The studio system Flashcards
Which companies made up the big five?
-Paramount
-Warner Bros Pictures
-Fox Searchlight Pictures
-RKO (an RKO Radio Picture)
-MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer)
Which companies made up the little three?
-United Artists (UA)
-Universal
-Columbia
What did the big five and the little three operate as?
-mature oligopoly (limited competition) essentially controlling the entire market
What is meant by the Studio system?
-there is a huge control to the film industry in the 1920s
-they own production, distribution and exhibition (their own cinemas)->they are in complete control over what is going on->vertical integration
-the studio system was set up until 1948
What effect did the studio studio system have on film production?
-issues for independent producers
-issues for audiences
-no place for the smaller producers
What is vertical integration?
-they own production, distribution, exhibition (their own cinemas), consumption ->having full control over what is going on->if a company can do all of this they are vertically integrated companies
What were the issues about vertical integration?
-issues for independent producers
-issues for audiences
-no place for the smaller producers
Why has vertical integration been legalised since 1948?
-in 1948 this was illegal but it is legal now due to the internet (Disney etc)->because they aren’t found guilty of monopolising the industry
What were these companies found guilty of during the Paramount court case?
-formed an oligopoly->took over the entire system and left no room for other people
What year did the studio system come to an end?
1948
What is horizontal integration?
-owning many companies across media platforms
-you can produce a film, market it across the different media platforms you own and then you can exhibit
What isn’t horizontal integration or vertical integration illegal now?
-they own production, distribution, exhibition (their own cinemas), consumption ->having full control over what is going on->if a company can do all of this they are vertically integrated companies
-issues for independent producers
-issues for audiences
-no place for the smaller producers
Who are the major distributors now?
-Universal Pictures
-Sony Pictures
-Warner Bros. Pictures
-20th Century Studios
-Walt Disney Studios
-Lionsgate
-Paramount Pictures
-Comcast
What happened to 20th Century Fox and Rupert Murdoch? Why wasn’t her affected?
20th Century Fox
-owner->Rupert Murdoch->he owns many companies->News of the World was found to be tapping phones->court case->Rupert was untouchable and didn’t get affected because he is horizontally integrated
