cohn and also Joe Brandt. The first feature film was in 1922 which lead to the name being changed to `Columbia Pictures1 in 1924 which is derived from the national personification of America ‘Columbia’. This company grew in the late 20`s as being associated to the director Frank Capra.Harry Cohn Jack Cohn Joe Brandt

Well Known Films:- The Amazing

Spiderman- The Smurfs- Ghostbusters- 21 Jump Street- Casino Royale- The Karate Kid

TV Shows (less known):- Dark Skies- The Critic- Starman- Lime Street- Houston Knights- Baby Talk- Sibs

Universal Studios Universal studios was founded in 1912 by multiple people: Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O.Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley and Jules Brulatour. Films of theirs directed by `Steven Spielberg` which have managed to hit Box Office records. Carl Laemmle Jr. took over universal in 1928 in which he attempted to raise the status of the company which is a low budget company by spending more on talent and production which has lead to where they are today.

Well Known Films:- Jaws- E.T- Jurassic Park- Fast and

Furious- Transformers- American Pie- Schindlers List

Well known TV shows:- Grimm- Heroes- The Incredible

Hulk- Law and Order- Suits- Prime Suspect- Knight Rider

Mark Dintenfass

Carl Laemmle

Twentieth Century FoxTwentieth Century Fox was originally 2 companies which were Twentieth Century Pictures, and also Fox Film Corporation. The latter company was formed by William Fox in 1915 who began distributing films in 1904 and producing them 9 years later, in 1915 this is when William Fox named the company the Fox film Corporation. After heavily spending leading to finance issues Fox lost Control of the Company however the company merged with Twentieth Century fox later on. The founders of this was Joseph Schenck and Darryl F. Zanuck in 1933, after Zanuck quit from Warner Brothers from being the head of production. In 1935 the companies merged fully to form Twentieth Century Fox.

Well Known Films:- Avatar- X-men - Planet of the

Apes- Titanic- Robots- Braveheart

Well Known TV shows:- The Simpsons- Family Guy- Futurama- The X-Files- In Living Color- Dark angel

William Fox