Paramount Pictures Corporation owned by media conglomerate Viacom was founded in the year 1912. The founder Adolph Zukor of Famous Players Film Company decided to make feature films that would fulfill the demands of immigrants. By the mid of next year he made five successful films. In the same year Jesse L. Lasky founded Lasky Feature Play Company and hired Cecil B. DeMille for his first movie "The Squaw Man". Both these production companies sought help of Paramount Pictures to release their movies. Paramount Pictures was a new company at that time and was a merger of many small firms by W. W. Hokinson. The idea was appreciated and the new company, Famous Players-Lasky, got a good start. Lasky and his brother-in-law, Goldfish became in charge of the production, along with DeMille. Hiram Abrams was responsible for the distribution where as Zukor made plans for the development of the company. The company soon touched great heights. In 1916, Zukor decided to talk about the merging of the three companies with Lasky and Hodkinson. Public can take guided tour into the Paramount Studios situated in Hollywood, California.
Zukor made the first slogan of the company "Famous Players in Famous Plays". He was the man behind successful actors like Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford, Wallace Reid and Gloria Swanson. Paramount Pictures were the first to introduce the concept of block booking; this meant that if a particular firm wanted to buy the rights of a particular actor, they were also required to buy the other productions of Paramount Productions for that year. This concept proved to be a huge success and boosted the company's sale.
Under the leadership of Zukor, Paramount had huge success. He was responsible for building number of theaters which had nearly two thousand screens altogether. He also had big investments in radio and in 1926 he gained control over the Balaban & Katz chain. Barney Balaban became the president and Sam Katz handled the Paramount Publix theater chain. The company's name, Famous Players-Lasky was changed to Paramount-Publix Corporation, in 1927. Due to the success of Publix theater chain the name was changed to Paramount-Publix Corporation in 1930.
By 1932 Zukon left all his old partners behind as the company was facing bankruptcy due to the enormous expansion projects. A bank reorganization team, consisting of Otto Kahn and John Hertz took over the company but kept Zukon in the company. After dealing with bankruptcy, the company was named Paramount Pictures, Inc. and Barney Balaban became the chairman. Many actors and singers were roped in and on a yearly basis; the company was producing nearly seventy movies a year. They also tried their hand at cartoon and the two characters, Popeye the Sailor and Betty Boop became an instant hit.
The government was having problems with the block booking, so the company decided to end it in 1940, after which the company's production went down to twenty movies a year. While the company was making an effort to attract audience during the World War II, the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department reopened the case, U.S. vs. Paramount Pictures and the Supreme Court ordered the split of the company into two. Due to the loss of theater chains, the position of Paramount Pictures was very unstable and the company was sold to Gulf and Western Industries.
Paramount collaborated with Universal Studios to form Cinema International Corporation in 1970. They began producing for television. After the realease of movies "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever", the interest in movies were back again. Paramount Pictures began making albums when they purchased rights for Paramount Records. Cinema International Corporation became United International Pictures, in 1981, which was renamed as Paramount Communications in 1989. Paramount became a prominent name in Hollywood once again and gave tough competition to its rivals. Some survived by moving to another place like Warner Bros. and some closed down like for instance RKO.
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards are being hosted on an annual basis to honor best music talent in the record industry and is considered equivalent to Academy Awards. Originally called as the Gramophone Awards it was started by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Usually held in February, it constitutes nearly twenty genres of music with hundred and eight categories. The categories can be broadly described as Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Artist of the Year to name a few. Regular members of the voting committee are Jon Bon Jovi, Beyonce Knowles, Prince and Paul Simon. The Recording Academy and record companies choose the works of artist who are really talented. Over hundred and fifty members review this selection and assign the works to their proper category. The members of each category who are experts in their respective fields reviews them and votes for the nominees. Deloitte Touche, who are the major independent accounting firm, then tabulates the ballots. The works, which have been produced in a time limit of past twelve months, are considered, starting from October 1. For many years the venue for the Grammy Awards was The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California that was also the home of the Oscars. But once the categories began expanding, the venue was shifted to the Staple Center, Los Angeles, California. The nominees and other non-presenting attendees are expected to pay for the ticket to attend the ceremony. In 2007, the entree fee for the members was $750, which later went up to $2500. To attend the official post party, additional $250 should be paid. All the attendees get a gift bag with lots of goodies in it like perfumes, jewelry, CDs and gift certificates with the Grammy award seal. The ceremony is telecast live on television and there are several live performances by renowned artists. The first Grammy Awards was aired on ABC channel in 1971. Presently it is being aired on CBS channel. On February 10, 2008, the fiftieth Annual Grammy Awards will be celebrated at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
From time to time, the Grammy Awards have been blamed that they consider only the mainstream music and do not take alternative groups into consideration. The rumor was further heightened by criticism that the big record companies are influencing Grammy Awards. Many even say that Grammy Awards doesn't honor the artist's talent; rather it's just held to promote the music industry as a whole and never understood the sentiments of the common people. The critics also blame the Grammy Awards to use this platform for advertising the recording industry. Many also question the nominating and the voting process from time to time.
