The Big 6

2. What is ‘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.
Who are ‘The Big 6’ ?

3. Warner 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

4. Paramount 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

5. Walt 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

6. Columbia Pictures
This 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

7. 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
Carl Laemmle
Mark Dintenfass

8. Twentieth Century Fox
Twentieth 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