Paramount Pictures- Julia Dorin

Posted on February 18, 2016 by smwarren

Paramount Pictures

5555 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. 90038

www.paramount.com

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Paramount Pictures, founded in 1912 by Adolph Zukor, is the fifth oldest film studio on Earth. Along with Zukor, Paramount’s founding fathers include Jesse L. Lasky ad Cecil B. DeMille, whose innovation and determination have created an empire. Since its conception in 1912, Paramount has become one of the foremost production and distribution companies in the entertainment industry [1]. Owned by media conglomerate Viacom, Paramount maintains a solid reputation and has branched into various divisions including Paramount Animation, MTV Films, Comedy Central Films, Nickelodeon Movies and many others. Paramount has had multiple successful releases in 2016 so far and anxiously awaits the release of various new projects.

THE TEAM

Led by Chairman and Chief Executive Brad Grey, Paramount Pictures develops and produces iconic pictures such as “The Big Short”, ”The Wolf of Wall Street”, “Star Trek”, and many more. Grey took over the company in 2005, leading it to great success by finishing first in the global market in 2011, and maintaining high morale and a good reputation throughout his tenure. However as of late, Grey has faced financial trouble as the leader of Paramount, showing a substantial decrease in operating profit from last fiscal year’s $205 million to this fiscal year’s $111 million [2]. Another revered executive, Rob Moore, serves as the Vice Chairman for Paramount Pictures. Moore works to oversee the company’s Worldwide Marketing and distribution of films and television programs. Other executives include Frederick Huntsberry, Marc Evans, and Amy Powell, all who contribute to Paramount’s long-lasting success [3].

Brad Grey- CEO of Paramount Pictures [12]

FINANCES

So far this year, Paramount Pictures has acquired a total film gross of $311,567,245 from a variety of films. “Daddy’s Home” grossed a total of $150,357,137 since its release in December of 2015. “The Big Short”, also released in December of 2015 grossed $70,259,870 as well as receiving the Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay. The film was also nominated for another four Oscars and four Golden Globe awards as well. Paramount also released “Anomalisa”, which was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film in the 2016 Academy Awards. Other releases such as “Zoolander 2” and “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” have contributed to Paramount’s total film gross thus far [4]. Paramount is known for some of the most grandiose pictures ever produced, such as James Cameron’s 1996 Blockbuster “Titanic”, which was awarded the Oscar for Best Picture during the year of its release. Other top notch production includes “Interstellar”, starring Matthew McConaughey, which won an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects during the 2015 Oscars.

[9]

[10]

THE FUTURE

Looking ahead, Viacom is searching for a minority investor in Paramount in order to expand its content through the help of another company. Philippe Dauman, Viacom’s Chief Executive, believes a new investor would aid in Paramount’s recently dropping stock price and decreased ratings, which is depicted by the 2015 market share of 5.9%. Ideally, Paramount is looking for a Chinese investor to expand the company’s horizons and broaden its foreign influence. With the strict censorship implemented by China’s government, a Chinese partner would be extremely helpful for Paramount’s future success due to China’s massive population being about twenty percent of the total world population. Other interested parties include high profile companies such as Amazon, Apple, and Lionsgate Entertainment who have expressed the desire to get involved with Viacom’s Paramount Pictures. However, there is some controversy surrounding a new investor due to Paramount’s decrease in net worth. Viacom paid $9.8 billions dollars to acquire Paramount in 1994, yet current predictions value the company at only $5.5 billion today [5]. 21^st Century Fox has demonstrated great interest in buying a portion of Paramount, which could be a smart business move and allow the company to begin paying off some of their debt [6].

GLOBAL EXPANSION

[11]

Paramount recently gained rights to continue sharing their content to European countries after a long investigation with the European Union. The EU charged many companies including Google with anti-trust violations, claiming that streaming services such as Sky, which were carrying Paramount programs, were unfairly inaccessible to those outside of certain territories in the European Union. After much debate, Viacom and Paramount Pictures have reached a peaceful and satisfactory conclusion with the EU, allowing the production company to continue to license their programs through premium pay-TV output license agreements. This agreement also abolishes the prospect of fines as well as establishing a basis to solve other disagreements between various entertainment companies and the European Union [7]. Symbiosis between the EU and Paramount Pictures aids the company in reaching global success and distributing their programs and films across the world.

COMING UP

As one of the most iconic companies in the industry, Paramount has produced classic films such as “The Godfather”, and with numerous new releases on the horizon, they continue to hope for more success at the box office. Anticipated releases include “Star Trek Beyond”, “Ben-Hur”, and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”, all of which Paramount has great hope for [8]. Huge blockbusters are essential not only to increase the company’s market share price and total gross but to maintain their outstanding reputation as well. Films such as “Star Trek Beyond” bode well for Paramount, due to the franchise’s already established consumer base, making the film a much anticipated release in the coming year.

Although Paramount Pictures has seen better days fiscally, the company still holds its head high and continues to produce and distribute projects that change the way audiences view cinema. With the implementation of a new investor combined with the already established leadership of Brad Grey and his team, Paramount will certainly make a comeback in the industry. With the increase of foreign cooperation, Paramount executives have high hopes that their company to extend beyond country borders, making their films renowned around the world.

SOURCES

[1] Paramount.com. (2016). The Paramount Story. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[2] Atkinson, C. (2016). Paramount’s Brad Grey Needs Big Success to Save his Job. New York Post. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[3] Paramount.com (2016). Paramount Executives. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[4] Boxofficemojo.com. (2016). Paramount Yearly Comparisons. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[5] Bond, P. (2016). Paramount’s Suitors? Here’s Seven Top Prospects. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[6] Atkinson, C. (2016). 21st Century Fox Eyes Minority Slice of Paramount Pictures. New York Post. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[7] Jafaar, A. (2016). Paramount Offers Concessions in EU Anti-trust Investigation. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[8] Boxofficemojo.com. (2016). Paramount Upcoming Releases. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[9] Paramount.com. (2015). Daddy’s Home Image. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[10] Wikipedia. (2015). Anomalisa Poster. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[11] Trekcore. (2015). Star Trek and Beyond Poster. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

[12] Paramount.com. (2015). Brad Grey Executive Biography. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

20th Century Fox (film)

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Rachel Kucharski

20th Century Fox Logo [1]

10201 W Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310-FOX-INFO
http://www.foxmovies.com/

History

20^th Century Fox is one of the six biggest film studios in America and is owned by 21^st Century Fox Corporation. The company has released a number of successful films including The Sound of Music, Star Wars, Die Hard, Ice Age, and X-Men. They also distributed the two highest-grossing films of all-time, Avatar and Titanic. [1]

Avatar movie poster [1]

20^th Century Fox was founded in 1935 when Fox Films, owned by William Fox, merged with Twentieth Century Pictures. Joe Schenck took on the role of chief executive while Darryl F. Zanuck became the head of production. The company enjoyed success after the release of The Sound of Music in 1965 and Star Wars in 1977. In 1981, Marc Rich and Marvin Davis took over the company, who then sold it to News Corp., Rupert Murdoch’s company, in 1985. In 2013, News Corporation split into two companies. News Corporation became the publishing arm of the company while 21^st Century Fox became its own television/film company. 20^th Century Fox came under this company. [2]

Executives

Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO [3]

Emma Watts, Production President [4]

