The Studio System
Key point about the studio system could be:
Despite being one of the biggest industries in the United States,
indeed the World, the internal workings of the 'dream factory' that is
Hollywood is little understood outside the business.
The Hollywood Studio System: A History is the first book to describe
and analyse the complete development, classic operation, and
reinvention of the global corporate entities which produce and
distribute most of the films we watch.
Starting in 1920, Adolph Zukor, head of Paramount Pictures, over the
decade of the 1920s helped to fashion Hollywood into a vertically
integrated system, a set of economic innovations which was firmly in
place by 1930. For the next three decades, the movie industry in the
United States and the rest of the world operated by according to these
principles.
Cultural, social and economic changes ensured the demise of this
system after the Second World War. A new way to run Hollywood was
required. Beginning in 1962, Lew Wasserman of Universal Studios
emerged as the key innovator in creating a second studio system. He
realized that creating a global media conglomerate was more important
than simply being vertically integrated.
Gomery's history tells the story of a 'tale of two systems 'using
primary materials from a score of archives across the United States as
well as a close reading of both the business and trade press of the
time. Together with a range of photographs never before published the
book also features over 150 box features illuminating aspect of the
business .
During the 1920s, and 1930s the Hollywood film studios undertook a
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... (1936).
In the late 30s, two beloved films, The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Gone
with the Wind (1939), were expensively produced with Technicolor -
what would the Wizard of Oz (with ruby slippers and a yellow brick
road) be without color? And the trend would continue into the next
decade in classic MGM musicals such as Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and
Easter Parade (1948). Special-effects processes were advanced by the
late 1930s, making it possible for many more films to be shot on sets
rather than on-location (e.g., The Hurricane (1937) and Captains
Courageous (1937).) In 1937, the Disney-produced Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs (1937) was the first feature-length animated film - a
milestone. The colorful Grimm fairy tale was premiered by Walt Disney
Studios - becoming fast known for pioneering sophisticated animation.
In Hollywood political conflict was also paving the way for what would later occur in Hollywood as the HUAC would attack the industry. Big business controlled the lucrative industry and the companies that controlled the market were eight major studios in Hollywood. The Metro-Goldw...
Similar to businesses standardizing in making and advertising consumers goods, the practice of mass-producing culture standardized and sped up in the 1920s. Radio became a national obsession. What started out as only a few independent stations soon evolved into huge networks and sponsored programming became popular. Movies during this time became accepted by all social classes with the expansion from rowdy nickelodeons to uptown theaters. With audiences nearing 80 million people a week, the corporate giants Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Brothers, and Columbia made the ...
The roaring twenties would be nothing without the roar of the MGM Lion. “If Hollywood had no other studio than Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the town still would have been the movie capital of the world” (Fricke para 1). MGM enchanted audiences with its high-budgeted films and glamorous list of stars (Hanson para 1). Three failing movie companies came together in 1924 in hopes to make it big in the motion picture industry, and it did (Fricke para 3). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer created spectacles of movies after its merging which made MGM one of the most prosperous motion picture companies in the 1920’s (Hanson para 2).
The Wizard of Oz is the 1939 film musical released by the studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that became a cultural icon defining family entertainment for decades after its initial release. Though it did not turn a profit until 1956 when it aired on television, it has been considered a wide success, spawning several re-releases and sequels. The Wizard of Oz set the precedent for visual effects, innovations Hollywood still utilizes today in an age of computer generated images. The film has stood the test of time with its special effects, paving the way for the future of movie magic.
... middle of paper ... ... Larry Ceplair and Englund stated in the book The Inquisition in Hollywood, “The destruction of the motion picture Left not only transformed the political atmosphere in Hollywood, but also adversely affected the kind of product which the studios turned out. “ In the early 20th century Hollywood reframed from producing politically controversial films in fear of becoming a target of McCarthy or the HUAC.
Largely influenced by the French New Wave and other international film movements, many American filmmakers in the late 1960s to 1970s sought to revolutionize Hollywood cinema in a similar way. The New Hollywood movement, also referred to as the “American New Wave” and the “Hollywood Renaissance,” defied traditional Hollywood standards and practices in countless ways, creating a more innovative and artistic style of filmmaking. Due to the advent and popularity of television, significant decrease in movie theater attendance, rising production costs, and changing tastes of American audiences, particularly in the younger generation, Hollywood studios were in a state of financial disaster. Many studios thus hired a host of young filmmakers to revitalize the business, and let them experiment and have almost complete creative control over their films. In addition, the abandonment of the restrictive Motion Picture Production Code in 1967 and the subsequent adoption of the MPAA’s rating system in 1968 opened the door to an era of increased artistic freedom and expression.