Sir Georg Solti received the largest number of Grammy awards in a year. He was the conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and he received a total of thirty-one Grammys. U2 is the band, which received the most number of Grammys, a total of twenty-two. In a single night Rick Rubin won the maximum awards. He received five awards at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. Grammy Awards have even faced fraud when the reality of the pop group Milli Vanilli came to light. The group just lip-synced the song sung by someone else, which resulted in their Grammies being taken back from them instantly. But the awards still go on attracting people from all walks of life.
From time to time, the Grammy Awards have been blamed that they consider only the mainstream music and do not take alternative groups into consideration. The rumor was further heightened by criticism that the big record companies are influencing Grammy Awards. Many even say that Grammy Awards doesn't honor the artist's talent; rather it's just held to promote the music industry as a whole and never understood the sentiments of the common people. The critics also blame the Grammy Awards to use this platform for advertising the recording industry. Many also question the nominating and the voting process from time to time.
Sir Georg Solti received the largest number of Grammy awards in a year. He was the conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and he received a total of thirty-one Grammys. U2 is the band, which received the most number of Grammys, a total of twenty-two. In a single night Rick Rubin won the maximum awards. He received five awards at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. Grammy Awards have even faced fraud when the reality of the pop group Milli Vanilli came to light. The group just lip-synced the song sung by someone else, which resulted in their Grammies being taken back from them instantly. But the awards still go on attracting people from all walks of life.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Celebrity Fashions
A lot of younger girls, and even some older ones, are hopelessly smitten with celebrity fashions. Though I don't think there is anything wrong with this, it can be a problem. Some girls are trying to wear celebrity fashions that are entirely too much for them. When a twelve-year-old girl has a thong peeking up above her jeans, you have to cringe a bit, and wonder why her mother let her out of the door that morning. Sex sells, but should it be selling to that young of an age group?
There is something about celebrity fashions that catches the imaginations of teenagers and adults alike. They always have the latest fashions, and celebrities are worshiped in our world. They have the money to buy the newest fashions, and they have to keep one step ahead. There is nothing wrong with wanting to wear celebrity fashions, but you should know that there is a good way to go about it, and after that, you have crossed the line into the absurd. You really have to consider what you look like when putting something on, celebrity look or not. Many of the clothes are meant to be larger than life, and they should stay on television and out of your wardrobe.
Celebrity fashions are often dictated by fashion designers. When it comes to big events, most celebrities don't even pick out or pay for their own clothing. Designers give them dresses to wear. If you want to get that particular dress, I hope you have a lot of money to blow on clothing. Another thing to consider is lifestyle. A celebrity is expected to be larger than life (take Cher for example) but most of us end up looking ridiculous if we copy some of the celebrity fashions you see in the magazines. Some things should stay on the pages of a magazine and should never be worn to the grocery store.
If you like celebrity fashions, you should make a few adjustments before you go shopping. Don't copy anyone, because you want to be yourself first and foremost. If you like certain celebrity fashions, you can incorporate them into your own look. Don't be a look alike, be an original. Take your favorite parts of celebrity fashions and find a way to make them work within your wardrobe while keeping your own personality and taste involved. You may find you love this more than following the celebrity fashions to the letter. Nothing is more fashionable than being yourself.
There is something about celebrity fashions that catches the imaginations of teenagers and adults alike. They always have the latest fashions, and celebrities are worshiped in our world. They have the money to buy the newest fashions, and they have to keep one step ahead. There is nothing wrong with wanting to wear celebrity fashions, but you should know that there is a good way to go about it, and after that, you have crossed the line into the absurd. You really have to consider what you look like when putting something on, celebrity look or not. Many of the clothes are meant to be larger than life, and they should stay on television and out of your wardrobe.
Celebrity fashions are often dictated by fashion designers. When it comes to big events, most celebrities don't even pick out or pay for their own clothing. Designers give them dresses to wear. If you want to get that particular dress, I hope you have a lot of money to blow on clothing. Another thing to consider is lifestyle. A celebrity is expected to be larger than life (take Cher for example) but most of us end up looking ridiculous if we copy some of the celebrity fashions you see in the magazines. Some things should stay on the pages of a magazine and should never be worn to the grocery store.
If you like celebrity fashions, you should make a few adjustments before you go shopping. Don't copy anyone, because you want to be yourself first and foremost. If you like certain celebrity fashions, you can incorporate them into your own look. Don't be a look alike, be an original. Take your favorite parts of celebrity fashions and find a way to make them work within your wardrobe while keeping your own personality and taste involved. You may find you love this more than following the celebrity fashions to the letter. Nothing is more fashionable than being yourself.
The Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are the most prestigious and popular film awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science or AMPAS situated in Beverly Hills, California started it in May 1929. PricewaterhouseCoopers since 1935 have managed the balloting process. In 1941 the confidential envelope system started which exists till this date. This was how the phrase 'the envelope please" became famous. The members of this academy are invited by the Board of Governors to join. The membership has fifteen branches each based on the different categories of awards.
The gold plated statuettes are also presented as the Academy Award of Merit. It has a black metal base and weights 8.5 lb and 13.5 inch tall knight holding a crusader's sword standing over a film reel with five spokes, which represent the five main categories of awards. It was created by George Stanley and Alex Smith and since then the Oscars have been manipulated only once. Forty Oscars are made for each annual Academy Awards in Chicago, Illinois. They are presented every year for movies, which have been produced in the last twelve months. The seventeen-month qualifying period was introduced to consider films released in a single calendar year in the year 1932. And since then this time period has been taken into consideration. The minimum length of the movie should be forty minutes and the minimum resolution should be 1280x720 so as to qualify as a feature-length.
The Academy Awards were held on Thursdays until 1954. From 1959 - 1998 they were held on Mondays except for few exceptions. It started to be held on Sundays from 1999. For nearly sixty years the Academy Awards were held in later March or early April. Since 2004 it is being held in late February or early March. The very first awards ceremony was held at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. The Ambassador Hotel and Biltmore Hotel were the venues till early 1940s. Next venue was Grauman's Chinese Theater, which was followed by the Shrine Auditorium. In 1949 the awards were presented at the Academy Award Theater. For the next ten years the venue was Pantages Theater in Hollywood. Next in line was Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica. Then the ceremony was shifted back to Los Angeles in 1968 at the Los Angeles Music Center and Shrine Auditorium and it was held there until 1988. In 2002 it was finally shifted to Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Oscars recognizes talents in field such as acting, screenwriting, production, direction and technician. The awards categories can be broadly described as Best Production award, Best Director award, Best Actor award, Best Actress award, Best Supporting actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay award. The only three movies that have won awards in all the categories are "It Happened One Night"," One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Silence of the Lambs". This achievement is also known as the Big Five or Oscar Grand Slam. Three films hold the record for winning most number of Oscars, which are "Ben-Hur" in 1959, "Titanic" in 1997 and "The Return of the King" in 2003. On the awards night, invitees walk the red carpet in their best dresses, which create a fashion statement. The whole ceremony is broadcasted live on television all over America except Hawaii and Alaska, the first ever broadcast was in 1953 on NBC channel. There are performances by the nominees of the Best Original Song category and countless other performances. The telecast attracts over a billion viewers from all over the world as claimed by the Academy.
The gold plated statuettes are also presented as the Academy Award of Merit. It has a black metal base and weights 8.5 lb and 13.5 inch tall knight holding a crusader's sword standing over a film reel with five spokes, which represent the five main categories of awards. It was created by George Stanley and Alex Smith and since then the Oscars have been manipulated only once. Forty Oscars are made for each annual Academy Awards in Chicago, Illinois. They are presented every year for movies, which have been produced in the last twelve months. The seventeen-month qualifying period was introduced to consider films released in a single calendar year in the year 1932. And since then this time period has been taken into consideration. The minimum length of the movie should be forty minutes and the minimum resolution should be 1280x720 so as to qualify as a feature-length.
The Academy Awards were held on Thursdays until 1954. From 1959 - 1998 they were held on Mondays except for few exceptions. It started to be held on Sundays from 1999. For nearly sixty years the Academy Awards were held in later March or early April. Since 2004 it is being held in late February or early March. The very first awards ceremony was held at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. The Ambassador Hotel and Biltmore Hotel were the venues till early 1940s. Next venue was Grauman's Chinese Theater, which was followed by the Shrine Auditorium. In 1949 the awards were presented at the Academy Award Theater. For the next ten years the venue was Pantages Theater in Hollywood. Next in line was Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica. Then the ceremony was shifted back to Los Angeles in 1968 at the Los Angeles Music Center and Shrine Auditorium and it was held there until 1988. In 2002 it was finally shifted to Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Oscars recognizes talents in field such as acting, screenwriting, production, direction and technician. The awards categories can be broadly described as Best Production award, Best Director award, Best Actor award, Best Actress award, Best Supporting actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay award. The only three movies that have won awards in all the categories are "It Happened One Night"," One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Silence of the Lambs". This achievement is also known as the Big Five or Oscar Grand Slam. Three films hold the record for winning most number of Oscars, which are "Ben-Hur" in 1959, "Titanic" in 1997 and "The Return of the King" in 2003. On the awards night, invitees walk the red carpet in their best dresses, which create a fashion statement. The whole ceremony is broadcasted live on television all over America except Hawaii and Alaska, the first ever broadcast was in 1953 on NBC channel. There are performances by the nominees of the Best Original Song category and countless other performances. The telecast attracts over a billion viewers from all over the world as claimed by the Academy.
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