Finances

This past February, 21^st Century Fox released their second quarter earnings report for October to December of 2015 and reported revenues of $7.38 billion. Although this was a decrease of 1% ($49 million) from the prior year, this was partially offset by the success of The Martian, which had grossed over $600 million in worldwide box office by December 31, 2016. The Martian continued to grow and ended with $630 million in worldwide box office revenue with its close date on March 17, 2016. Films released during this quarter that carried over at the box office into 2016 were The Revenant, Joy, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, and The Peanuts Movie. [5] [6]

Going into 2016, 20^th Century Fox saw strong box office revenues. The Revenant debuted with $38 million at the domestic box office that weekend. This was an unexpectedly strong open. The film was only predicted to open to less than $25 million. The revenue that opening weekend brought them close to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, grossing at $41.6 million its fourth weekend in theaters. [7] The Peanuts Movie also finished strong with worldwide revenues reaching $246 billion. [8] Another hit for 20^th Century Fox at the box office was Kung Fu Panda 3, which has grossed $504 million worldwide since its release in January. [9]

On April 25, 2016, 21^st Century Fox share prices were listed at $31.00. This is up from $22.50 on February 9^th when share prices fell by as much as 4%. This was likely due to the earnings report released on this day, which predicted that profits would fall due to the strong dollar [5]. Since then, share prices have seen a steady increase and are predicted to continue to rise. The third quarter fiscal report for 21^st Century Fox will be released on May 4, 2016. [10]

Awards Season

Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Leonardo DiCaprio win three Golden Globe Awards for The Revenant [11]

20^th Century Fox studio releases did well during the 2016 awards season. At the Golden Globes, Jennifer Lawrence won best actress in a Comedy or Musical for Joy. The Martian won Best Motion Picture for a Comedy or Musical and Matt Damon also won best actor for his role in the film. The Revenant took home the Best Motion Picture award for a Drama. Leonardo DiCaprio and Alejandro G. Iñárritu won best actor and best director, respectively. [12]

At The Academy Awards, The Revenant counted twelve nominations, the most of any film nominated. Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar for Best Actor. The Revenant also won Best Cinematography and Directing. [13] The nominations and wins resulted in a boost of box office revenue for those films that were still in theaters, particularly The Revenant, that’s ticket sales increased more than 80 percent after The Academy Award nominees were announced. Between the announced nominations and Oscar Night, The Revenant brought in $113 million. The film closed with a total of $523 million worldwide. [14]

The New Superhero

20^th Century Fox’s current film in theaters is Deadpool. The film stars Ryan Reynolds and was directed by Tim Miller. Deadpool is Marvel’s new R-Rated superhero movie that features a former Special Forces operative with accelerated healing powers and an attitude problem. [15]

Deadpool has broken records since its release on February 12, 2016. It became 20^th Century Fox’s largest opening ever with $132.4 million. It also had the largest opening weekend ever for an R-rated film and the biggest opening day in February with $47.5 million. [16] So far, the film has grossed a total of $760 million thus far and is approaching its eleventh week in theaters. [17] Deadpool has been a game changer for the superhero genre. As one of the first high-budget R-rated superhero films in recent years (alongside Watchmen and Kick-Ass), there was high-risk for 20^th Century Fox in the box office. But the film was widely received and praised for its snarky humor, romance, and characters rather than big-budget action scenes. [18] Following this success, 20^th Century Fox will likely make Wolverine 3 R-rated. The film’s current release date is March 3^rd, 2017. [19]

20^th Century Fox has already confirmed Deadpool 2 for production. Tim Miller and Ryan Reynolds will return for the sequel as well as the creative team. The film is said to mimic the original in tone, keeping the same snarky humor and attitude. The film is currently rumored for release in 2017. [20]

Coming Soon

Independence Day: Resurgence movie poster [23]

This summer, 20^th Century Fox is releasing four films. X-Men: Apocalypse will open on May 27, 2016 as the ninth installment in the X-Men series with Bryan Singer as director and a host of famous cast members. To market the film, 20^th Century Fox released an X-Men Movies app as well as an “Apocalypse timeline” on their website. [21]

Independence Day: Resurgence, the sequel to the highly acclaimed Independence Day, will open on June 24, 2016 starring Liam Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum. Ice Age: Collision Course and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates are also set to release in July. [22]

Sources

[1] Foxmovies.com. 20^th Century Fox. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
[2] 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
[3] Yamato, Jen. (May 16, 2014). Fox’s Jim Gianopulos Delivers USC Film Commencement Speech; Marvel’s Kevin Feige Celebrates Rejection: Transcript. Deadline. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[4] Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 14, 2014). Fox’s Emma Watts Re-Ups For Three Years After Robust Summer. Deadline. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[5] Earnings Release for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2015. (February 8, 2016). 21st Century Fox. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
[6] The Martian. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
[7] Fritz, Ben. (January 11, 2016). ‘The Revenant’ has surprisingly strong box-office debut. MarketWatch. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
[8] The Peanuts Movie. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[9] Kung Fu Panda 3. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[10] Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. CI A. MarketWatch. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[11] Robehmed, Natalie. (January 11, 2016).‘The Revenant’ Wins Best Picture At The 2016 Golden Globe Awards. Forbes. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[12] Sharf, Zack. (February 24, 2016). The Indiewire 2015-16 Awards Season Winners Guide. The Indiewire. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[13] Donnelly, Jim. (February 29, 2016). Oscar Winners 2016: See The Complete List. The Oscars. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
[14] Brueggemann, Tom. (March 11, 2016). Oscar Box Office Winners and Losers 2016. Indiewire. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[15] Deadpool. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[16] Garreffa, Anthony. (February 17, 2016). Deadpool becomes largest opening ever for 20th Century Fox. TweakTown. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[17] Deadpool. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[18] VanDerWerff, Todd. (February 15, 2016). Deadpool’s box office unexpectedly broke records. Here’s what Hollywood should learn from it. Vox. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[19] Siegal, Jacob. (February 16, 2016). Deadpool’s success could lead to an ‘R’ rating for Wolverine 3. BGR. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[20] Mccarthy, Tyler and Rebecka Schumann. (April 4, 2016). ‘Deadpool 2’ Confirmed By 20th Century Fox; Director And Creative Team Returning. International Business Times. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[21] X-MEN: Apocalypse (2016). 20th Century Fox. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[22] Coming Soon. 20th Century Fox. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
[23] Perry, Spencer. (March 8, 2016). The Aliens are Back in New Independence Day: Resurgence International Poster. ComingSoon.net. Retrieved April 26, 2016.

Disney/ABC

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Darian Ruderman

(Courtesy of onmogul.com) https://onmogul.com/jobs/music-production-intern-disney-channels-summer-2015

500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4581
(818) 560-1000
www.disneyabcpress.com

History/About the Company

In 1995, Disney/ABC Television Group was born when The Walt Disney Company announced that it would acquire Capital Cities/ABC Inc. for $19 billion [1].

Since then, Disney/ABC Television Group has expanded to provide entertainment, news and kids programming to viewers via more than 200 affiliated stations across the U.S. Disney/ABC Television Group’s properties include ABC Television Network, ABC Owned Television Stations Group, ABC Entertainment Group, Disney Channels Worldwide, Freeform, formerly known as ABC Family, as well as Disney/ABC Domestic Television and Disney Media Distribution. Hyperion publishing and the Company’s equity interests in A+E Networks and Hulu round out the Group’s portfolio of media businesses [2].

