Paramount Pictures Biography

Paramount Pictures was founded by William Wadsworth Hodkinson in 1914 and was born in Independence, Kansas. He is known as The Man who invented Hollywood. Hodkinson opened his first film theater in Ogden, Utah in 1902 charging 5 cents a show. His studio is older then Universal Studios by 1 month.

W.W. Hodkinson (Founder of Paramount Pictures)

As a young man, Hodkinson was a messenger with the Western Union Telegraph Company, and he worked for other companies as a messenger, callboy, telegrapher, and signal operator. In 1902, he was a trick bicycle rider and later became a salesman with I.C.S

Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures was actually a merger of a few other film production companies that Hodkinson brought together. Doing so made Paramount the largest film distribution and production company hands down.

The Paramount Logo was also designed by Hodkinson doodling a mountain and became the companies logo in 1914. Hodkinson left the film industry in 1926 and started the Hodkinson Avaition Corperation and later formed the Central American Aviation Corporation and Companía Nacional de Aviación in Guatemala.

Universal Studios History

The founder of Universal Studios was Carl Laemmle which was a German immigrant who settled in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. His first job in the states was managing a clothing store. In 1905 he was inspired by what was called Nickelodeons. They where a theatre that showed silent films with a piano player that added the drama to the film since sound was not yet invented to add to the films of the time. The name Nickelodeon came from a mixture of two words , Nickel because it cost back then 5 cents to see a movie and Odeon from the Greek word for roofed theatre. Put them together and you have what is called a Nickelodeon.

Carl Laemmle (Founder of Universal)

Carl Laemmle was so inspired by those Nicelodeons that he had decided to buy some of his own. He started making his own silent films but to his dismay Thomas Edison had what was called "The Motion Picture Trust" which mainly prohibited actors from having a star rating, which would lead to higher pay. Carl Laemmle fought this with Edison even though Edison had hired gangsters to damage his sets. Nonetheless Carl Laemmle came out on top and is this very fight that changed the movie industry's standards. Other film producers followed Carl Laemmle by dropping from The Motion Picture Trust as well.

Nickelodeons of the 1900's

Below is an actual video of Carl Laemmle from a trip he took to Europe.

Warner Brothers

Warner Brothers incorporated is one one of the worlds largest producers of film, television and entertainment.The company was started by four brothers from Poland and an ambition they had.

Warner Brothers

Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner are the founders of Warner Brothers as we know it today. After leaving Poland they went to Ontario, Canada where they first started an exhibition business. They acquired a projector in which they went to the states and opened up their first theater, the Cascade in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Of course they where silent pictures for the time period in which was 1903.In 1904, the Warners founded the Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Amusement & Supply Company (the precursor to Warner Bros. Pictures) to distribute films.Within a few years this led to the distribution of pictures across a four-state area. In 1912 Harry Warner hired an auditor named Paul Ashley Chase. By the time of World War I they had begun producing films, and in 1918 the brothers opened the Warner Bros. studio on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Sam and Jack Warner produced the pictures, while Harry and Albert Warner and their auditor and now controller Paul Ashley Chase handled finance and distribution in New York. In 1923, they formally incorporated as Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.

Would you be an actor given the chance?

Would you become an actor given the chance? A chance at making lots of money and fame sounds good to a lot of us but are you willing to give what it takes?

The fact is that getting the opportunity to act in a motion picture movie or even a thirty second commercial sounds great, but it also involves long hours in front of a camera and production crew under hot lights. Most of us work an 8-10 hour day and go home with weekends off, where an actor can work up to 16-20 hours per day, seven days a week for months on end. Then of course there is the photo opportunities you must take and all the hard work involved in remembering your lines and putting 100% of yourself into the character you will portray with many takes over and over again on the same scene.

Most of us only thing of the fortune and fame and not really think of what it takes after your in the business. Getting there is only half of the battle.

Are you willing to add weight for a roll? or loose weight for that matter. Are you willing to do what it takes to get there? This is a question that you should ask yourself if you are thinking of getting into the business. Some people spend thousands trying to get into the business and the truth of the matter is that it just takes persistence.

Keeping on top of all the agents you submit your picture to is key.

What I would like to get are some comments on those that have been in the business and if you have give some comments on how someone can break into the business themselves. What are your thoughts?

Special effects studios

Special effects studios are responsible for creating believable creatures, making another world we have never seen before, and or a multitude of other illusions. The most recognized company in the film industry to accomplish these tasks is know as Industrial Light and Magic.

Industrial Light and Magic was created by George Lucas after he found out that 20th Century Fox had closed their doors on their own special effects studio. Lucas found himself in an awkward situation especially it happening after getting the go ahead to start his Star Wars movie. He decided to create his own company ILM or Industrial Light and Magic.

The company has created dozens of effects for several other movies over the years since 1975. Their latest work was on the film Iron Man due in theaters soon.

Los Angeles Film School

The Los Angeles Film School is a great place to start if you are interested in pursuing a career in the film industry.Not to mention its in the heart of where most movies we see today are made. Of course there are many film schools out there however why not go to a school that is much cheaper then Full Sail has to offer and the Los Angeles Film School is located in Los Angeles where Hollywood movie executives and studios are located. The real kicker here is it cost about $30,000 cheaper to go to the Los Angeles Film School then Full Sail does.

There are many other film schools in the Los Angeles area as well as the entire state of California. However for this article I decided to do some research on the Los Angels film school to start out.

The Los Angeles Film School was founded by Hollywood professionals. The school is located off Sunset Blvd near Vine Street in Hollywood California. The Los Angeles Film School offers a one year "hands on" experience into the program.

However before the building became a film school it was RCA's recording studio where all the greats would record their albums including Elvis Presley.

The current tuition cost to attend the school is $42,000 and the requirements are that you must have a high school diploma or GED pass their test they have. If you are under 18 years of age a parents consent.

Multimedia production software

Multimedia production software is used to edit films, tv shows and more. So what is it? Multimedia production software such as Avid Technologies and Final Cut Pro are used quite often in the editing room. Here is a look into the editing softwares commonly used.




Film editing has been done has been around for many moons and is the process used to clean up the final film. It is used to delete scenes, add other scenes in different sequences then it was filmed and splicing in frames among other tasks. The Final Cut Pro software is used with Macintosh based computers and was created by Apple. Of course there is also the Final Cut Express which is more streamlined for the amateur starting out. It is much less to purchase then the Final Cut Pro edition but doesn't have everything the Final Cut Pro edition has in it. These editing softwares are also highly used in deleting backgrounds and adding others such as the use with green and blue screens.

Below I added some videos on the use of these programs and what they are capable of doing in the film industry.