Movie Industry Flashcards
What is the history of movies?
Hollywood as the defacto movie capital? 3 ideas
- Patent fights.
- Production
- Competition e.g. Bollywood, Bollywood
Chinese film industry
- Hong Kong: filmmaking capital for Chinese-speaking world
- No 1
3 China will lead the world in terms of no of screen sin 2025
4 key dates in the history of film
- 1902: Edwin Porter produced 2 films: Life of an American Fireman, The Great Train Robbery
Porter’s achievement: told a story
montage entered the vocab: process or technque of
- 1905: Nickelodeon Movement
Named after nickel admission price to see a movie
1908: 3000 theatres
1910: 10,000 theatres
cinema = nickelodeon
- 1915: D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation
- racist movie, talks about rise of KKK rising to redeem the South
Significance:
1. Most influential silent picture every produced
2. Racist story
3 Achievements :
- night shooting with lights
- alternated panorama shots with close up
- Full length: 9 reels about 1.5 hours
Impact:
1. Movies began to move into big buildings with names like paramount rialto Orpheum etc
2. Held 3000-4000 people
3. Palaces- handscome structures with elaborate designs, contrast to 1970s
1925: 20,000 movie houses
- First sound picture to ever be made:
The Jazz Singer by Warner Bros
3 developments of sound
- Led to new forms of cinema (musicals and documentaries) Prior: most were comedies, western, comedies of manner
- Change in movie stars: from Charlie Chaplin to Katherine Hepburn (sounded and looked impressive)
- Led to a different financial structure
Needed more money for sound movies
Eastern banking interests got involved in Hollywood e.g. Joseph Kennedy
Impact of history of movies?
Part of expansion, represent a time of hope, optimism and even domination
Cinema: most dominant artistic form ever created
Who created Hollywood?
Jews and gay community
What was hollywood based on?
An idea:
high culture + low/popular culture = mid culture/American dream
American dream: love is more important than money
Hard work is what really counts
Getting along with other people
No racial/ethic barriers to success
New challenges for film industry after WW2?
- Television
- Internet
- Are streamers competitors or are they allies?
Netflix case study?
Netflix CEO had a deal with Blockbuster, sold DVDs to people
Modern film industry: divided into 3 parts
- Production
- Distribution
- Exhibition
Aspects of production?
- Creative aspects
- Scripting, camera work, editing
- In 1950, 90% of films shit in studio, 40% of budget appropriated for studio ovehrhead
- 70% movies shot on location in 2024
- Independents account for 80% of movies made (not studio) Game changer: Animal House- budget 2.5 mil, box office 78 mil
Aspects of distribution?
- Supplying films to a market
- 50% of all revenue from American films com from abroad
- Local theatre owner has 2 bids: flat fee, percentage of gross, keeps 100% of concessions
Aspects of exhibition?
In 2024, more screens than drive-ins
- 60% of repeat audience is between 12 and 25
2.70% of movie houses are in multi-complex structures, counting screen may be misleading - Alternatives
Impact of streaming?
Netflix case:
Read Hastings: ahead, not behind the 8 ball
Hollywood Halo
- Will Hollywood continue to lead the worldwide film industry?
- Were the stories of Hollywood representative of a particular set of beliefs?
- Halo years?
How is hollywood fighting back?
- Wide screens
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What is the picture for 2034?
Good example of medium changed by internet, but mostly in exhibition and distribution aspects
Production continues in full force
Will Hollywood continue its dominant role?
Local subsidies- controversial in Massachusetts