Key Senior Executives

(Courtesy of Disney) http://www.disneyabcpress.com/disneyabctv/executives/

(Courtesy of Disney) http://www.disneyabcpress.com/disneyabctv/executives/

Channing Dungey’s new presidency makes her the first African-American to ever lead a major broadcast network. Formerly the executive vice president of ABC drama development, Dungey helped develop series such as “Scandal,” “Quantico,” “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD,” “How to Get Away With Murder” and “American Crime” [3].

Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company (Courtesy of Disney) https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/

Finances

(Courtesy of Yahoo! Finance) http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=DIS

The Disney/ABC Television Group is publicly traded under The Walt Disney Company (DIS) on the New York Stock Exchange. On Friday, April 22, DIS closed out at $103.77 per share. In the past three months, Disney’s stock prices have been on a pretty steady incline, with a brief dip in early February. The recent strong numbers are a direct result of the Disney release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Global success of the movie drove record quarterly operating income at both Studio Entertainment and Consumer Products & Interactive Media, which grew at 86% and 23%, respectively [4]. The company reported their quarter one earnings call for 2016 on February 9, 2016. The earnings results webcast can be heard here: https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/q1-fy16-earnings.mp3.

It was announced on Thursday, April 21, that the Walt Disney Company sold its 50% stake in Fusion, the multi-platform network launched in 2013, making Univision the sole owner. As the majority owner of Fusion, Univision (NYSE: UCI) will create a separate media group that will include recently acquired The Onion and other digital properties. Univision also will take over ABC’s role in handling distribution and ad sales for Fusion’s multi-platform network and will have editorial control [5]. Disney has been changing its own channel line up, rebranding its ABC Family channel as Freeform, targeting millennial women, while investing in Vice Media Inc., which focuses on young men [6]. In recent years, Fusion has been losing money, making the company’s move, most likely, a financially smart one.

2016-2017 Season

Named as the new president of ABC Entertainment, Channing Dungey faces the hard task of mending an ABC schedule with some holes. With five of its nine half-hour comedies already scheduled to return in 2016-17, and another two virtual shoe-ins for renewal, ABC’s sitcom lineup is arguably the strongest on TV. Certainly it is the most stable; “Modern Family” and “The Middle” next fall will embark upon their eighth seasons, while the homegrown “Black-ish” is getting closer to beginning syndication with its season three pick-up [7].

Set to premiere next for ABC is “Uncle Buck,” based on the hit movie of the same name. The series will star Uncle Buck (Mike Epps) as a fun-loving but irresponsible guy who needs a job and a place to stay. His brother and sister-in-law need some help around the house, wondering if they could be the answer to each other’s problems [8]. The show is set to premiere this Summer on June 14, following a preview of the revived game show “To Tell the Truth,” Hosted by “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson.

(Courtesy of ABC) http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/uncle-buck-abc-comedy-debuts-june/

To get a sneak peek at the new comedy series “Uncle Buck,” starring Mike Epps and Nia Long, click the link to view the official trailer: http://abc.go.com/shows/uncle-buck/video/most-recent/VDKA0_1thuvv8f

Along with “To Tell The Truth,” “100,000 Pyramid,” another game show that is being rebooted from the original, will make its debut on Sunday, June 26 at 9 p.m. following the second season premiere of “Celebrity Family Feud.” Both “Pyramid,” which was originally aired in 1973 and hosted by Dick Clark, and “To Tell the Truth,” which aired in 1956 and was hosted by Budy Collyer [9], will bring a new and older skewing audience to ABC during primetime on Sunday nights.

In The News

(Courtesy of ww.oscar.go.com) http://oscar.go.com/news/oscar-news/oscars-2016-nominee-contenders-and-categories

On February 28, 2016, ABC aired the 88th Academy Awards hosted by comedian Chris Rock, which brought its lowest ratings in eight years. The network has been airing the Oscars since the emergence of television, outside of the periods in the 1950s and 1970s when the award show was aired on NBC [10]. The low viewership was seen as surprising seeing that this year’s Oscars were one of the most talked about awards in recent years, due to backlash and protests over the Academy’s lack of diverse nominees [11]. Also making news was Leonardio Decaprio’s first Academy Award win. Chris Rock held the controversial hosting gig, addressing #OscarsSoWhite with a mixture of jokes and serious statements [12]. Despite all of the talk around and leading up to the event, viewers decided not to tune in, as the numbers clearly speak for themselves.

On Monday, April 18, Ben Sherwood unveiled a plan for ABC to expand the availability of its programming via authenticated streaming platforms by offering to establish such deals on behalf of its 200-plus affiliate stations around the country. The initiative dubbed “Clearinghouse” is described as a “turnkey” solution for ABC’s affiliate stations. Sherwood said that the 14 ABC affiliates in the Hearst TV station group have agreed to lead the pilot program for a technological and administrative template that ABC has hammered out with DirecTV for its Watch ABC app [13].

The new “Pyramid” game show will be hosted by Michael Strahan, who on Tuesday, April 19, announced that he would be leaving his daytime gig at “Live! With Kelly and Michael” for a full-time role on ABC’s flagship morning show “Good Morning America” [14]. With GMA’s ratings leadership in extreme danger of being overshadowed by NBC’s “Today Show,” executives at ABC have come up with something that looks great on paper – adding more of Michael Strahan, the former football player who has transformed himself into one of the most winning personalities on today’s TV screen [15]. ABC’s Summer Schedule is sure to be a busy one, packed with a new spinoff series and various rebooted game shows featuring various of celebrities.

(Courtesy Disney Channel) http://www.eonline.com/news/758430/disney-channel-is-airing-every-original-movie-ever-to-celebrate-a-massive-milestone-see-the-schedule

On Wednesday, April 20, Disney Channel unveiled plans for the 100th DCOM Celebration, a summer programming marathon centered on the airing of the network’s 100th original move since 1997. Things kick off May 27 with a four-day marathon of the 51 most popular original movies followed by encore presentations of these and every other movie in the franchise through June [16]. Releasing 100 movies in 19 years is no small feat, and is surely something to celebrate!

[1] Fabrikant, Geraldine. “Walt Disney To Acquire ABC In $19 Billion Deal To A Giant For Entertainment.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 July 1995. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/01/business/media-business-merger-walt-disney-acquire-abc-19-billion-deal-build-giant-for.html?pagewanted=all

[2] “Overview.” Our Business Areas. Disney, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://datg.disneycareers.com/en/our-business-areas/overview/

[3] Birnbaum, Debra. “Channing Dungey Named ABC Entertainment President, Replacing Paul Lee.” Variety. Variety Media, LLC., 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/channing-dungey-abc-entertainment-president-1201708379/

[4] The Walt Disney Company. THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY REPORTS RECORD QUARTERLY EARNINGS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF FISCAL 2016. N.p., 9 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/q1-fy16-earnings.pdf

[5] Jarvey, Natalie. “Disney’s ABC Sells Fusion Stake to Univision.” The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-abc-sells-fusion-stake-886643

[6] Palmeri, Chritopher. “Disney Pulls Out of Fusion Joint Venture With Univision.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-21/disney-pulls-out-of-fusion-joint-venture-with-univision?cmpid=yhoo.headline

[7] Crupi, Anthony. “Laugh It Up: Already Flush With Comedies, ABC Looks for More Homegrown Sitcoms for 2016-17.” AdAge. AdvertisingAge, 21 Mar. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://adage.com/article/media/flush-comedies-abc-seeks-homegrown-sitcoms/303203/