Walt Disney needed to change his version and many of his other fairy tales and in doing so started a change in the way we see fairy tales. Ask someone today to define a fairy tale and they will tell you along the lines of a beautiful woman put threw hardships that in the end of the story gets the man and becomes a queen of her own castle.
Wladyslaw Szpilman played his piano on September 23, 1939, the day Nazi Germany invaded Poland. The Second World War is a horrible chapter in world history that determined the survival of many Polish citizens. Wladyslaw Szpilman was able to live his life both before and after the German invasion with music.
A new edition to the course lineup, this week's film classic, Sunset Boulevard. This film will focus on the culture and environment of the Hollywood studio system that produces the kind of motion pictures that the whole world recognizes as "Hollywood movies." There have been many movies from the silent era to the present that either glamorize or vilify the culture of Hollywood, typically focusing on the celebrities (both in front of and behind the camera) who populate the "dream factories" of Hollywood. But we cannot completely understand the culture of Hollywood unless we recognize that motion pictures are big business as well as entertainment, and that Hollywood necessarily includes both creative and commercial
The Second World War brought forth not only physical destruction to Germany, but also cultural destruction, particularly in its film industry. The film industry of West Germany, in particular, went under the inevitable control of the United States (US). American films became popular among the West German public, while prominent West German directors and actors chose to leave West Germany to pursue their careers in Hollywood, with many of them becoming highly successful. Yet, it did not take long for West Germany to become self-reliant in terms of reinvigorating its domestic film talents amidst the continued dominance of American films. The economic recovery, West Germany experienced in the mid-1950s, enabled its film industry to produce more domestic film outputs as it continuously featured American films, which enjoyed great commercial success during the period. The domineering control of the US over the distribution of American films in West Germany prompted the West German government to render support to domestic filmmakers – a move supported by the growing economy of the nation that time. Although West German films did not fare well commercially in the domestic market due to the continued dominance of American films in West Germany, international success did follow through the international acclaim of domestic filmmakers, many of them having gained working experience in Hollywood. The emergence of New German Cinema in 1962, through the Oberhausen Manifesto, was characterized by support coming from the West German government, the economic resurgence of the nation and the shift from nonpolitical and positive themes that somewhat denies the sordid political mishaps of Germany prior and during t...
In this essay I will look at the Film Company and distributor Universal Studios, also known as Universal Pictures. I will analyse the logo, branding, and marketing within the corporate company. Overview of Universal Studios. With a long history in the film making industry, Universal Studios is the largest film studio in the world, with 9000 employee’s. The company produced ‘ET: The Extra Terrestrial’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ which are two of the highest grossing movies of all time.
Midnight is approaching. All of the forty hour week days and nights will soon pay off. But you can’t help to think that maybe, that one chord wasn’t right. You analyzed it, created new notes but you are beginning to feel differently. Even if you made the wrong choice, at least you won’t be the one to take the fall. Well, not publically. All of your hard work is given to the artist, but at the same time, they should receive the recognition instead of you. Seeing as a great deal had been their ideas. The anxiety was eating away at you even though you know their fanbase is a vigorous group. Maybe, just maybe this is your greatest record yet.
Throughout the years, film production has become an art. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s there was no way to digitally enhance film or create the special effects that we see in film today. Producers used simple techniques, such as scale, multiple exposure, time-lapse photography, and hand painted color schemes. In 1968, the induced illusion of 3-D filming was introduced through the use of front projection and static transparency (http://www.cinemateca.org/film/
As soon as the beats of our favourite songs or musics pierces our ears, feet tap as fingers mingle. Music is what fascinates one and all, but is anyone bothered about who in which are behind this fascination and happiness? Is it the musician, singer or the album producer? Yes, they all have their part to play but it is the audio engineers who help even singers or musicians in the 21st century to realise their dream. These audio engineers are people that have brought about the dramatic changes to the face of music.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a great and ingenious musician. He was ahead of his time with his complex structure and rhythms that has influenced music to evolve and change rapidly. Mozart’s work has emerged and allowed us to explore and develop new chord structure, rhythms and timing, and even allowed us to create our own melodies without being afraid of being seen as “different” from other artists. Before Mozart, Music had structure. Not that having structure is bad, but it was all repetitive, and you could expect the same general sound from different artists. The same instruments. The same sound. Infact it was during the Baroque Era that everyone expected music to be no more or less than just structure. Sure, chords and melodies seemed different but it was all too blended; and if anything it lacked the true texture that Mozart gave off in his music. He changed music so much, that it sounded too complex for everyone else's ears, and that’s what bothered some people. They all thought it was just too much. Mozart added different instruments to his orchestra to keep ...