Examples Of The American Studio System

In chapter two of The Cultures of American Film, the main focus is the establishment of studios. As demand for films rose in the early 1900’s, production companies needed to expand; this lead to the creation of large scale studios.

Basically, the studio system controls everything from production to showing included the actors. Actors who worked with a studio were under contract with that studio and could only act in that studio's production. These contracts were seven years long and forbids the actors from doing any other projects, like radio or television along with regulating the actor’s lives. The studio actors that were under contract were mostly white; minorities did not get much contracted work. The actors were required to act in whatever film they were cast, do publicity for their films, promote product tie-ins and occasionally even be loaned out to other studios for a film or two. The actors were working six days a week and often for about 14 hours a day. It may have been a hectic schedule but they were putting out 10 to 20 films a year. Studios had everyone under contract from the actors to the directors, from the writers to the technical staff. I think there was an up and down side to the studio system. On the good side, all the employees were under contract and everyone was available when they were needed. Films were getting produced at much faster rate than they are today. I would think there would be less conflict between actors and directors because everyone would have to

By the 1960s the studio system was all but over. Many cinemas were closed down and several of the production back lots sold. Society had changed dramatically particularly with the rise of youth and the youth market, and the old Hollywood product seemed stale to the rising youth audience. Times were changing and the industry had to change with it. The studio system had declined rapidly in the 1950s and by the late 1960s was all but over. The audience had segmented into different social groups with increased leisure options rather than the mass habit audience of the golden age. Many of the films the studios produced to compete with television seemed to many people old fashioned and part of a different world which led to a significant drop in

Thomas Schatz cites the 1950’s as the inevitable end of the Hollywood film studio system, with the signs appearing as early as the height of the second World War (472). However, the seeds of discontent and disintegration within the system were apparent as soon as the late 1930’s, exemplified in such films as Destry Rides Again (1939, George Marshall) and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939, Frank Capra). The production of these two films and the paths down which they led their star (James Stewart), directors (at least Frank Capra), and studios (Universal and Columbia, respectively) are evidence of the decline of the studio system. The

The turn of the 20th century was an important time for the history of cinema. With the implementation of appealing movie stars and extravagant sets, Hollywood had found a new formula for success in the form of blockbuster films. The Birth of a Nation, directed by D.W Griffith, being one of the first feature-length films of its time, was heralded for both its technical advancements and aesthetic appeal. Despite being criticized for its racist legacy, The Birth of a Nation, set what would become the new standard for Hollywood blockbuster films in film production techniques.

During this time the film studios grew in power, new stars and directors were discovered and the eight major studios produced more than 7500 feature films. “These films were released by the studios to audiences eager to be entertained. More than 80 million people attended at least one film per week. This period enjoyed the greatest collection of talent gathered in one place.” (Motion Pictures, The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Chicago, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2001)

Film History: An Introduction. Third ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009.

In the 1920’s, one of the biggest studios in Hollywood was Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. Or as you may know it as, “MGM”, or “the company with the lion at the beginning of movies.” This studio was founded in 1924 and their first film was released in 1925. They have released many popular films that most people have either seen or heard of as well as some not-so popular films that most people didn’t even knew existed. Some you may recognize is Poltergeist, The Hobbit, and even The Wizard of Oz. Today, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer is still one if the biggest and most influential studios in Hollywood. However, the success, figuring everything out, and how the studio became, didn’t happen overnight.

The film Citizen Kane was voted the greatest American film twice by the American Film Institute in 1998 and 2007. It broke new grounds in several areas such as complex sound, deep focus and the narrative structure. This movie showed the director is the plays the most important role not the producers, writers or financial investors. William Randolph Hearst the media baron was one of the individuals that inspired the film. He was offended by the film and tried to destroy it by refusing to publicize the film through his media outlets but his efforts failed.

Outline the main changes the paramount decree effected on the structure of the American film industry and discuss the measures the ex-studios took to remain in control of the film market.

With a wave of patriotism following the war, Canada still had the potential to build its industry, with numerous independent Canadian production companies in operation.4 However, the American film industry was flourishing, with the advantage of a larger urban population and strengthened economy.5 As a result, Canada has been trying to come out with a workable film policy for years to support homegrown films, an effect that can still be sensed today. The National Film Board of Canada was then created, originally as an advisory board to coordinate production, but later shifting towards active production. By 1945, the NFB became one of the world’s largest film studios, with a staff of 800 people and more than 500 films released, shown monthly in Canadian and foreign theatres.6 It was a leading producer of world-class documentaries, animation and experimental films, and its productions have won more than 5,000 international awards. Despite critical success, the NFB “did little to solve the problem posed by the dominance of foreign films”; 7 they brought little commercial success or attention from

Feature films in the United States influence American viewers' attitudes on a wide variety of topics. Americans attitudes toward politics are shaped by films, and specifically the politics of racial interaction. The history of modern feature films begins with Birth of a Nation (1915), a film that misrepresents the Black race by justifying the existence and role of the Ku Klux Klan in American society. From this racist precedent, producers and directors understood that visual messages, however latent, were a useful means of communicating a political message to a large audience. After this epiphany, a myriad of films were made for different political causes. Most films had multiple messages,

During the 1920s, American Film was at the peak of its glory. 1920s Film was the biggest form of entertainment and a weekly pastime for millions of Americans, regardless of race and social background. Silent films continued to improve and innovate the film industry. Hollywood established themselves as an American force and produced hundreds of silent films. Also, Hollywood became the birthplace of “movie stars” such as Janet Gaynor, Rudolph Valentino, and Charlie Chaplin. Movie studios such as Warner Brothers Pictures, RKO, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, and 20th Century Fox owned thousands of theaters and received public acclamation for hundreds of films produced. The 1920’s American film industry is the epitome of the ascension of Hollywood and the innovation era of film.

In the late 1960s, the “New Hollywood” era approached a new style of filming geared towards different generations of people. Leading up to new Hollywood, the 1960s brought devastation to the film industry. With the massive production of televisions along with the migration of millions to suburbs away from the cities, movie theaters lost their popularity very quickly. Fewer films were being made, thus hurting Hollywood in every way possible. However, as the late 1960s approached, the new Hollywood era arose with new ways to attract movie-goers once more.

After World War II, the filmmaking industry experienced a dramatic change. The Paramount decision and the development of the Hollywood Blacklist created a hostile environment and a tumultuous time for the filmmaking industry. Although the effects would rattle the industry to its core, it was instrumental in shaping the filmmaking business into what we know today.