[8] “Watch Uncle Buck TV Show – ABC.com.” ABC. Disney, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://abc.go.com/shows/uncle-buck

[9] McLennan, Cindy. “To Tell the Truth, $100,000 Pyramid: ABC Game Show Reboots Coming in June – Canceled TV Shows – TV Series Finale.”Canceled TV Shows TV Series Finale. TV Series Finale, 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/tell-truth-100000-pyramid-abc-game-show-reboots-coming-june/

[10] Guerrasio, Jason. “The Oscars Had the Lowest Ratings in Years, and ABC Is Trying to Get Control to Revamp Them.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 01 Mar. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.businessinsider.com/oscars-abc-contract-2016-3

[11] The Show Averaged 34.3 Million Viewers on Sunday Night. “Oscars Brings in Third-lowest Viewership in History.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/29/media/oscars-ratings-academy-awards/

[12] Griggs, Brandon. “Chris Rock: ‘You’re Damn Right Hollywood Is Racist'” CNN. Cable News Network, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/28/entertainment/chris-rock-oscars-so-white-feat/

[13] Littleton, Cynthia, and David S. Cohen. “ABC Tries to Expand Affiliate Streaming Access with Clearinghouse Initiative.” Variety. Variety Media, LLC., 18 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/abc-affiliate-streaming-clearinghouse-watch-abc-1201755595/

[14] Holloway, Daniel. “‘Uncle Buck,’ ‘To Tell the Truth’ Premiere Dates Set as ABC Unveils Summer Schedule.” Variety. Variety Media, LLC., 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/uncle-buck-to-tell-the-truth-premiere-dates-abc-summer-1201757030/

[15] Steinberg, Brian. “ABC’s Morning Madness: Will Michael Strahan Blitz Score Touchdowns for ‘GMA,’ ‘Live’?” Variety. Variety Media, LLC., 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/michael-strahan-good-morning-america-abc-kelly-ripa-1201757700/

[16] Hipes, Patrick. “Disney Channel Original Movie ‘The Swap’ Set As Network Plans 100-Pic Celebration.” Deadline. Penske Business Media, LLC., 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2016. http://deadline.com/2016/04/disney-channel-original-movie-the-swap-dcom-marathon-1201741163/

NETFLIX

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Bess Howell

by BESS HOWELL

Netflix Logo – Courtesy of pr.netflix.com

Corporate Headquarters [3]

100 Winchester Circle Los Gatos, CA 95032

+1 (408) 540-3700

http://netflix.com/

Leadership [1]

– Reed Hastings: Founder and CEO

David Wells: Chief Financial Officer

Kelly Bennett: Chief Marketing Officer

Jonathan Friedland: Chief Communications Officer

Tawni Cranz: Chief Talent Officer

Ted Sarandos: Chief Content Officer

History [2]

Courtesy of 3dprint.com

In 1997, Reed Hastings and partner Marc Randolph founded Netflix. Initially, the company was founded to offer online movie rentals. Consumers were able to pick from a selection of titles and have them delivered to their homes. Two years later, Netflix became a subscription-based service, providing customers with unlimited movie rentals for a monthly rate. In 2002, Netflix became a publicly traded company on NASDQ. In 2007, Netflix introduced its extremely popular movie and television streaming service. International expansion began in 2012, Netflix becoming available in Latin America and the Caribbean. Netflix introduced original content in 2013, including the award-winning shows “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.” Now with over 60 million global subscribers, Netflix is a notable name and pioneer in the television industry.

Financials [7]

Courtesy of Google Finance

Netflix’s 2015 first quarter earning results were extremely mixed, but in the end left investors happy and the company optimistic about the future [6]. Netflix reached the analyst forecasted revenue of 1.57 billion dollars, but per share earnings dropped to 38 cents. Although Netflix surpassed the previous year’s revenue, EPS dropped over 50 cents from 2014. This can be partially attributed to the Q1 net income, at 23.7 million, which decreased 55.4% from one year ago [9]. This loss is a result of the strong U.S. dollar, which greatly lowered international revenue. Without loses due to the foreign exchange rate, the per-share earnings would have been recorded at 77 cents [8]. Netflix stock increased over 18%, reaching an all time high of $530 dollars. Analysts believe this is due to the massive subscriber growth, which increased by 4.9 million in the first quarter of 2015 for a total of 62.3 million [5], 500,000 more than the company had expected. Stocks may not stay at the high price they reached, as CEO Reed Hastings proposed a stock split in the near future. If the stock split does not happen however, FBR & Co analyst Barton Crockett predicts that Netflix shares could reach $900 within the next year [4]. With a loyal consumer base, growing subscribers, and plans for global expansion, there is not much in the company’s way for it’s numbers to only go up.

Global Expansion

Netflix overseas expansion is the leading driver of subscriber growth. Courtesy of broadbandtrends.com

Global expansion has become a huge part of the Netflix business model. As subscriber growth slows in the United States, the company looks to other markets in order to both raise revenue and increase opportunities [12]. Currently operating in over 50 countries, Netflix announced in January that they planned to launch the service in 200 countries by 2016 [13], with the hopes of going global by 2020 [11]. Although the company currently loses money in it’s international business, they predict it to be profitable by 2017. Despite these loses, Netflix is extremely well received in its abroad markets. It was released in early April that less than a year after being launched in Europe, Netflix buttons are being added to remote controls that will be shipped all over the continent [16]. Already in 2015, Netflix has become available in Cuba [15], Australia, and New Zealand [10], and is set to launch in Japan this coming fall [14]. The company is also looking into the possibility of launching in China. Global expansion means the opportunity of having content viewed over the entire world, which will open Netflix up to many opportunities for both licensing and producing even more material[12].

Netflix Originals and Exclusives

In a consumer survey released yesterday that was conducted by FBR & Co, Netflix users said that they prefer the Internet streaming service to television [22]. Much of this has to do with the original content Netflix has been producing in the last few years. On February 27^th the company released the third season of its award winning original, “House of Cards,” which received global attention. It was released on April 2^nd that the show’s fourth season would air sometime in 2016 [23]. March 6^th marked the premier of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and on March 20^th their new dramatic thriller “Bloodline” was released. On April 10^th Netflix aired Marvel’s “Daredevil,” the first of a five series-deal [18]. The company also released the teaser for the fourth season of “Orange Is The New Black” two days ago [17]. For the rest of 2015, Netflix plans on releasing five more original series [18], as well as five additional original programs geared towards children [26].

At the Sundance Film Festival in January, Netflix made a deal with the notable Duplass brothers [24]. Netflix will finance four films produced by the team, which will go to directly to the service after a short theatrical window. This partnership paid off at SXSW this March when Netflix obtained the exclusive global rights to the film “6 Years,” Which was produced by the Duplass brothers [25] This film was not part of the deal signed in January, and thus was an extra acquisition for the company.

King Penguins, at sunrise on the coast of South Georgia Island. Southern Ocean,

“Our Planet” will be shot in 4K over the course of four years. Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

Netflix recently introduced its intentions for multiple new documentary projects. Teaming up with Silverback Films, the company that created “Planet Earth,” Netflix plans to produce an eight-part natural history series entitled “Our Planet.” [20] This four-year project is set to air in 2019. On March 4^th, the company also announced a planned partnership with Leonardo DiCaprio and production company Appian Way to create a series of Netflix exclusive documentary projects [21]. DiCaprio will produce all of the projects, which will concern the environment and conservation.

