the movie industry Flashcards
star system
an operation designed to find and cultivate actors under long-term contracts, with the intention of developing those actors into famous ‘stars’ who would enhance the profitability of the studio’s films
A Films
expensively made productions featuring glamorous, highly-paid stars
B Films
lower-budget films that are made quickly
theatrical films
films created to be shown first in traditional movie theaters
box office receipts
the sum of money taken in for admission at movie theaters around the country
blockbusters
films that bring in more than $200 million in the U.S. Box Office
What does the term “the majors” refer to?
the five most powerful companies in Hollywood b/c of distribution power
Who are “the majors”?
- Disney/20th Century Fox
- Universal Studios
- Paramount Studios
- Warner Brothers Studios
- Columbia Pictures
Who owns Disney/20th Century Fox?
Disney Company
Who owns Universal Studios?
NBCUniversal/Comcast
Who owns Paramount Studios?
Paramount Global
Who owns Warner Brothers Studios
used to be AT&T, but now Warner Bros. Discovery
Who owns Columbia Pictures?
Sony
film production firms
companies involved in coming up with story ideas, finding scriptwriters, hiring the personnel needed to make the movie, and making sure the work is carried out on time and on budget
film distribution firms
companies responsible for finding theaters or other outlets in which to show the movies around the world and for promoting the films to the public
independent producers
productions firms that are NOT owned by a distributor
scriptwriters
individuals who create plays for the movies, with scenes and dialogue
talent agents
individuals who represent various creative personnel and aim to link them with production firms in exchange for a percentage of the creators’ revenue from the finished product
pitch
the initial presentation of the movie idea to a producer
treatment
detailed outline of an initial pitch to executives of a production or distribution firm; if the executive approve of it, they will probably order a script to be written
on spec
writing a script for a film w/o a contract to do so, w/ the hope that when the script is passed along to various production firms by the scriptwriter’s agent, it will be bid for and purchased
green light
term used to describe production and distribution executives’ approval of the making of a particular film
How do movie theaters make their money?
they make money from selling concessions, NOT from the movies themselves
Why do we have to define films as theatrical films?
whether or not a film is a theatrical film is dependent on its ability to be displayed at a festival or considered for certain awards
What are “rentals”?
the term used to refer to the “net” share of the gross box office that the distributors collect; the distributor’s share of the B.O.
Who pays for the marketing of a movie?
the movie studio
When Hollywood refers to film/B.O. in “domestic” terms, what does that mean?
it means in the United States and Canada
What is “getting an option” mean in the movie industry?
it means the production firm has gotten the rights they need to make a movie
guilds
unions established by writers, directors, actors, and other crew members to protect their mutual interests and maintain standards
Difference b/w guilds and unions?
union members are employees; guild members are freelancers
What are examples of guilds in the movie industry?
WGA, DGA, SGA-AFTRA
What are the 2 modes of talent compensation?
- up-front salary
- back-end
genre films
movies that fit classic storytelling formulas and are typically relatively inexpensive to make
distribution rights
the rights to circulate a particular movie in different parts of the world
line producer
the individual who makes sure the equipment and personnel are there when they are needed
completion bond companies
insurance companies that, for a large fee, pay any costs that exceed an agreed-upon amount for a film
release date
date on which a film will open in theaters
day-and-date release
a simultaneous release date for a movie in different countries
block booking
when movie distributors force exhibitors to book blocks, or packages, of their films
What does U.S. law state about block booking?
US v. Paramount made block booking illegal
wide release
the opening of a film in more than 600 theaters simultaneously, usually accompanied by a large publicity campaign to entice people to see the film
saturation release
the initial release of a film in more than 2,000 theaters simultaneously
limited release
the release of a film to only a handful of carefully selected theaters around the country
What is the most common release pattern in the U.S.?
wide release
title testing
conducting interviews with filmgoers in shopping malls and other public places to determine the most alluring name for an upcoming picture
previewing
a type of concept testing that takes place after a film is completed but before it is formally released
rough cut
a preliminary version of a movie - not to be confused with “dailies” that executives and creatives receive daily during filming, consisting of raw footage
publicity
the process of creating and maintaining favorable ‘buzz’ about a movie among its target audiences
word of mouth
the discussions that people who see the movie have with their friends in person and on social media sites
tracking studies
research on the public’s awareness of and interest in a film, beginning two weeks before the film’s release and continuing thru the film’s first month of release
negative cost
the total cost of making and editing the movie
P&A
prints and advertising; cost of marketing and delivering a film to theaters
bookers
people who license movies from distributors to theaters
