Production company

Under a film production company means a company that primarily generates its revenue from the production of films.

The working area of a film production company covers all phases of film production, from script development and film financing through pre-production and filming to post- production. Smaller companies that do not have a rental business and finished productions for theatrical release entrust an external movie rentals, done in the interim period until a hire is found, also tasks of the film release costs (launch ) as the application of the film at the FSK and the Film Review Board (both only in Germany ), public relations and advertising, and the organization of a festival applications - often large reared - Movie Premiere, including the solicitation of sponsors and funding to finance this work.

Distinction between

The terms " film company " and " film production company " are often used synonymously. In a broader sense as a "film companies " but also those companies which, are also active in the area of ​​film distribution and film distribution via film production addition or operate their own cinemas.

The coined in the U.S. term " film studio " means, in actual sense, a device for the production of films. Colloquially, this term is sometimes used as a term for a film production company.

History

In the early days of the film, as the first film production companies founded and the first film studios were established, especially the owners of very large film studios in Hollywood soon came to great power of decision. This influential position was weakened by the advent of independent agencies and interest groups of filmmakers that their contractual position significantly improved, gradually. Today, for example, successful actors usually have their own agents, and are therefore not contractually for a period of time at a film production company bound, as it was often the case in the first decades of the film.

Legal forms

In Germany, film production companies mostly as corporations ( GmbH, rare: Aktiengesellschaft), but occasionally as a limited partnership (KG) organized as a partnership or company. In American film production companies, the corporation is the most common legal form.

Types

Film production companies differ in their size or their turnover. The world's largest companies, the American Universal Pictures, which have huge studio facilities, a costume and props and 9,000 permanent employees, produce an average of 21 films a year and from the rental and sales of both their own and as well as foreign productions substantial additional revenue generate. One of the largest film production companies in Germany is Munich's Constantin Film, the production per year over 5 movies, 235 employees, has numerous subsidiaries and is also active as a rental. However, the majority of German film production companies are small businesses that do not have their own studio facilities, employ only a handful of employees and could not exist without film promotion.

Film production companies differ in the duration of its existence. One of the oldest active film societies of the world is the American Biograph Company, founded in 1895; the oldest German company is the Universum Film AG (since 1917). Other companies are much shorter; often production companies are established for the production of a single film, and then redissolved.

By " independent" film production companies it is colloquially those companies that do not belong to the dominant players in the market. This distinction is common especially in the U.S. where a company based in Hollywood oligopoly of seven super corporations provides the lion's share of the national film production. The label "independence" is often used in this context to make it appear in smaller, financially weaker companies equipped independent films were generally products, ie those films that also differ aesthetically from the mainstream. This is true in some cases, but usually not.

A special case of so-called "independent" film production companies represent those companies that do not operate for profit. One of the few examples is the German film community, which was founded in 1931 for the production of the film Mädchen in Uniform.

Another special case is that state-owned film production companies. In German history, Ufa, which was located from 1937 to 1945 state-owned, the most prominent example is (see: Nazi film policy). Another example is the Mosfilm, which was founded in the young Soviet Union as a national unit film company and has not yet been privatized, despite the recovery of the market.

Film production companies differ in their practice areas. In addition to production companies that manufacture exclusively or primarily feature films, there are companies that specialize in the production of animation or documentaries. Still other companies are producing television films, television series and non-fiction films commissioned by broadcasters or private channels. In addition, there are companies that specializes in the production advertising films, and others who have specialized in music videos. So-called " service productions " provide local services for other film production companies, mostly from abroad, to.

Active U.S. film production companies

  • The Walt Disney Company / Walt Disney Studios Buena Vista Home Entertainment
  • Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group Walt Disney Pictures
  • Pixar Animation Studios
  • Hollywood Pictures
  • Touchstone Pictures
  • Miramax Films (USA, 1979)
  • NBC Universal / Universal Studios Universal Pictures ( USA, 1912)
  • PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (UK, 1991)
  • Focus Features (USA, 2002)
  • Viacom Paramount Pictures (USA, 1912)
  • Paramount Classics
  • DreamWorks SKG (USA, 1994)
  • Sony Pictures Entertainment United Artists ( USA, 1919)
  • Metro -Goldwyn -Mayer (USA, 1924)
  • Columbia Pictures (USA, 1924)
  • TriStar Pictures (USA, 1982)
  • Screen Gems (USA, 1999)
  • Sony Pictures Classic (USA, 1992)
  • Orion Pictures Corporation (USA, 1978)

Major film studios outside the U.S.

  • Movie Studio Babelsberg ( Germany, 1912)
  • Constantin Film ( Germany, 1950)
  • Bavaria Film ( Germany, 1919)
  • Studio Ghibli (Japan, 1985)
  • Film studios Glattfelden ( Switzerland, 1999)
  • Pinewood Studios ( UK, 1934)
  • ATainment Studios ( Germany, 1998)
  • Barfoot film ( Germany, 2008)

Former Film Studios

  • American Mutoscope and Biograph Company ( USA, 1895-1929, since 1987)
  • American International Pictures ( USA, 1956-19? )
  • Carolco Pictures ( USA, 1976-1996 )
  • Embassy Pictures (USA, 194 - 19? )
  • First National (USA 1917 - 1928)
  • Fox Film Corporation ( USA, 1915-1935 )
  • Metro Pictures Corporation (USA, 1915-192? )
  • Selznick International Pictures ( USA, 1935-19? )
  • Twentieth Century Pictures ( USA, 1932-1935 )

Active independent film production companies

  • RKO Pictures (USA, 1929)
  • The Weinstein Company (USA, 2005)
  • Lions Gate Films (Canada)
  • View Askew Productions ( USA, 1995)

Active Swiss film production companies

  • Blind Media ( Zurich, 2008)
  • Millbrook Pictures
Film finance Limited company Fictional film Paramount Vantage Babelsberg Studio 20th Century Fox#Fox Film Corporation
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