Promotions

Already in the first quarter of 2015, Netflix has partnered with various tech companies to help promote the brand and increase subscribers. On March 25^th T-Mobile announced that if customers buy a Samsung Galaxy S6 phone, they will get a free one-year subscription to Netflix [27]. The logic behind this partnership is to both drive the sales of S6 phones at T-Mobile, and create more potential long-term subscribers for Netflix. Separate from T-Mobile, Samsung enticed consumers in Australia earlier this month to buy from a series of new 4K smart TVs by offering six free months of Netflix [28]. This partnership came just weeks after the streaming service launched in Australia.

Samsung partners with Netflix – Courtesy of samsungpromotions.com

Netflix also came out with it’s first set of “Netflix Recommended TVs,” part of a program that the company launched in early 2015 to help integrate itself better with smart TVs. The recommendation is meant to promote the TV’s easy Internet access capabilities and help Netflix become more easily accessed through the television rather than the computer. The TVs will come from companies like Sony, LG, TCL, and Insignia, and will include the Netflix logo when in retail [29].

Netflix wants to push more consumers towards viewing their content, making it available through internet capable TVs more accessible. Courtesy of devices.netflix.com/recommendedtv

Overview

Netflix is truly an innovator in the television industry. CEO Reed Hastings said in a recent interview that “Internet TV is going to replace linear TV” within 20 years [30]. At the current rate Netflix is going, that could likely be possible. Netflix has excellent financials, global prospects, a loyal and growing subscriber base, notable content, and forward thinking business strategies. There is no reason why they should not be able to reach their goals in coming years.

Sources

[1] Officers and Directors, Netflix International Relations, Retrieved: April 15, 2015

[2] Company Timeline, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved: April 15, 2015

[3] Netflix Corporate Headquarters, Corporate Offices and Headquarters, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[4] Netflix stocks top $500 for the first time ever. Next stop = $900?, CNN Money, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[5] Netflix shares explode after unexpected subscriber growth, Business Insider, Retrieved April 16, 2017

[6] Netflix adds nearly 5 million subscribers in first quarter, USA Today, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[7] Letter to Shareholders, Netflix International Relations, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[8] Why Investors Are So In Love With Netflix Right Now, Time, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[9] Netflix Shares Soar On Q1 Report Showing Strong Sub Growth And Stock Split Plans, Deadline, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[10] Netflix Goes Live In Australia And New Zealand, Its First Launches In Asia Pacific, Tech Crunch, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[11] Analysts giddy at Netflix plans for international expansion, Market Watch, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[12] Netflix Accelerates Ambitious Global Expansion as U.S. Growth Slows, The New York Times, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[13] Netflix Steps Up Foreign Expansion, Wall Street Journal, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[14] Netflix To Launch In Japan This Fall, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[15] Netflix Is Available In Cuba, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[16] Major Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Add Netflix Button To Remote Controls Across Europe, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[17] Netflix Renews Orange Is the New Black for Season 4, Releases New Clip, Time, Retrieved April 16, 2017

[18] 7 New Netflix Original Premiering This Year, Cheat Sheet, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[19] In 2015, Must-See TV Will Often Be Netflix Exclusives, Daily Finance, Retrieved April 15, 2017

[20] ‘Our Planet’ Set At Netflix; 8-Part Follow-up To ‘Planet Earth’ Series, Deadline, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[21] NETFLIX AND LEONARDO DICAPRIO TO PARTNER ON UPCOMING DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[22] Is Netflix More Popular Than TV?, CBS Money Watch, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[23] ‘House Of Cards’ Season 4 Will Air In 2016, Huffington Post, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[24] Netflix Makes 4-Pic Pact With Duplass Brothers – Sundance, Deadline, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[25] Netflix Nabs Global Rights For Drama ‘6 Years’ At SXSW 2015, Deadline, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[26] NETFLIX EXPANDS ITS PORTFOLIO OF ORIGINAL AND EXCLUSIVE TV SERIES WITH FIVE NEW SHOWS FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES, Netflix Media Center, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[27] T-Mobile Offers One Free Year Of Netflix For Buying A Samsung Galaxy S6, Forbes, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[28] Samsung releases new 4K smart TVs in Australia, offers six months free Netflix, Sunday Morning Herald: Digital Life, Retrieved April 16, 2015

[29] Netflix Announces First ‘Recommended TV’ Partners, Variety, Retrieved April 15, 2015

[17] Netflix Doesn’t Want to Kill HBO. It Wants to Kill TV, re/code, Retrieved April 16, 2017

Paramount Pictures

Link

By Rachel Heffler

Paramount Pictures logo [1]

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA

www.paramount.com

KEY EXECUTIVES

Brad Grey

Brad Grey, CEO [2]

Since 2005, Brad Grey has held the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Paramount Pictures. Grey is responsible for all development and production for the Paramount Motion Picture Group. Under Grey’s leadership, Paramount has seen the successes of hits including “Transformers Dark of the Moon“, “Mission Impossible“, “Star Trek“, “Paranormal Activity“, as well as many other top grossing films. [2]

Rob Moore

Rob Moore, Vice Chairman [3]

Rob Moore was named the Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures in 2008, making him responsible for overseeing several divisions of the studio. He has been involved with Paramount since 2005. [3]

Frederick Huntsberry

Frederick Huntsberry, Chief Operating Officer [4]

In 2006, Huntsberry took on the position of Chief Operating Officer for Paramount Pictures. With this title, he manages the worldwide strategic planning and operations for the studio, with a focus on IT, human resources, and studio operations. [4]

Adam Goodman

Adam Goodman, President of Paramount Film Group [5]

Adam Goodman has held the position of the President of Paramount Film Group since 2009, after serving as the President of Production for a year. Before joining Paramount, Goodman was the President of Production at DreamWorks Studios. [5]

Paramount – 100 years [6]

BRIEF OVERVIEW

Paramount Pictures Corporation is the longest operating major studio in Hollywood, having just celebrated its 100th year in show business in 2012. This corporation is a subsidiary of Viacom, a global mass media firm. Adolph Zukor founded Paramount Pictures in 1912 under the name Famous Players Film Company. Paramount took home its first Academy Award for Best Picture in 1927 and has only grown from there, evident in its success of the highest grossing blockbuster of all time, “Titanic“. In the past 100 years, this company has emerged as an international leader and a front-runner of film and television entertainment production. [7] [8]

RECENT RELEASES

In the past four months, Paramount has released five films, including Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues; The Wolf of Wall Street; Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones; Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit; and Noah. [9]

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=anchorman2.htm

– box office mojo [10]

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues was released on December 18, 2013 and is a comedy film. It had a production budget of $50 million and a total lifetime gross of $172,952,707 worldwide, sitting at the number 2 rank on its opening weekend behind The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. This film almost doubled its total gross from the release of the first Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, which was distributed by DreamWorks. Anchorman 2 thrived on a domestic audience, accounting for 73.6% of its viewers. This film was the last one that Paramount distributed to theaters traditionally, using a 35 mm film. [10] [11] [12]

– box office mojo [13]

