Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Paramount fireings today

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Posted by Josh Mitoska (Member # 1086) on 02-07-2006, 01:37 PM:

So I just got off the phone with my paramount booker Jodi In New York, and she told me that as of today Paramount let go most of the people that work for them . So she has no job, which sucks because she was always so great to work with and always helped me get film. She said because of the Paramount buyout of Dreamworks, most of the dreamworks employees get to keep their jobs, and The paramount employees do not, sometimes it makes me glad I'm on this side of the business-

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 02-08-2006, 02:12 AM:

Oh wow. I had no idea DWS got bought out.
That sucks when they let go of a bunch of people like that. Perfectly good people that just get squeezed out.

Didn't know they were getting DWS. I thought they were acquiring New Line?

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 02-08-2006, 08:03 AM:

NY Times Article

Here's an article about the merger...120 out of 2000 Paramount jobs were lost.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-10-2006, 01:49 AM:

From Daily Variety (Subscription required):

Posted: Thurs., Feb. 9, 2006, 10:00pm PT

Par's Pinkslips

Studio jolted by distrib unit firings

By BEN FRITZ, CHRIS GARDNER

Paramount's domestic distribution department has been decimated as some 109 out of nearly 129 employees -- including almost all senior execs -- were pinkslipped in advance of its merger with the DreamWorks distrib department.
Par also shuttered its Dallas sales office.

Some cuts in distribution were expected as part of the Par/DreamWorks merger, which previously resulted in 50 pinkslips at DreamWorks and 25 at Par (Daily Variety, Feb. 2).

But the Tuesday layoffs of virtually all of former distrib prexy Wayne Lewellen's staff came a surprise to studio vets.

"They didn't just get rid of high-level people," noted one distribution insider. "Clearly, they didn't want anybody from the old regime."

In addition, DreamWorks laid off nearly 20 people from its 50-plus person distrib team.

DreamWorks distribution chief Jim Tharp is moving to the Melrose lot to run the studio's domestic distribution operations (Daily Variety, Dec. 28). He'll transfer there with his remaining staff next week.

Par brass want a leaner distribution operation of around 90 people, even though the studio will be releasing more films with the addition of DreamWorks product and two pics per year from DreamWorks Animation.

Combined, the two companies now have about 50 distribution employees left.

A combination of Paramount and DreamWorks people will make up the distribution team, Tharp told Daily Variety. "There will be people from both sides that won't be part of the new distribution group, but some of that has to do with the new group only being 60% of what it was there."

Tharp will have to get his group up and running on the Melrose lot quickly. His first Par film, "Failure to Launch," opens March 10. Pic was previously skedded to open today but was pushed back a few weeks ago. Move was clearly well planned. "Launch" is followed by a DreamWorks title, "She's the Man," starring Amanda Bynes, on March 17.

The first major test for Par's distribution regime will come May 5, when "Mission: Impossible III" bows.

With the closure of the Dallas office, Par will now handle distribution out of L.A., New York and Toronto. It's combining the DreamWorks and Par operations in all three cities.

The changeover in Paramount's distribution regime started in December, when Lewellen, a 33-year veteran, ankled (Daily Variety, Dec. 28). Last month, it was revealed that Andrew Cripps would be joining Par from UIP to run international distribution starting next year as Par launches its own foreign distrib operation. Several Par distribution jobs related to UIP activities have been cut, but it's anticipated that Par will eventually start hiring to staff up Cripps' department.

(Dave McNary and Gabriel Snyder contributed to this report.)

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 02-10-2006, 04:29 AM:

quote: Phil Hill
His first Par film, "Failure to Launch," opens March 10. Pic was previously skedded to open today but was pushed back a few weeks ago.

how appropriate.