In the past 30 years, the film industry has made massive technological advancements. From the first uses of CGI in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Jurassic Park to the popularity of streaming, the film industry has changed drastically and shows no signs of slowing down despite the many setbacks currently facing it.
While not all production companies are focused on technological innovation, some have made it their focus. By providing new distribution avenues or animation techniques amongst other things, many production companies have left their mark.
Vuele
Led by CurrencyWorks founder Cameron Chell, this production company aims to change the way that films are released by releasing them exclusively as NFTs. While the company has yet to release a film yet, the Anthony Hopkins-starring Zero Contact will be the company's first release.
In addition to capitalizing on the current NFT craze, Vuele is also giving artists more creative control over how their films will be released. Artists will be able to curate special versions of their work for each release, allowing them to create unique experiences each time.
Netflix
Founded by Reed Hastings in 1997, Netflix originally began as a DVD by mail service, where it started to make a name for itself within the entertainment industry. The company's impact would grow considerably with the introduction of its streaming service in 2007.
Since then, Netflix has become a powerhouse producer in Hollywood, counting over 209 million subscribers as of July 2021 according to The Hollywood Reporter. Netflix's impact within the entertainment industry has inspired the creation of many other popular TV streaming services.
Bazelevs Company
Started by director Timur Bekmambetov, Bazelevs Company has produced all of Bekmambetov's films including Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Wanted. In the past few years, the company has been known for starting the "screenlife" genre, a genre in which the entire film plays out on a laptop screen.
Beginning with the horror hit Unfriended, the company has also produced other acclaimed laptop-set films such as Searching and Profile. By creating their own genre, Bazelevs Company has started a new way of filmmaking of which both audiences and critics approve.
Lucasfilm
Started by George Lucas in 1971, Lucasfilm has been behind the helm of iconic Hollywood film franchises such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. In addition, the studio has also produced the animated shows The Clone Wars, as well as a few classic 1990s video games.
Through the films that they have produced as well as their Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound divisions, the company revolutionized special effects and sound design in film. In addition, the company would form Pixar in 1983 before the animation studio would become independent in 1986.
Lightstorm Entertainment
Founded by innovative director James Cameron, the studio has produced all of the filmmaker's output since Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Having most recently produced Terminator: Dark Fate, the studio is now focused on producing Cameron's upcoming Avatar sequels.
Starting with the release of Avatar, Lightstorm's revolutionary use of 3D technology helped cause the massive upswing in popularity of 3D films seen since. Though the popularity of 3D has started to wane in recent years due to inconsistent uses of 3D technology, Avatar and Alita: Battle Angel have been recognized as game-changing films.
Cinetic Media
Created by producer John Sloss, Cinetic Media focuses on financing and distributing independent films in addition to providing talent management services. Since it was launched in 2001, the company has produced many award-winning films such as Before Midnight and Napoleon Dynamite.
The company is notable for also providing strategic help to persons working in all aspects of the entertainment industry, including hosting online panels dealing with film sales and distribution. As reported on by The New York Times, the company has launched a deal with the New York-based newspaper to create feature documentaries from the newspaper's stories.
Laika
Ushered into existence by Nike owner Phil Knight, this animation studio has been behind some of the most important animated films of the 2000s. From Coraline to Kubo And The Two Strings, Laika films have been adored by critics and audiences alike.
Laika has become one of the most popular stop-motion animation studios due to their innovative combination of 3D animation with practical stop-motion animation. This gives filmmakers a massive canvas on which they can tell their story through gorgeous visuals.
Pixar
Started by Lucasfilm before branching off in 1986, Pixar would release Toy Story in 1995 to high critical acclaim and massive box office success. Since then, Pixar has achieved massive success through animated classics such as Finding Nemo and The Incredibles.
The first fully computer-animated film, Toy Story immediately changed the animation industry upon release. The industry quickly shifted over to computer animation for mainstream titles, causing the popularity of hand-drawn animated films to rapidly decrease.
Blur Studio
Co-founded by Deadpool director Tim Miller, according to blur.com, this VFX production company has helped create cutscenes for games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, as well as produced animation for the Netflix anthology series Love, Death & Robots.
Having also created some of the most memorable opening credits sequences, Blur Studios has been on the cutting-edge of animation since its founding due to the studios' consistently cutting-edge animation techniques.
Mike Zoss Productions
Founded by beloved director duo The Coen Brothers, this production company has produced every film of theirs since 2000s O Brother, Where Art Thou?. While the production company has produced many important films since then, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is arguably their most influential output.
As remembered by Gizmodo, Due to the Coen Brothers being unsatisfied with the look of their initial footage, the film became the first feature-length film to be digitally color corrected. After the film's release, digital color correction would become a common area of post-production.