The Wolf of Wall Street was released on December 25, 2013, and this black comedy saw huge successes for Paramount, as seen by its nomination for five Academy Awards. This film features big name actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Matthew McConaughey. It had a production budget of $100 million and a worldwide lifetime gross of 389,600,694, being the number 5 rank in theaters on its opening weekend, behind The Hobbit, Frozen, Anchorman 2, and American Hustle. This film had a much higher foreign audience than it did domestic, with international revenues accounting for 70% of its total gross. Independent of its acclaim, this film is also monumental as it is the first major film to ever have been released to theaters through digital distribution, a major accomplishment for Paramount. [13] [14]

– box office mojo [15]

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones was released on January 3, 2014 and brought in a worldwide total gross of $86,362,372. The production budget for this horror film was $5 million. This film obtained the number 2 rank on its opening weekend, behind Frozen, and appealed primarily to international audiences, who make up 62.4% of the lifetime gross of the movie. In comparison to the other Paranormal Activity films, the newest release had the lowest box office sales. This may be attributed to the fact that this was the first one in the series to offer a completely new cast and functions as more of a spinoff than a sequel, or the Paranormal series is becoming less of a commodity than it had been in the past. [15] [16]

– box office mojo [17]

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is an action thriller starring Chris Pine, and was released on January 17, 2014. After spending $60 million in production, this film brought in $134,277,412 worldwide. It ranked number 4 in theaters on its opening weekend. The release date of this film was planned in order to correspond with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. According to CinemaScore, more than 1/3 of the film’s opening weekend audience consisted of individuals over the age of 50 despite the casting of a young attractive male lead. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit was the first film of 2014 to reach over $100 million worldwide. International audiences account for 62.3% of this film’s total lifetime gross. [17] [18] [19]

– box office mojo [20]

Noah was released on March 28, 2014 and is a biblically-inspired film based on the story of Noah’s Ark. It grossed $290,674,000 worldwide and held the number 1 rank in theaters in its opening weekend. The production budget of this film was $125 million. Noah had an extremely large international audience, contributing to 67.9% of its total lifetime gross. As it takes on a biblical perspective, this film has faced some controversy. Prior to its release, Noah was banned in Pakistan, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Malaysia, Indonesia, Middle Eastern and North African countries as the film is thought to be contradicting to Islamic teachings. [20] [21]

WHAT’S NEXT?

Paramount is set to release multiple films in the next year, including Transformers: Age of Extinction; Hercules (2014); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014); Paranormal Activity 5; Interstellar; Hot Tub Time Machine 2; Project Almanac; Spongebob Squarepants 2; and Friday the 13th (2015). [22]

Of the nine films listed above, it is noteworthy that only two of these films are neither sequels nor remakes. This is telling of today’s film industry and the newest trends that are developing. In recent years, the number of sequels and remakes that have been made has skyrocketed.

An explanation for Paramount’s numerous sequels and remakes can be explained by this company’s strategy when it comes to choosing films to release. Paramount takes on films that portray a mix of primary branded and franchise films and smaller productions, purchased films and distribution arrangements. In order to appeal to both worldwide and smaller audiences, Paramount is interested in a variety of genres and levels of investment. [23]

Spongebob Squarepants 2 [25]

Until their contract ended in 2012, Paramount Pictures had relied on DreamWorks Animation to head any animated films they released. DreamWork Animation’s Rango, which was released in 2011, came with huge successes and inspired Paramount to generate its own animation film division. Spongebob Squarepants 2, scheduled to be released on February 13, 2015, will be this new division of Paramount’s first animated film. The budget for the animated films will be around $100 million per picture and the studio has high hopes for this new division. [24]

Another thing that Paramount is working on is coming up with innovative promotion and marketing techniques for its films. Paramount has been a front-running film company since the beginning, and it does not seem like its accomplishments will be slowing down any time soon. [23]

Works Cited

[1] Paramount Pictures logo Retrieved 4/16

[2] Key Executive Brad Grey Retrieved 4/16

[3] Key Executive Rob Moore Retrieved 4/16

[4] Key Executive Frederick Huntsberry Retrieved 4/16

[5] Key Executive Adam Goodman Retrieved 4/16

[6] New Paramount logo Retrieved 4/16

[7] 100 Years of Paramount Retrieved 4/16

[8] History of Paramount Retrieved 4/16

[9] Paramount past projects Retrieved 4/16

[10] Anchorman 2 Box Office Retrieved 4/18

[11] Anchorman Box Office Retrieved 4/18

[12] New form of distribution Retrieved 4/18

[13] Wolf of Wall Street Box Office Retrieved 4/18

[14] December 26 Box Office Details Retrieved 4/18

[15] Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones Box Office Retrieved 4/18

[16] Paranormal Activity Series Box Office Retrieved 4/18

[17] Jack Ryan Box Office Retrieved 4/18

[18] CinemaScore Retrieved 4/18

[19] Jack Ryan demographics Retrieved 4/18

[20] Noah Box Office Retrieved 4/18

[21] Noah faces ban in Arab world Retrieved 4/18

[22] Paramount upcoming releases Retrieved 4/19

[23] Paramount’s strategies Retrieved 4/19

[24] Paramount launching in-house animation division Retrieved 4/19

[25] Spongebob Squarepants 2 picture Retrieved 4/19

Viacom

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Samantha Mackoff

By Sam Mackoff

[1] Viacom Logo

ABOUT VIACOM

Viacom, short for Video and Audio Communications, is a mass media company that produces content globally across television, movies, online and mobile platforms. Viacom’s media networks reach about 700 million global subscribers, making it one of the world’s largest media conglomerate [2]. Viacom operates about 170 leading entertainment brands including MTV Networks, VH1, BET Networks, Comedy Central, CMT, SPIKE, Nickelodeon Networks, Paramount Pictures and more [3].

Television Networks

[4] Viacom’s Media Brands

Viacom has a large variety of networks that represent a diverse collection of programming. From Nickelodeon, the leading brand in children’s entertainment, to Comedy Central, the number one brand in comedic television, Viacom continues to produce original content that is relevant to all different audience members [4]. Some of Viacom’s leading shows are Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, MTV’s Teen Wolf and Awkward, Comedy Central’s South Park and many more [5].

Film

[6] Paramount Pictures Logo

Paramount Pictures Corporation is a production and distribution studio for film. It is a subsidiary of Viacom. Paramount distributes content from DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Marvel Studios, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies [4]. Paramount is ranked as the fourth highest grossing film distributor [7]. Some of Paramount’s notable films are, “Transformers”, “Indiana Jones”, “Star Trek”, “Titanic”, and “Forrest Gump” [8].

FINANCIALS

Viacom is a publicly held. This year, Viacom did well financially with its media networks revenue, but did not do well financially in film entertainment. The media networks revenue had a $462 million increase to $9.7 billion by the end of 2013 [9]. The film entertainment revenues had a $538 million decrease from the previous year to $4.3 billion by the end of 2013 [9]. Viacom’s net earnings still increased 2% from 2012 to 2013, from $2.3 billion in 2012 to $2.4 billion in 2013 [9].

KEY EXECUTIVES

[10] Philippe Dauman,
President and Chief Executive Officer

[11] Thomas E. Dooley,
Chief Operating Officer

RECENT NEWS
Viacom and Google Call a Truce

[12] Google Vs. Viacom

After seven years of battling in court, Viacom and Google have settled the copyright infringement lawsuit, in which neither company exchanged money to the other. Viacom filed a $1 billion lawsuit in 2007 against YouTube, which is owned by Google, stating that there were billions of dollars in damages for copyright infringement by uploading unauthorized clips from Viacom programming. After years of arguing, Viacom and YouTube released a settlement statement saying, “This settlement reflects the growing collaborative dialogue between our two companies on important opportunities, and we look forward to working more closely together” [13].

