There is hardly anyone who does not know about Universal Studios. But do you know who it belongs to? We don’t think so! But it’s important to learn about the origins of Universal Studios in order to understand how far it’s come. After all, it is stories like these that inspire and teach you that if you do something with selflessness and purpose, you will find your way.
Universal Studios is an American film production and distribution company currently owned by Comcast. But that’s not all. Universal Studios is a mystery! In fact, it aroused curiosity and interest almost from the very beginning. And you will soon find out why.
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How it all began for Universal Studios
Carl Laemmle was the man behind Universal Studios. He dreamed of having a city exclusively for films. What initially began as a studio tour designed to attract the public soon became something more. Indeed, Universal Studios is now an empire, and even bringing in billions in revenue!
Carl Laemmle was behind the massive merger of his film company, but soon after realized he badly needed more land to keep himself afloat. Thus began an incredible journey. But to understand what made Carl Laemmle create Universal Studios, you need to go back a little.
Carl Laemmle was an immigrant from Bavaria who came to America in 1884 with an obsession with cinema. His life changed dramatically after visiting the Nickelodeon cinema. The flashing images were enough to spark his imagination. And shortly after that, in 1906, he opened his first cinema, the White Font. It became an instant success. But that was only the beginning.
Checkpoint on the way
No one has ever had an easy way. Wrestling is part of all inspiring success stories, and this one is no exception. In 1909, New York’s Motion Pictures Patents Company (MPPC) charged a two-dollar license fee to independent theater operators.
The MPPC basically wanted to control the motion picture industry, and since they had the patents for all motion picture cameras, the motion picture industry was really at its mercy. But Laemmle was not one of those who bowed before him. After all, he was always a rebel. He decided that if he produced his own films, he would not have to pay licensing fees.
So a few months later, Laemmle moved to New York and founded his own film company, Independent Moving Pictures. The playful mischievous demon became the studio’s logo, probably to show the owner’s true feelings towards the MPPC.
In 1910, he supported the merger of several well-known film companies by creating a film distribution and sales company, of which Laemmle became president. But Laemmle was not going to stop there.
He constantly faced challenges from large corporations when he tried to make radical changes, but he always found a way to move on. After all, how else could you succeed in your endeavor?
The birth of Universal Studios
Production started at Laemmle in Los Angeles in 1910. Laemmle joined them in 1912, and a month later the Motion Picture Distribution and Sales Company went bankrupt and the company’s assets were taken over by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. This is how Universal Studios was founded.
Landing in Los Angeles, Laemmle’s first move was to buy the Nestor Company Studio on Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. There is a reason why he chose this building. It had a spacious area, thanks to which several films could be filmed here at the same time.
But Laemmle wanted to improve efficiency and avoid the cost of transporting equipment and personnel to location shoots. So he came up with the idea to build a city dedicated exclusively to film production. This is how Universal Studios Hollywood was conceived.
Laemmle bought Taylor’s ranch, a 230-acre chicken farm, for $165,000 and began building a film city. Even his colleagues laughed at his idea, but he was adamant. His vision was clear, and this helped him move forward despite all the setbacks. And in 1915, Universal Studios Hollywood was officially opened.
Of course, a lot has changed since then. The studio is now owned by Comcast, which has merged it with its own cable television programming assets. Thus, NBCUniversal was created. But no one can deny the legacy of Universal Studios. He continued to survive no matter what, despite the change of ownership.
Why the history of Universal Studios is inspiring
You can learn a lot from how Universal Studios was created. Entrepreneurs can use this as a lesson and learn that if you truly believe in your vision, you won’t succeed.
Even the greatest ideas were ridiculed when they were presented, but soon the world was to bow before their magnificence. It’s never too late! If you really believe in your goal, go for it with full enthusiasm. In the end, everything will fall into place, as was the case with Universal Studios.
