Los Angeles, among other things, is known to house the biggest stars and studios in the entertainment industry. But while household names like Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Studios, and Universal Studios are sure to make the list, there are other studios and boutique companies alike that have earned a name in recent years. That, or their name flies under the radar while they rake in millions. Here’s a list of a few companies that have really reached the top of their game.
To start, Hollywood’s resident blonde, Reese Witherspoon, founded her own Los Angeles based production company called Hello Sunshine through which she produced Oscar-nominated hits such as Gone Girl and Wild along with HBO’s Big Little Lies. Hello Sunshine has also stepped into the new media world with three unscripted short form series that are female focused. On the frontlines of creating female empowered content and opportunities, Hello Sunshine and partner AT&T created the Filmmaker Lab to help foster the next generation of female filmmakers. The program tackles diversity and gender imbalance in entertainment.
We all know him for his sophomore hit, Us, Jordan Peele’s production company, Monkeypaw Production has brought other successful projects to the screen such as a successful reboot of The Twilight Zone and BlacKkKlansman. Peele’s innovative company is backed in partnership by Universal, allowing him to direct, write, and produce his next two films.
Social change...we all know about it but Participant Media has set the bar high with hits such as Greenbook and Roma. This socially conscious company started to grow it’s wings in 2006-2007 through investing and its first serious award win. The company has listed it’s name under socially conscious projects ranging from food health to minimum wage to childhood obesity and after years of trying to break even, made headlines with The New York Times. The Help was Participant’s first big win hitting on racial issues. The socially conscious filmmaker is sure to find a home here, and emerging artists can gain real-world experience through paid full time internships...which are honestly hard to come by.
While this company isn’t under your typical production company search, Light Iron, a Panavision Company, is a one of a kind post production house responsible for beautiful projects like Euphoria, Just Mercy, The Good Place, and 13 Reasons Why as well as older hits like Avatar. Started by two brothers, Light Iron is nestled in the heart of Hollywood. Priding itself on teaching, growing, and adjusting with industry changes, the company offers internship opportunities where emerging artists can learn from all departments. For anyone considering a career in post or looking for exceptional services Light Iron has positioned itself at the top of the list.
Obra Visuals proves that you don’t need to be a team of 20 to produce a great music video. With a client roster including Cardi B, Future, and Megan Thee Stallion, Obra Visuals helps bring marginalized voices to the table. Headed by two guys who really know their stuff, this small and mighty company creates beautiful commercials and music videos as well as posters for their clients.
If you’re an action film fan, chances are you’ve seen a movie backed by Millennium Media - one of Hollywood’s longest running independent companies that can handle million dollar budgets. The founder, Avi Lerner, has roots that take him back to a manager position at Israel’s first drive-in movie. Born out of Nu image, Millennium Media specializes in action packed movies but also dabbles in biography and adventure.
Before unpacking the big 5 studios of Hollywood we can’t forget about Lionsgate Entertainment. A company whose rootes take us to Canada but currently has headquarters in Santa Monica. Lionsgate is the first major studio in a while having opened in 1997. Bringing you feel good hits like Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist to dramas like Orange Is The New Black, they even had an attraction site open in 2019 in China as well as The World of the Hunger Games. Lionsgate prides itself on being resourceful and inclusive, and supports mentorship, volunteership, and personal and professional growth throughout the company.
Finally, because we’re talking about Los Angeles production companies, we can’t turn an eye away from the big 5 - Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures. Universal Pictures tops the list with box office hits like Jurassic World while Paramount brings Titanic to the list of mega box office hits. Warner Bros. Pictures offers Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. II, and Paramount takes number one with Spiderman: Far From Home.
Paramount and Universal were both first founded in 1912 with Columbia following in 1918. While they all offer their own incredible list of films spanning many genres over the years, each boast a few major accomplishments apiece. Paramount is known to have released films with some of the first stars while Columbia offers a tour of the legendary The Wizard of Oz set. 20th Century Fox is responsible for bringing audiences actresses like Marilyn Monroe and Shirley Temple and Universal Studios is home to the 3rd largest amusement park in the world. Lastly, Warner Bros. Pictures got it’s most interesting start with the help of a dog and today is basically a household name thanks to its iconic water tower logo.
So, if you’re looking for a new movie to watch, Hollywood has got you covered.
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