Case Study: Paramount Pictures

Case Study:
Paramount Pictures

I did a case study of Paramount Pictures, finding that they were huge distributors of teen comedy films: including the American teen comedies Accepted, Mean Girls, Eurotrip and the British teen comedy Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

• An American motion picture production and distribution company.
  
• The oldest existing Hollywood film studio (founded in 1912)
  
• Owned by Viacom.
  
• Owner of DreamWorks (also distributors of teen comedy films e.g. She’s The Man)
  
  Brief history of Paramount Pictures
  In 1912, Adolph Zukor created Famous Players Film Company.
  Zukor planned to offer feature-length films that would appeal to the middle class by featuring the leading theatrical players of the time (leading to the slogan "famous players in famous plays").
  W. W. Hodkinson organized Paramount Pictures Corporation in 1914 which is where Famous Players released their films.
  By the end of the 1910’s Famous-Players Lasky and its ‘Paramount Pictures’ (a three-way merger of Famous Players, Lasky Feature Play Company and Paramount Pictures) dominated the film business.
  In 1930, changed its name to Paramount-Publix Corporation because of the importance of the Publix theatre chain.
  In 1935, Paramount Publix went bankrupt.
  However, in 1936, Zukor reorganized the company as Paramount Pictures, Inc. and was able to successfully bring the studio out of bankruptcy.
  Established it’s prominence in distributing comedy productions with the introduction of the Marx Brothers in the 1930s and the actress Mae West who starred in comedy films.
  By the 1930s was turning out sixty or seventy pictures a year.
  Also hugely successful in its cartoon productions, including Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailorman.
  Had a recession in the 60’s
  In the 70’s became partners with Universal Studios and Metro-Goldwyn Mayer
  The 80s onwards was highly successful for Paramount.