When you watch a movie, whether it be at the cinema or in the comfort of your own home, it’s seldom you actually think about where the movie was produced and how each film company secured the rights to the movie you’re watching on the screen. The movie business is extremely competitive. The six major film companies discussed below comprise 90 percent of the US and Canadian box office revenue. If you’re pondering a career in film, you may want to pay very close attention to the statistics below.

And while there are a few “mini-majors” still turning a profit in the industry (Lions Gate Entertainment and MGM for example), it’s fairly difficult for film companies to stay afloat while competing with these highly successful empires.

Below you will find the six major film companies (also known as “The Big Six”) and a brief description of each:

1. Warner Bros. Pictures. Comprising a whopping 19.7 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Warner Bros. Pictures is the biggest player in the film industry. Securing the rights to major films like Harry Potter, Superman, Batman, The Matrix and Star Wars have made Warner Bros. the No. 1 name in the business.

2. Paramount Pictures. With 15.5 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Paramount Pictures continues to be one of the most successful film production companies in the world. Star Trek, War of the Worlds, the Mission Impossible series, Transformers and Tropic Thunder are just a few of the popular films produced by Paramount Pictures.

3. Walt Disney. One of the most renowned film production companies in the history of the business, Walt Disney now holds 15.3 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). With highly successful movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted, there’s no doubt that Disney will continue to play a key role in the industry for years to come.

4. Columbia Pictures. Comprising 12.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Columbia Pictures remains a big player in the business. Some of this company’s recent successes include Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, the Spider-Man series and Step Brothers.

5. Universal Studios. 12.2 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures) belongs to Universal Studios, which continues to make millions for the film industry. With major hits like the Bourne series (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum), The American Pie series, Knocked Up, American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk, it’s very clear that Universal Studios knows what it takes to make money in this industry.

6. 20th Century Fox. Also known as “Twentieth Century Fox,” this highly successful movie production company makes up 11.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). Some of the biggest and most successful movies from this empire include the X-Men series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Star Wars Episodes II and III, and the Fantastic Four.

Once again, if you’re looking for a career in the film industry, the six companies listed above are the cream of the crop. If you have the opportunity to work for one of these companies, we wouldn’t suggest passing it up.

Interpretation services make life easier for all the people requiring translations thanks to the skilled people proficient in another language. Many people living or visiting here do not speak and comprehend English, local procedures or common documents. Businesses have offices or relationships in foreign countries and need assistance with communications. Interpreters able to assist in this arena are well-paid for their communication efforts. Immigrants in particular encounter communication problems in their new country. Because many families who have migrated to the United States continue to use their native language at home, even first and second generation Americans have trouble translating information from English to their native tongue. Many times literal translations do not convey the meaning.

These problems exist in all areas of life. Doctors and hospitals need interpretation services to make sure they have accurate information on the patient, understand what the problem is and that the patient understands the treatment given. Court systems require a translator any time a witness or a person charged with a crime is unable to comprehend and answer questions. Even registering a school-age child requires filling out complex forms and providing necessary information like birth dates and vaccination records. Buying or selling real estate, signing legal documents and making appearances in county, state and federal offices are terrifying for anyone unable to understand what is happening and why.

Conducting business and purchasing property in foreign countries is a common way of life. Hiring an interpreter to read, explain and draft documents in another language is a common sense safeguard. A person fluent in that language can warn companies of commonly used American words carrying negative meanings and rewrite business phrases to simplify communications. Having someone able to translate legal documents reduces expensive mistakes. Anyone fluent in a foreign language has a very marketable skill. With the amount of world travel, even hotels and resorts benefit from having translators in all languages available. If a visitor from Saudi Arabia, Spain or France has a medical emergency, someone speaking that language can be called. Enterprising people with different language skills could form a service. All kinds of requests could be handled with one call, from handling a traffic ticket for a visitor from Rome to explaining the tipping expectation when dining out to a group of Chinese businessmen.

Giving gifts is not just good for birthdays and the holiday season. In fact, even during the celebration of Earth Day you should know how to be thoughtful to people in order to keep them informed about the things that we should do as a responsible citizen. These gifts are called promotional corporate gifts or promotional products that even you can easily make. Since it is the celebration of the Earth Day, it would be nice if you will have organic products as your corporate gift. You can hand it over to your colleagues and even to your superiors to promote the very special holiday as well. Do you want to know how you can set up such kind of Earth Day inspired gift package? Here are some ideas that you might to consider.

Organic Soaps and Beauty Products

Organic soap can be a good customized corporate gift and it is easy to make. You can include this to your Earth Day gift package. How you can make some with personal touch, here are the easy steps.

Materials Needed In Making Soap:

Glycerin Soap
Fresh or dried herbs or fresh flower petals
Mold (any shape would do)
Essential Oil

Instructions in Making Soap:

Soap making is really easy. You just have to melt the glycerin soap and add essential oils and add your desired flowers and herbs. Once the mixture ready, pour it over on your desired soap mold and let it cool and your soap is ready to be packed.

Other things to include in your Earth Day gift package:

Lotion – You can either buy in organic markets of create one yourself.
Hand Sanitizer – Organic hand sanitizers can make you hands smooth and silky.
Make Up – There are such things as organic make up; you can also buy one in organic cosmetics.

Food Products

Food and beverages can also be a good promotional corporate gift. In fact, people would truly love to receive food baskets for free. One of the easiest food products that you can do is cookie. Here are some easy steps in baking cookies.

Materials Needed In Baking Cookies:

Butter
All Purpose Flour
Sugar
Egg
Baking Soda
Additional Flavoring (etc. cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla)
Fruit Slices

There are baking instructions that you can search in the internet. More than that, there are also ways on how you can pack these cookies according to the occasion. You can also find great ways of packaging these confections inspired by Earth Day.

Other things to include in your Earth Day gift package:

Wine – It may be red or white. It still depends on your taste and you budget.
Cheeses – Cheeses are great for bread and wine. There are also different varieties of it.
Fruits and Vegetables – It is good as long as it is organic. There are organic markets that sell unique or fruits that are not usually seen in groceries and typical marketplaces.

These are two kinds of Earth Day gift package that you can pack in an organic basket. There are other Earth Day related materials that you can use as customized corporate gifts. Indeed, some of them are easy to make. So go ahead and spread the word about the world with these unique products.