Lions Gate Entertainment: Breakdown

Buying DVDs at cheap prices or second hand for the littlest of potential is part of my experience.  I also like searching for new movies using the power of the Internet.  One technique that is commonly used in the library science world is berrypicking.  The concept is to browse.  Browse the stacks for books that did not come up, or browse the reference/notes sections of the source.

What Does the Timeline Mean?

Please, take notice there will not be CEO names, every acquisition,  and there will not be references to movies/TV shows, people, etc… The dates mean nothing to me as well, but how do you have a timeline without the times.  I have a hunch or a hypothesis that like things come in batches, so I go after the lists.  IMDB can help out with the goal in mind, but I also like to check out the direct source when possible.  Brands like “North Shore Studios” and “International Movie Group (IMG) do not even have a link on IMDB let alone a company website.  This method of tracing a movie/TV show origins based on companies are not going after the big name movies that has happened in the last ten years.  This method is an adventure for obscure, or older movies/TV shows that are just distant childhood memories.

I am starting with Lions Gate for a reason.  I  like their brand and their product. Once I started to research the history of Lions Gate I learned the complication of business, which I do not understand, and the different corporations that they have bought out since 1997.  Also, I have already new they bought some of my favorite independent companies such as Artisan and Trimark.

Lions Gate also does not outsource to other companies when distribution is considered, which makes them a great case study.

This introduction also acts as a conclusion.

Lions Gate Entertainment

Image 1. Lions Gate Entertainment Logo

Lions Gate Shop | Lions Gate Television

Timeline

1997-1998

Image 2. In 1997 Cinépix Film Properties and North Shore Studies were purchased along with the creation of Manadaly Pictures to form Lions Gate Entertainment.  Lions Gate has  sold Termite Art Productions (PRNewswire 1998, Jan 12), (PRNewswire 1998, Jun 03), (PRNewswire 1998, Sept 08) (Enchin, H. 1997, Sept 12).

2000

Trimark (Garrett, D. 2000), (Prange, S. 2001).

Image 3. Trimark Pictures Logo from 1985 eventually sold to Lions Gate.

Sterling Home Entertainment LLC (2000-2005).

2003

Image 4. Artisan was sold to Lions Gate.

Artisan Entertainment (Wall Street Journal 2003, Oct 28).

Image 5. A listing of what Lions Gate Purchased when buying Artisan.

2006-2014

Delmar Studios and Mercury Entertainment merge into Delmar-Mercury, 2006 (Andrews, M. 2006, July 13).

Mandate Pictures, 2007, (The Gazette (Montreal) 2007 Sept, 11).

Image 6. Mandate Pictures was sold to Lions Gate.

Roadside Attractions – 43 % Ownership, 2007 (Lions Gate 10-K Annual Report 2010).

Summit Entertainment,2012 (Mergers & Acquisitions Week 2012, Feb 1).

Image 7. Summit was sold to Lions Gate.

Grindstone Entertainment Group, 2014 (Lions Gate 10-K Annual Report 2014).

Overall there are around 299 subsidiaries of Lions Gate Entertainment and not all listings are shown above (Lions Gate 10-K Annual Report 2010) (Lions Gate 10-K Annual Report 2014), (Mergent Online 2014).

References

(1998, Jan 12). Independent film powerhouse cinepix films announces name change to lions gate films inc. PRNewswire Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/448012216?accountid=10559

(1998, Jun 03). Lions gate entertainment announces agreement to acquire international movie group. PRNewswire Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/448065498?accountid=10559

(1998, Sept 08). Lions gate media acquires assets of termite art productions. PR Newswire Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/449935309?accountid=10559

(2002, Feb 15). Lions gate posts 61% quarterly growth in revenue. PR Newswire Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/447719250?accountid=10559

(2003, Oct 28). Lion’s gate to acquire artisan entertainment.  Wall Street Journal Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/398834806?accountid=10559

(2007 Sept, 11). Lionsgate devours Mandate Pictures. The Gazette (Montreal), Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic

(2012, Feb 1). Lionsgate acquires summit entertainment for $412.5 million. Mergers & Acquisitions Week Retrieved from https://global-factiva-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ha/default.aspx#./!?&_suid=140571806202906285488562090339

(2014).  Mergent Online – Company Detail: Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., Mergent Online. Retrieved from http://www.mergentonline.com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/companydetail.php?compnumber=68938&pagetype=synopsis

Andrews, M. (2006, July 13). Film studio Lionsgate acquires television distributor: Debmar-Mercury deal will enable studio to syndicate its own shows, retrieved from https://global-factiva-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ga/default.aspx

Enchin, H. (1997, Sept 12), Former Yorkton head creates entertainment giant Lion’s Gate to be one of country’s biggest TV, film ventures, The Globe and Mail, retrieved from https://global-factiva-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/ga/default.aspx

Garrett, D. (2000). Trimark, lions gate mull merger. Video Business, 20(21), 5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223915426?accountid=10559

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (2010). 10-K Annual Report 2010. Retrieved from Mergent Online database http://www.mergentonline.com/

