The American Film Industry

Lesson Objectives: To be aware of the historical development

of the American film industry, and the contemporary structure
of the industry.

Hollywood Studios
How many logos for Hollywood
studios can you recognise?

The Origins of the American Film

Industry
The origins and development of the
American film industry are the period
from 1895 to 1930.
During this time the emerging
industry developed into an important
popular medium, organised into
clearly defined exhibition,
production, and distribution
elements.

The Studio Era

The period from 1930 to 1949 in
American film is known as the Studio
Era.
By 1930 the American film industry
was dominated by five companies
known as the Majors or the Big
Five.

The Big Five

Vertical Integration
All of the Big Five studios were
vertically integrated.
Vertical integration where a
company is organised so that it
oversees a product from the
planning/development stage, through
production, to marketing, and
distribution, through to the
consumer.

Vertical Integration
During the studio era the Big Five
owned the production studios, the
distribution companies, and most of
the cinemasProduction
in theStudio
US.

Distribution

Cinemas

The End of the Studio Era

In 1949 the major studios were
forced to sell off the cinema chains
that they owned by the US
government, after a court ruling that
their practices were monopolistic.
The American film industry declined
further in the 1950s due to the rise of
television.
It wasnt until the late 1980s that
Hollywood studios fully recovered.

The Contemporary American Film

Industry
The American film industry is now
dominated by six major film
companies.
The contemporary Big Six account
for nearly 90% of the North American
film market.
All of these companies are
subsidiaries of major media
conglomerates.

The Big Six

Who do you think are the Big Six film
studios in the contemporary
American film industry?
Major Studio Subsidiaries
Warner Bros Pictures
20th Century Fox
Paramount Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Walt Disney/Touchstone Pictures
Universal Studios

Ownership

Do you know which

conglomerate owns
which film studio?

Conglomerate

Parent Division

Major Studio
Subsidiary

Time Warner

Warner Bros.
Entertainment

Warner Bros. Pictures

News Corporation

Fox Filmed
Entertainment

20th Century Fox

Viacom

Paramount Motion
Pictures Group

Paramount Picture

Sony Corporation of
America

Sony Pictures
Entertainment

Columbia Pictures

The Walt Disney

Company

Walt Disney Motion

Pictures Group

Walt Disney
Pictures/Touchstone
Pictures

General Electric/
Vivendi

NBC Universal

Universal Studios

Related Division and Brands

Match the following subsidiary companies to their
parent company.
Universal Animation
Studios

New Line Cinema, HBO,

Castle Rock Entertainment,
Turner Entertainment, Warner
Bros. Entertainment

20th Century Fox Animation

Pixar Animation Studios,

Hollywood Pictures. Marvel
Studios

Nickelodeon Movies, MTV

Films

TriStar Pictures, Destination

Films

Market
Which of the Majors do you think is
the most successful.
Rank the studios market share:
20%
16%
14%
14%
12%
10%

Timeline
Create a timeline identifying key
stages in the American film industry.