Studio Ekran (Russian: Творческое объединение «Экран», or simply, “творческое «ЭКРАН» объединение, Artistical Joint "Ekran") was a Russian (Soviet Union's until 1991) TV film studio. It was founded in 1968 and produced made-for-TV movies, mini-series and animated cartoons. In 1994, after reorganization of Ostankino TV channel, it was closed.
Alexander Tatarsky's Pilot studio was started from Ekran.[citation needed]
It was established on June 17, 1967[1][2] (before that, the production and ordering of television films for the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company was carried out by the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company itself, represented by the Film Production Department of the Soviet Central Television,[3] created on February 24, 1964). Since 1970, the association began to produce animated television films[4][5] and to act as a representative of the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company when placing orders for the production of television films by film studios and one of their producers: on average, out of 117 feature television films annually, 15 were produced by the association itself and 102 film studios by its order,[6] 40% of films produced in the country were shot by order of the association.[7] For example, at the Georgia-Film film studio, 6 out of 14 full-length feature films shot annually were ordered by the association.[8]
At the same time, part of the television and cinematography activities continued to be carried out by the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Committee itself: it dubbed foreign television films through the Main Editorial Board of Film Programs of the Soviet Central Television, and ordered television films from local television studios through the Department of Television Films of the Main Directorate of Local Radio Broadcasting and Television.
On October 15, 1988, the creative association Ekran was transformed into the creative and production association Soyuztelefilm (TPO Soyuztelefilm), which took over some of the functions of thematic main editorial boards[9] (including the purchase and dubbing[10] of foreign-language television films and television series, ordering the production of television films from local television organizations), which became the main customer and one of the producers of television films for the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Committee.
In the spring of 1992, the association almost completely ceased ordering and producing television films, and its main activity became providing already shot films to various television organizations.[11] On May 7, 1992, it was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ostankino State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, on September 7, 1993, it was removed from its subordination,[12] on May 15, 1997, it received the status of a state unitary enterprise,[13] since 1998 - a subsidiary of VGTRK, in 2006 it was liquidated (on its basis, a branch of the same name was created in the VGTRK structure,[14] on July 28, 2008, VGTRK renounced the rights to the films of TO Ekran / TPO Soyuztelefilm in favor of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Fund, and on September 10, 2008, the branch was liquidated). Creative Association "Ekran" of the Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Ostankino" (1992-1996) On March 13, 1992, the Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Ostankino" (created on the basis of the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company) established a subsidiary organization, the Creative Association "Ekran",[15][16][17] which produced several television films, as well as the telenovela "Petersburg Secrets". The purchase and dubbing of foreign television films and television series, the purchase of domestic and foreign films for the television and radio company was carried out by another subsidiary organization, the Film Program Studio of the Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Ostankino"[1], the purchase and dubbing of foreign children's and youth television films and television series, the purchase of children's and youth films - the Studio of Children's and Youth Programs of the Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Ostankino".
However, some time after the liquidation of the Ostankino State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company on October 12, 1995, the activities of the creative association came to a standstill, and the rights to its films (as well as other films and programs of other subsidiaries of the television and radio company) were transferred to the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Fund on July 17, 1997.[18]