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (2014). 10-K Annual Report 2014. Retrieved from Mergent Online database http://www.mergentonline.com/

Prange, S. (2001). Lions gate restructures home entertainment. Video Store Magazine, 23(3), 11-11,20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/197588801?accountid=10559

Notes

• Image 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 intellectual property is owned by Lions Gate.
• Image 1 was obtained by AxG from Logopedia.
• Image 3 was obtained by Augi2000 from Logopedia.
• Image 4 was obtained by Bigvoice313 from Logopedia.
• Image 6 was obtained by Bigvoice313 from Logopedia.
• Image 7 was obtained by Proliwweled from Logopedia.
• Images 2 and 5 were created by me, and are mine.
• I have 14 sources that I have created in the reference section.
• I have not referenced any movies, people, TV shows, etc…
• I have referenced 29 to 32 (depending on which ones you count) movie/TV (production/distributing) companies.
• Some links are to IMDB, and some are to the corporations official site.
• Maybe, I will start breaking down some individual movies.

Movie and TV Showing Devices: Part 1

The next few posts will be a re-hash, getting more depth of DVD and movie collection, of the post “Searching, Collecting, and Maintaining DVDs!”

All rights reserved.

Formats

VHS Vs. Betamax

I am not going to get into the nitty-gritty details of the rivalry between VHS and Betamax. Who really cares if Beta was better than VHS?  We can complain about the outcome, but that won’t change a thing.  What I do care about is the end result, and that the VHS was the product that changed the film industry.   Evidently, VHS took the lead and did not look back with the help of the porn industry (according to the geeky  character in Tropic Thunder played by the actor who caught pink eye from his cat (some episode of TMZ)).

Laserdisc

The Laserdisk had to be the black sheep of the family.  For every step forward there was a step backward having issues with compatibility between companies, being expensive, and quality was a blah (maybe, depending).

Transparent Recording
Disc – March 4th, 1969

The laserdisc has a history spanning from 1967 until 2002/2009.  Improvements did happen and the technology did get better, but the cost was insane, and the cheaper and more compact DVD ended up taking over the market.   There is a whole lot of technology jargon, and I will not get into that (headachetastic).  The one important “historical” outcome is the “extra feature.”   This is a kin to the USFL introducing the “red flags” and instant replay.

Two Points about Special Features and the Laserdisc.

1. In college, I started to purchase DVDs by the dozen (ok, maybe not that much) and Street Fighter was one those movies that subtly made its journey to my DVD player.  One time the commentary by Steven E. de Souza, the director, had mention that other special features (mainly sketches) were developed for laserdisc.
2. Apparently, a Lazerdisc copy of Return of the Jedi was sold on Ebay for 699 dollars.  The reason because there is 30 minutes of  extra footage that has not been seen since the creation of Laserdisc.

DVD, Blu-Ray, and HD

HD did not survive the market, but Blu-Rays did, enough said.  The DVD beat out VHS and Laserdisc, and is evolving into the Blu-Ray.  This does not matter since a customer can play a regular DVD on a Blu-Ray player.

• 1997 – The DVD arrived in the U.S.
• 2002/2003 – Retails started to pull VHS.
• 2003 – DVDs outsold VHS for the first time.
• 2005- Bo Andersen, president of the Video Software Dealers Association says 2006 will be the last time VHS will have major releases.
• Earlier 2000s to 2008 – HD DVD by Toshiba and Blu-Ray by Sony were developed to the public.
• 2008 – Blu-Ray wins.  Regular DVDs still around.

All rights reserved.

Boooo to Digital.  Maybe, not a hearty boo such as  when fanatics take a look at the opposing team’s quarterback.  Digital has been a trend lately, and will always be around.  I am not against digital or streaming.  I have an account with Netflix, Amazon Prime (before the digital streaming trend), and Full Moon Streaming.  I have only purchased one movie in the digital format, The Nutcracker, for my son.  The concern with digital is the ownership of the product.  When a consumer purchases a physical copy that customer owns that copy.  He or she can lend out that DVD to friends and family or sell it to a third party.  With the digital format, I pay for the right to watch the movie within the particular cloud that I am using or stored in my computer.  I do not pay for the full ownership of the product.  What if Amazon goes or that music cloud website goes bankrupt?  If the item is not stored on your computer, you no longer have that product.  I will be waiting until the copyright  laws are revamped for the digital times giving the consumer some rights.

The End

Know your devices and your formats.  I say this from experience.  Not all movies are on DVDs (Here is a Laserdisc niche website), and retailers such as Amazon sell multiple formats.  The main reason why we own The Nutcracker (1986, conceived by, Maurice Sendak) is the fact that this particular version is not sold on DVD, but digital and VHS.  Of course, we do not own a VHS player anymore.  Even though there is a part of me that does want to buy each device.

Notes

• In this segment I have referenced one television program, four movies, and four individuals in the cinema profession with the help of IMDB.
• The patent image was obtained from Google Patent Search.
• The Red Flag image was manipulated from public domain from Openclipart by the user ky1en1te.
• Two of the images were of my design and creation and I reserve the rights to my intellectual property.
• Part 2 will be by Region.