Television's Impact on American Filmmaking

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The invention of television affected filmmaking in America in a couple of ways. The first big effect was the financial side in that watching TV was free and you had to pay to see a movie. Sounds simple and but it’s true. Post World War II nothing sounded better for a person who just work a long day to come home and sit down in front of their own TV. By the time the war ended and going into the 50’s and 60’s TV’s where a common household item. Along with Paramount decision it really hurt the big Hollywood filmmakers. The second is more how TV kind of started to revitalize the film industry and it was started by Walt Disney who made a deal with ABC to produce a Disney TV show that would air weekly. (p.234)
Focusing on Walt Disney for this subject I think is very worthwhile. Walt Disney was a visionary in the switch over from mainstream filmmaking to TV shows. After the Paramount decision and the Hollywood blacklisting he made changes to stay profitable by partnering with ABC to launch his weekly TV specials and his own Disney character theme park. It really made a lot of sense and like most entrepreneurs and good businessmen Walt changed with the time to stay prevalent. (p.234)
Moving into the how the …show more content…

It brought in the younger teenage crowd who were dying to get off the couch with Mom and Dad watching something Disney’s TV special. Not to be to corny but the future lies in the kids. It says something to me that no matter what the era you lived in or grew up in there is something or someone who pushes boundaries and opens your eyes and mind to “controversial” topics that really no more than just broadening your horizons and allowing you to be more open and willing to change. The film industry did the right thing and changed and not long after it made the TV industry change as well and try to keep

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