Viacom Teams Up with Tumblr

[14] Tumblr and Viacom Partnership

Viacom announced an exclusive partnership with the popular blogging website, Tumblr. The two companies together will offer co-branded campaigns and content for shows and events for Viacom’s networks through the 2014 Upfront Season. This partnership marks Viacom as the first television programmer to develop a marketing partnership with Tumblr. Viacom’s partnership with Tumblr creates a unique opportunity for Viacom to use this creative platform with its advertisers in order to reach a large audience because of its major social activity. On the consumer end, it allows users to view content in a fun and interactive way [15].

RELEASES

[16] “The Wolf of Wall Street”, directed by Martin Scorsese

The Wolf of Wall Street

The dark comedy, “The Wolf of Wall Street”, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort’s life. The film takes you through the New York stockbroker’s journey from rags to riches, starting in penny stocks to running an extremely successful firm. This film has had major success worldwide. The high admiration has earned the film a Golden Globe and five Academy Award nominations [17]. Surpassing all Christmas sales in theaters on its holiday release date [18], the film made $10 million on its opening day and over $18 million on its opening weekend [19]. This film has accumulated grosses of $116.9 million domestically and $272.7 million in the foreign market [19].

[20] “Noah”, directed by Darren Aronofsky

Noah

The recent release of the biblical inspired film, “Noah”, directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Russell Crowe, is inspired by the biblical story of Noah’s Ark. Noah is chosen by God to take on a mission to rescue the innocent before an apocalyptic flood hits the world. This film ranked #1 at the box office on its opening weekend on March 28^th [21]. “Noah” brought in a diverse audience including men and women of all ages that were Christian, Catholic Latino and African American [22]. “Noah” has faced a sizable decline with a 68% drop since its release [23]. Predictions say that this number will increase during the weekend of Easter because of the faith based audience [24]. “Noah” has made $93.3 million domestically and $197.4 million in the foreign market [21].

UPCOMING RELEASES

Nickelodeon Introduces a New Awards Show

8-Kids-Choice-Sports-Awards-2014-350x348

[25] Michael Strahan, Future Host of Kids Choice Sports

Nickelodeon announced a new award show called Kids Choice Sports, hosted by former football player, Michael Strahan, set to debut this summer. Kids Choice Sports give viewers the opportunity to have a voice in the show by voting for their favorite teams, players and sports moments as well as selecting the stars to get slimed. In additions to the awards, the event will also have a musical performance, competitions against athletes and slimed filled sports stunts [26]. Kids Choice Sports has the potential to bring in a whole new audience of parents and children who are interested in sports, as well as other viewers who want to be a part of the additional events of the awards show.

Candid Camera Returns After 66 Years

: [27] Allen Funt, the Original Host of Candid Camera

TV Land announced that it is bringing back a new version of the 1940’s show, Candid Camera. Candid Camera is a show that captures the reactions of people in unusual situations using hidden cameras. Peter Funt, the son of the host and creator of the original show, will be co-producing Candid Camera. There are 10 new episodes that are set to air this summer [28].

Transformers To Release Fourth Film

The fourth Transformers film called, “Transformers: Age of Extinction”, is hitting the theater this summer. This film was directed by Michael Bay and has notable actors staring in it such as Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, and Jack Reynor [29]. This popular franchise has earned $2.6 billion in the global box office. The bar for this film was set very high after the last film, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”, earning $1.1 billion globally. This film is set to release June 27^th [30].

Trailer [31]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Recreated in a Live Action Film

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is returning to the screen in a live action film this summer. Producer Michael Bay and director Jonathan Liesmasman, are working together to recreate the story that was originally based off of a comic series [32]. Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount said, “Michael Bay is committed to making sure young audiences have a reason to flock back to your theaters” [33]. This action comedy film is about four trained ninja turtles that work together to fight off evil. This summer blockbuster, starring Megan Fox, Noel Fisher, Will Arnet, Jeremy Howard and Alan Ritchso, is set to release August 8^th [32].

Trailer [34]

Sources

[1] Viacom’s Logo, Adweek.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[2] About Viacom, Viacom.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[3] “Viacom: Veteran Leading the Way”, Investing Daily, 12/31/2013, RT: 4/17/2014

[4] Viacom Brands, Viacom.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[5] Most Popular TV Shows, TV.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[6] Paramount Pictures Logo, Nickelodeon.Wikia.com, RT: 4/18/14

[7] Leading Distributors- 1995-2014, The-Numbers.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[8] Paramount All Time Box Office Results, BoxOfficeMojo.com, RT: 4/18/2014

[9] Viacom Inc.- Annual Report, Viacom.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[10] Philippe Dauman, Trialx.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[11] Thomas E. Dooley, CNN.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[13] “Google and Viacom Settle Copyright-Infringement Lawsuit over YouTube”, Variety, 3/18/2014, RT: 4/19/2014

[14] Viacom and Tumblr, YourNewSticker.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[15] “Yahoo’s Tumblr First TV Ad Deal Is with Viacom”, Variety, 3/20/2014, RT: 4/19/2014

[16] Wolf of Wall Street Poster, UBCFilmSociety.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[17] Wolf of Wall Street Awards, IMDB.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[18] “‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Poised for No. 1 at Christmas Box Office with $10 Million”, Variety, 12/25/13, RT: 4/19/14

[19] Box Office Results, BoxOfficeMojo.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[20] Noah Poster, MovieFanatic.com, RT: 4/19/2014

[21] Box Office Results, BoxOfficeMojo.com, RT: 4/19/14

[22] “‘Noah’ sails to estimated $44-Million Opening at Box Office”, Los Angeles Times, 3/30/2014, RT: 4/19/14

[23] “North America: ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ Sets New April Record with $96.2M”, BoxOffice.com, 4/6/14, RT: 4/19/14

[24] “‘Heaven is for Real’ Posts Strong Opening Day Returns”, BoxOffice.com, 4/17/14, RT: 4/19/2014

[25] Kids Choice Sports Picture, TVByTheNumbers.zap2it.com, RT: 4/20/14

[26] “Nick Launching Sports Award Show”, BigStory.ap.org, 3/13/214, RT: 4/20/14

[27] Allen Funt, rtvfmediastudies.tcu.edu, RT: 4/20/14

[28] “Candid Camera: TV Land Reviving Classic Series for Summer”, TVSeriesFinale.com, 4/9/14, RT: 4/20/14

[29] Transformers Cast and Crew, IMDB.com, RT: 4/20/14

[30] “‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ to Kick Start New Trilogy”, Variety, 4/11/14, RT: 4/20/14

[31] Transformers: Age of Extinction Trailer, Youtube, 3/5/2014, RT: 4/20/2014

[32] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cast and Crew, IMDB.com, RT: 4/20/14

[33] “Paramount Kicks Off CinemaCon With ‘Ninja Turtles,’ ‘Transformers’ Footage”, Variety, 3/24/14, RT: 4/20/14

[34] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Trailer, Youtube, 3/27/2014, RT: 4/20/2014

Paramount Pictures

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Shaugnessy Elsroth

By Shaugnessy Elsroth

Paramount Pictures Logo [19]

