T.G321
Institutions
Universal Studios
Universal Studios Inc. – also known as Universal Pictures – is one of Hollywood's "Big Six" film studios, along with Warner Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Paramount Pictures.
Its "parent" is NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast – the largest broadcasting company in the world by profit and revenue, with nearly 50% more income than The Walt Disney Company, which is second.
The company has produced three films that have broken the record for the highest-grossing film ever. All three – Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic Park – were directed by Steven Spielberg, and two of them are thriller films, indicating that Universal is one of the most prolific thriller-producing companies.
The company was officially founded in New York, by Carl Laemmle and seven others in April 1912. Laemmle eventually bought out the seven others. It was a vertically integrated company, meaning it owned its supply chain. The reasoning behind the company's name is allegedly due to Laemmle seeing "Universal Pipe Fittings" written on a delivery wagon.
In 1915, Laemmle opened the world's largest motion picture production facility, Universal City, in Hollywood. Rock Hudson appeared in forty-six of Universal's feature films, and was elected mayor of Universal City in 1953.
In 1920, Shipwrecked Among Cannibals became Universal's first film to gross over a million dollars.
Laemmle was forced to sell Universal Studios in 1936, when Show Boat went over budget.
Whilst working with Universal, Alfred Hitchcock didn't win an Academy Award.
Universal's sound technician, Jack Foley, developed the method of creating realistic sound effects for film. The method is now named after him. In the shower scene of Hitchcock's Psycho, the stabbing sounds were made by stabbing a melon.
Universal's first "3-D" film was It Came From Outer Space (1953).
Universal's first all-colour talkie was King of Jazz (1930), which features Bing Crosby. The film is currently being restored.
Besides pre-1926 designs, the Universal logo has essentially remained the same since its advent, with the only change being updates to the resolution.
The still image shows "UNIVERSAL" in front of a glowing globe. The moving ident results in the same image, but the components spin into place.
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures (Radio-Keith-Orpheum) was one the "Big Five" studios during the "golden age" of Hollywood. It produced films such as Citizen Kane, and King Kong.
It is of particular interest due to its reliance on low budget films during the "golden age" in comparison to the other major film studios. This protected it from financial risk, although it also limited profits.
The company began to coproduce films in the early 1980s. By the early 1990s, it also began to distribute films, including independent films such as Laws of Gravity (1992).
The logo currently retains links to the iconic radio tower design of the company's golden era.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. was founded by four Jewish brothers, who emigrated from Poland, and changed their names. In 1927, Warner Bros. released its first (part) talkie feature. When he heard about the idea of a talkie feature, Harry Warner famously said "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"
The company typically produces and distributes big-budget films. However, in the 1930s up to 50% of studio output consisted of B movies, which typically had a budget of less than $50,000.
It is currently responsible for 18.0% of film distribution in the United States, beaten only by Paramount.
The company's logo has remained relatively simple since its first iteration in 1923.
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company, based in America, was created by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005, after leaving Mirimax films, which they founded. It is one of North America's largest mini-major film studios.
The company has been involved in the production of thrillers, such as Derailed (2005), its first release. It also distributes films, including thrillers, such as Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream (2007).
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayor Studios Inc. (MGM) was founded in 1924, when Marcus Loew obtained Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, and Louis B. Mayer Pictures. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California. It is the world's eighth oldest mini-major film studio, and Hollywood's second oldest studio, beaten by Paramount Pictures by one month.
In 2012, MGM distributed Skyfall, together with Sony Pictures. It is currently the highest-grossing film in the UK.
MGM's official motto, "Ars Gratia Artis", (Latin for "Art for art's sake") is shown on the logo, along with the famous roaring lion.
Hammer Film Productions
Founded in 1934 and based in London, Hammer produces a range of films, including thrillers. The company benefits from distribution partnerships with large studios, such as Warner Bros.
The most significant part of Hammer Film's history in relation to our production is a series of 10 low-budget psychological thrillers, released between 1961 and 1972. They were predominantly in black-and-white, and were known as "mini-Hitchcocks". In more recent years, Hammer has produced thrillers such as The Resident (2011).
Although the logo previously resembled a clichéd font from the 50s horror-phase, it recently evolved into a bold red block-lettered design:
