Chapter 1: It Begins
Silence. Emptiness. That's all I knew. I was conscious of my surroundings, but everything was just an empty void. I was within the without.
It was like this for a long, long time. I wondered if there was a way out. And then, one day, the way out came.
There was a blinding flash, and suddenly, I was no longer within the without.
I opened my eyes for the first time.
Saw that I had a body with arms and legs and hands and feet.
I had clothes on, a long, flowy light brown dress that pinched me a bit too tight in the middle.
I had no clue who or where I was, yet I knew.
And there I was.
Universal Film Manufacturing Company.
A new-founded studio, a newborn studio entity.
The date was April 30th, 1912.
Little did I know I'd become famous.
Chapter 2: Newcomer
After a while, I got used to living within the within, the within being what I came to know as Universal City, San Fernando Valley, California.
Home.
I was the only studio entity of my kind, or so I thought. In the back of my mind I knew. Another one of my kind would join me.
The date was May 8th, 1912.
One week after I was born.
I had heard there was a new studio in a place called Hollywood. I'd read it in a newspaper. So, out of curiosity, I took a train to Hollywood to see this new studio. When I reached Hollywood, I was taken in by its beauty.
Then, I heard it. A voice next to my shoulder.
"Lovely, isn't it?"
The owner of the voice was an elegant young man in a black dress suit. His dark eyes sparkled, and his hair was like ebony. He had a slender yet slightly muscular build and a charming aura emanating from him.
"Oh, um, yes," I said. "I came here to see about the new film studio founded here, and if there was…."
"You're looking at him right here, darling. Famous Players Film Company, at your service." He bowed deeply, then kissed my hand.
"I'm Universal Film Manufacturing Company, but you can call me Universal," I replied, blushing a little.
"You're looking for my studio? Well, you've come to the right person. I'll take you there." He took my hand and led me away from the train station.
I decided I liked this man.
Chapter 3: And Warner Makes Three
For a while, it was just him and me.
Time passed. My studio released its first film on June 24th, 1912, titled The Dawn of Netta, and Famous's released its first, The Loves of Queen Elizabeth. Then Famous became known as Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, then Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation. I settled on calling him just Paramount.
As we left one decade and entered another, I had that same feeling I had when Paramount first came along. There was another studio just waiting to be founded. I just knew it.
April 4th, 1923.
Paramount and I were visiting Burbank, which is a rather lovely town near my home, when we bumped into a nervous young man who looked a bit like Paramount, only shorter and thinner and with lighter hair.
"You okay?" I asked. He jumped at least five feet in the air with a squeal, but quickly composed himself.
"I've kinda lost my way to my studio," the man replied. "You're Universal Pictures, right? I mean, I kinda had the feeling you were…" A shy-sounding laugh escaped his lips.
"That's me," I said. "This is my friend Paramount."
"N-nice to meet you. I'm Warner Brothers, but you can call me Warner. I honestly don't know how I got here. Everything was all black, then there was a blinding flash, and then BOOM! Here I am, haha... "
"Do you know where your studio is?" I asked. "Just so you know, we're in the San Fernando Valley."
"And that's in Cali-for-ni-a!" Paramount added. I saw Warner's face light up at our words.
"Oh yeah, I remember now! My studio's near here!" he cried out. But soon his face fell. "If only I knew where, though…"
My heart skipped a beat.
Another studio located near my home.
Suddenly, an address flashed through my head. 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California. How did I know where to go? And more importantly, how did I know how to get there?
"I know where your studio is. It's near here, and the address is 4000 Warner Boulevard," I blurted out. Both Warner and Paramount stared at me like What? "C'mon, boys. We've got a studio to find."
Sure enough, we found where Warner's studio was. He thanked us profusely when we reached the place.
"Can we be friends?" he asked me, looking at me with big dark eyes. "I don't know how to repay you…"
"Well, I just want to let you know, from now on, you'll always have a friend in the San Fernando Valley," I told him.
"Come visit me in Hollywood anytime," Paramount added. The look on Warner's face was just simply priceless. A stream of seemingly endless "thank you"s streamed from his mouth as he hugged us both tightly.
And with that, we agreed to visit each other every once in a while. We formed a trio, Paramount, Warner, and me. And it was nice.
Chapter 4: The Trio Becomes a Quartet
October 16th, 1923.
"You know that feeling?" I asked Warner and Paramount that day. "That feeling you get when you know something is gonna happen?"
We were visiting Warner's studio in Burbank, listening to his radio. The newscaster was prattling on about what was happening, but we weren't really paying attention.
"What feeling?" Paramount asked.
"You know, a sort of buzzing in the back of your skull. It's trying to tell you something. It's the same feeling I had before I first met you two."
"When our studios were founded?" Warner piped up.
"Correct."
"I'm getting that same feeling too," Warner told me. "It's getting stronger."
"Same here," Paramount added.
"Me three," I finished. And just when the feeling was the strongest, the newscaster cut in.
"We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin. Walt and Roy Disney have just opened a cartoon studio right here in Burbank."
"BURBANK?!" we all exclaimed in unison.
My heart skipped a beat. Again.
I had a new neighbor.
So did Warner.
The three of us rushed to the new studio as fast as we could. We were almost there when we were stopped by a raven-haired young woman.
"Hey, slow down," she told us. "What's your rush?"
"We're looking for the new studio here in Burbank," I panted. "Does it have a studio entity to represent it?"
"Yep," the woman answered. "You're looking right at her. Walt Disney Productions. But you can call me just Disney."
We all introduced ourselves.
"I'm Paramount Pictures. Nice to meet you."
"Universal Pictures. My pleasure."
"The name's Warner Brothers."
We all saw Disney's eyes widen. "Y'know, before I came here, I sort of knew that I'd meet you guys, and now, here we are."
Paramount ruffled Disney's hair fondly. "Welcome to the world, kid. Wanna join our little trio that me n' Uni n' Warner have got here?"
"Yeah, sure, why not?"
And so our trio became a quartet.
Why not indeed.
Chapter 5: Careful With That Torch
January 10th, 1924. Hollywood.
The beginning of a new year. That same feeling told me that our quartet would become a quintet. And I was right.
"Who do we have here?" Paramount asked a young woman standing near us. We had just arrived in Hollywood to see about his newest neighbor studio. We had read about it in the newspaper and heard about it on the radio. "I hear there's a new studio in Hollywood, and there must be a new studio entity in the place, hm?"
The woman thought for a while, then she perked up. "Y'know, I just got here, but somehow I know who I am and where I am. I'm CBC Film Sales, and this is Hollywood. Wanna know how I got here?"
"Let me guess: Dark void, blinding flash, and now you're here?" I asked.
CBC blushed. "How'd you guess?"
"We're studio entities. You're one too," Disney told her. "Me and Universal, Paramount, and Warner are all friends. Well, Uni and Para have been together for quite a while now…" She grinned knowingly at Paramount and me, and I blushed a little.
"Did y'know that Vee here's got some crazy way of finding out when a new studio's opening and where it is?" Warner nudged my shoulder. "It's like some sort of instinct."
Instinct indeed. I'd spent the past eleven years puzzling over it. The others seemed to have that instinct too, but I seemed to have it the most. But instinct or not, I knew she'd be with us.
"Welcome to Hollywood. I'm Universal, as you may know, and these are my friends Paramount, Warner, and Disney. We've formed a quartet, the four of us. Wanna join?"
"Sure."
And that was that.
Chapter 6: Completion
Years passed. Our studios continued to release more films. The 1920s became the 1930s. I continued to wonder about the mysterious instinct I had whenever a new studio opened. My friends wondered about it too.
CBC Film Sales became Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. Films with sound became more popular than silent films. Films also switched from black and white to Technicolor. Our appearances changed with our studio logos. That's what happens to a studio entity. And then, one day, a new studio showed up.
May 31st, 1935. Hollywood.
"Hey there, guys. You kinda look like the crowd I'd hang out with. I like ya. Wanna be buddies?"
She was shorter than all of us, with blond hair and dark blue eyes.
"Funny story, but before I came here, I sort of had a feeling I'd bump into you guys, haha… M'name's 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. I know I just got here, but I know that my studio's actually a merge between two other studios, Fox Films and 20th Century Pictures, Inc. Lemme guess, you're Universal." She pointed at me. How did she know? "And all those other guys n' gals are your friends, right?"
"Uh, um, yeah. How do you know all this stuff?"
"Instinct." She flashed a huge grin, kind of like a Cheshire cat's.
"Y'know, guys, now that we're all here, the pieces are finally coming together. The reason I have this instinct is that it's telling me something. The six of us are meant to be together. One day, we'll become the most famous film studio entities in America. They'll call us…" I paused for effect. "...the Big Six."
"Big Six?" Paramount, Warner, Disney, Columbia, and 20th all asked in unison.
"Yes. We'll make films together. We'll conquer the world, well, not literally. We'll show them the power of filmmaking."
At this, 20th grinned her Cheshire cat grin even wider. "Count me in!"
"In fact, count us all in," Paramount added. "The six of us are sure gonna go places."
"Showbiz, baby!" 20th crowed.
"Yeah, showbiz," I smiled.
It was settled. Our sextet was complete. The world would forever know us as the Big Six, the most famous studio entities in America.
And they did.
Epilogue: What Happened After?
As weeks turned to months, months turned to years, and years turned to decades, we saw that my vision was coming true. Our studios climbed up the ranks of studio-dom, eventually dominating them, and we became closer friends than before. We had indeed become the prophesied Big Six.
But what became of us in the future?
Flash forward to present day. We've all moved into an apartment in the Hollywood Hills. I miss my home sometimes, as do Warner and Disney, but we all like Hollywood.
As of now, my studio is the oldest surviving studio in America, which makes me the oldest surviving studio entity. Both Paramount and I are well over 100 years old, but we still look young, because all studio entities are immortal, as we all found out. We continue to produce and distribute films, sometimes with each other, sometimes with other studios. Disney, Paramount, 20th, Warner, and myself are all members of the Motion Picture Association of America, or the MPAA.
We've all adapted to modern life, somehow. Considering our studios were founded in the early 20th century and we're now in the 21st, it's a bit of a stretch.
My studio is nearing 106 years old, which is pretty old.
"Cripes, Uni," 20th tells me, giving me a nudge with her elbow. "You're getting that old, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess," I say, blushing a little.
"Don't forget that my studio was founded a week after yours, too," Paramount calls from the other room.
"Right, right," I laugh.
It's nice living together, me and my five friends. Sometimes they fight, and I'm usually the one who has to break them up. It's just that I'm a natural meditator. But despite those hiccups, I'm glad that I have friends like them.
Call it luck that we met. No, call it instinct.
It was just meant to be.
~Fin~