In the late 1970s Robert Draney and Jack Peterson founded the Independent Information Services Corporation, or IIS. From a cramped office on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, California, their pioneer team of five (including two who remain as current Entertainment Partners employees) introduced the first time-share accounting and payroll system to the industry, Screen Production Management System (SPMS), in 1978.
The early 1980s found IIS designing, manufacturing, and distributing the MINI, the first portable integrated hardware/software system (which in retrospect was actually quite large). IIS also developed the "Cost Report," which became an industry standard. Following this, IIS entered the employer payroll services business and changed its name to Draney Information Services Corporation, aka DISC. A DISC office opened in New York, and the company designed, developed, and delivered its first residual system, integrated fully with the DISC Corporate Production System. By the mid-1980s, the Micro-DISC Accounting System, PC-based and single-user, was introduced.
In the late 1980s, DISC purchased Richmar Casting, which provided background actors to the entertainment industry, and opened an office in Orlando, Florida. In 1990 the Vista accounting system was introduced and soon became another industry standard – the first multi-tasking, multi-user system for the Windows® environment. By the 1990s, DISC entered into a joint venture with IDC and was renamed "Entertainment Partners," brought the legendary Central Casting into the EP family, and moved to its new state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in Burbank, California.
At the turn of the 21st century, Entertainment Partners purchased the Movie Magic product lines, bringing Budgeting, Scheduling, and Virtual Production Office into the suite of product offerings. Markham L. Goldstein was appointed as Chief Operating Officer in 2002 and as Chief Executive Officer in 2003. On Valentine's Day, 2004, the employees of Entertainment Partners purchased 100 percent of the company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
Central Casting expanded to New York in 2006, and Entertainment Partners launched a Production Incentives division, subsequently opening offices in various other states to serve its expanding production markets. In 2008, the assets of Axium International were acquired and a number of former employees joined the fold. In 2009, the company was honored with The ESOP Association's California/Western States Chapter 2010 ESOP Company of the Year award. The Movie Magic brand re-launched with new releases of Movie Magic Budgeting and Movie Magic Scheduling. Partnership with University of Southern California funded the Entertainment Partners Production Management Lab, housed in the school’s new 137,000 square-foot Cinematic Arts Complex. EP launched their own YouTube channel, called Broadcast EP, which provides training and informational videos on software and accounting systems.
Mark Prior joined EP in 2010 as the Chief Operating Officer. EP won The ESOP Association's Employee Ownership Month Poster contest and Annual Award for Communications Excellence (AACE) in the Total Communications Program category. Trustee Colin M. Henderson received the Membership Recruitment Award for a Professional Member from The ESOP Association.
In 2011, the Emergent business was launched to help companies that work with contingent labor maximize profit, while reducing the cost and risk involved in utilizing this workforce. EP also released MMS To Go, a companion iPad® app to the desktop version of Movie Magic Scheduling. At the 2011 California/Western States Chapter ESOP Conference, EP won the "Most Effective ESOP Committee" award.
Today, the employee owners of Entertainment Partners number more than 700, with offices in Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.