Paramount Pictures Corporation

5555 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90038
323.956.5000
www.paramount.com

A Brief Overview

Adolph Zukor – Founder [20]

Paramount Pictures Corporation is a subsidiary of the top ranked media firm Viacom. It globally produces and distributes filmed entertainment. The corporation was founded in 1912 by Adolph Zukor and was originally known as the Famous Players Film Company. In 1994, Viacom acquired Famous Players and renamed it to Paramount Pictures. The company annually releases twelve different movies and distributes them through its Paramount Home Entertainment. 2012 marked Paramount’s 100th year anniversary and despite being one of the oldest motion picture companies in America, they show no signs of slowing down any time soon. [1] [2]

Key Executives

Brad Grey – CEO [21]

Brad Grey

Grey is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Paramount Pictures Corporation and has held the position since 2005. He is in charge of all development and production generated by Paramount Motion Picture Group. Aside from Paramount Pictures, the Group includes Paramount Vantage and Insurge Pictures. [3]

Mark Badagliacca – CFO [22]

Mark Badagliacca

Since 2000, Badagliacca has served as Paramount Pictures Corporation‘s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He is in control of the finances, treasury, accounting and financial planning for the corporate company. [4]

Fredrick Huntsberry – COO [23]

Fredrick Huntsberry

Huntsberry started his position as the Chief Operating Officer for Paramount Pictures Corporation in 2006. As the C.O.O, he manages the planning and operations for the studio, including their financial department, IT department, and human resources. [5]

In Memory Of

A. C. Lyles

A. C. Lyles [24]

On September 27, 2013, Paramount‘s well-known producer and employee of over eighty-five years, Andrew Craddock Lyles, passed away at the age of 95. Lyles’ affiliation with the company began when he was only 10 years old, as he handed out fliers for a local theatre owned by Paramount in his hometown in Florida. His career in Hollywood began when he started working in the mail room at Paramount. He later moved up to become a studio publicist and further onto a producer. His wife, Martha Vickers, survives him and has asked for donations in honor of her husband to be sent to the Motion Picture Fund. [6]

In the News

End of Summer Double Feature Special

Double Feature Special Promo [25]

From August 30^th to September 5^th, Paramount Pictures Corporation offered moviegoers a special double feature experience to see two of its big summer blockbuster hits, Star Trek Into Darkness and World War Z for the price of one ticket. Select theaters offered this limited opportunity in both 2D and RealD 3D; AMC Theatres, Carmike Cinemas, Marcus Theatres, and Regal Cinemas. [7] [8] [9]

For an external link to view this trailer, click here. [26]

Star Trek Into Darkness originally came out May 16 and during its opening weekend it generated $70,165,559 in the domestic box office. From opening weekend to August 25 it brought in $227,377,844. The weekend before this special double feature only added $106,356 to the total revenue, but with the introduction of the two for one deal, the weekend from August 30 to September 2 added $1,056,014 to their overall gross, increasing the total profits to reach $228,756,232. [10]

For an external link to view this trailer, click here. [27]

World War Z was released on June 21 and brought $66,411,834 in sales during its first weekend at the domestic box office. Up until August 30, $198,854,941 was generated for its revenue. The weekend before the special feature produced a small profit of only $314,920. With the introduction of the two for one deal however, the weekend of September 3 increased the gross income with an additional $1,650,374. Ultimately, after October 6, World War Z’s overall revenue totaled to $202, 349,504. [11]

Bad Grandpa

Bad Grandpa Advertisement [28]

Paramount Pictures Corporation‘s most recent comedy, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa was released on October 25. The movie is the fourth installment in the Jackass movie series, which is based off of the hit MTV reality series produced by DickhouseTV, where the cast is known for their self-injuring stunts and pranks. Johnny Knoxville stars as the lead character, Irving Zisman, who takes a road trip with his grandson and ridiculousness ensues.

For an external link to view this trailer, click here. [29]

The film collected $32,055,177 in its opening weekend, toppling Warner Bros.‘s drama Gravity, which only raked in $20,135,387 that weekend. [12] [13] Analysts were waiting for something to take out Gravity, since it had stayed at the top of the movie charts for its first three weeks, and Bad Grandpa did the job. After four weeks in theaters, Bad Grandpa has thus far accumulated $90,202,000, which is just shy of its $100 million goal. [12] [14]

Trimming Positions

Paramount Pictures California Headquarters [30]

In the beginning of October, Paramount Pictures stated that 110 job cuts will be made spanning its worldwide offices. In a recent statement, Chief Operating Officer Fredrick Hunstberry announced that reductions are being made to five percent of the company’s 2,200-person workforce. [15] The departments impacted are finance, human resources, and information technology, international home-media distribution, legal and marketing. [16] The company’s intent is to reorganize the corporation in order to better adapt themselves to the film industry’s increasing competition. [15]

What’s Coming Up?

Release Date Change

The Wolf of Wall Street Promo [31]

The Wolf of Wall Street is Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest movie where he plays the wealthy stockbroker, Jordan Belfort. Over Belfort’s years as a swindler, he developed a serious drug addiction, getting wrapped up in the rich party lifestyle and refused to cooperate in a large fraud case pertaining to corruption on Wall Street. Martin Scorsese is the director of this black comedy, which is based on Belfort’s self-titled memoir. Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey are among other cast members. [17]

For an external link to view this trailer, click here. [32]

The film was originally set to be released November 15, and has since been changed to come out in theaters on Christmas day, December 25. [18] The purpose of the set back is due to issues surrounding the movies long length of three hours, as well as a debate pertaining to its potential NC-17 rating. As a result of the setback, other studios are left scrambling to refigure their movie schedules. Sony has pushed back its release date for The Monuments Men from December 18 to February 7^th of next year. The RoboCop remake has thus been postponed and will now be coming out in theaters on February 12^th. For Paramount, their initial holiday movie Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, is now set to come out January 7, 2014. Ultimately, the process of changing one release date shows how problematic and chaotic the procedure for movie scheduling is during “Oscar season”. [18]

Sources

1) http://www.paramount.com/100-years-paramount/paramount-story
Retrieved September 8, 2013

2) http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.Paramount_Pictures_Corporation.454f21dcb6c08c2b.html
Retrieved September 8, 2013

3) http://www.paramount.com/inside-studio/studio/executives/meet-executives/brad-grey
Retrieved September 8, 2013

4) http://www.paramount.com/inside-studio/studio/executives/division-executives/mark-badagilacca
Retrieved September 8, 2013

5) http://www.paramount.com/inside-studio/studio/executives/meet-executives/fedrick-huntsberry
Retrieved September 8, 2013

6) http://variety.com/2013/film/news/paramounts-longest-employee-a-c-lyles-dies-at-95-1200682146/
Retrieved October 10, 2013

7) http://www.marketwatch.com/story/paramount-pictures-and-leading-exhibitors-announce-star-trek-into-darkness-and-world-war-z-double-feature-2013-08-27
Retrieved September 8, 2013

8) http://www.paramount.com/news-and-social-media/news-and-press-releases/paramount-pictures-and-leading-exhibitors-announce
Retrieved September 8, 2013

9) http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/08/27/star-trek-world-war-z-bring-back-double-feature/
Retrieved September 8, 2013

10) http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=startrek12.htm
Retrieved November 15, 2013

11) http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=worldwarz.htm
Retrieved November 15, 2013