When you watch a movie, whether it’s at the theater or in the comfort of your own home, you rarely think about where the movie was produced and how each movie company got the rights to the movie you’re seeing on screen. . The movie business is extremely competitive. The top six film companies discussed below comprise 90 percent of US and Canadian box office receipts. If you’re considering a career in film, you may want to pay close attention to the statistics below.

And while there are some “mini-majors” still turning a profit in the industry (Lions Gate Entertainment and MGM, for example), it’s pretty hard for movie companies to stay afloat while competing with these blockbuster empires.

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

1. Warner Bros. Photos. With a whopping 19.7 percent of the US/Canada market share (2007 figures), Warner Bros. Pictures is the biggest player in the movie industry. Securing the rights to major motion pictures like Harry Potter, Superman, Batman, The Matrix and Star Wars has made Warner Bros. the No. 1 name in the business.

2. Paramount Pictures. With 15.5 percent of the US/Canada market share (2007 figures), Paramount Pictures remains one of the most successful motion picture production companies in the world. Star Trek, War of the Worlds, Mission: Impossible series, Transformers, and Tropic Thunder are just some of the popular movies produced by Paramount Pictures.

3.Walt Disney. Walt Disney, one of the most renowned motion picture production companies in the history of the business, now owns a 15.3 percent share of the US/Canada market (2007 figures). With blockbuster movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted, there is no doubt that Disney will continue to play a key role in the industry for years to come.

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

5.Universal Studies. 12.2 percent of the US/Canada market share (2007 figures) belongs to Universal Studios, which continues to generate millions for the film industry. With big 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 abundantly clear that Universal Studios knows what it takes to make money on this industry.

6. Fox of the 20th century. Also known as “Twentieth Century Fox”, this blockbuster movie production company accounts for 11.9 percent of the US/Canada market share (2007 figures). Some of the biggest and most successful films 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 are 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 don’t suggest you pass it up.