Along with John Lesher's prolific Paramount Vantage specialty shingle, which has eight films scheduled for release, the new Melrose Avenue regime is moving forward decisively with an emphasis on smaller projects rather than big-budget pictures. Under a directive that Viacom president and CEO Tom Freston gave Paramount chairman Brad Grey to rebuild the studio's cultural DNA, Berman and her team began by throwing out much of the studio's development. Paramount's acquisition of DreamWorks also has added eight DreamWorks live-action and two DreamWorks Animation pictures to Paramount's annual lineup, which "takes some of the pressure off of putting out a big slate," she said.

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