Hollywood Film Industry
The Hollywood film industry is the most recognised industry
in the world. Since the early 1900’s to the present day there has been a
constant interest in Hollywood film, not just as a novelty or a form of art but
as a genuine source of large-scale income for America.
From the early 1900’s to 1920 the large amount of production
was attributed to the porn industry. In tents and backrooms, a darker side of
motion picture was at the forefront early on. Richard Abel suggests that [1]‘This
period in terms of infancy or immaturity; it was primitive cinema’ meaning that
it was the first attempts of making cinema. Abel expands on that point by
saying [2]‘Early
cinema was merely the workshop in which classical conventions of editing,
framing and narrative were gradually crafted’ highlighting the importance of
the early cinema in crafting areas for improvement that would shape the outlook
for the future.
Early cinema was only available to the more decadent areas
of society as theatre houses (opening post 1910) were expensive and seen as an upper-class
form of entertainment. All forms of film from 1920 - 1950 were owned by production
companies. Vertical integration of the film industry led by the ‘Big 5’ and the
‘Little 3’ (Classical
Hollywood System). The system worked with the ‘Big 5’ producing the
films at their studios in Hollywood and then using the ‘Little 3’ as
distributors sending out their work for the mainstream audience.
It’s only until 1948 where the paramount decree
removed the Classical Hollywood system and the industry transformed. The
introduction of TV whereby people had entertainment from the comfort of their
own homes had a vast impact, however the genuine landscape of Hollywood was
changing. Moving into the 1970’s the promotion was considered just as important
as the actual production. Alien
(1979) had a marketing budget of $15 million and the MPAA (Motion Picture
Association of America) suggests that in 2007 the average promotion budget for
a film was $36 million. How is a film in contemporary Hollywood is promoted?
Melvin Van Peebles’ The
Watermelon Man (1970) is a comedy/drama highlighting the journey of a
racist white man who one day wakes up as a black man. The film was successful
in shedding light on the disparities and challenges that blacks faced compared
to equally qualified whites. Comedy with a message.
Video Link shows
director Melvin Van Peebles on the challenges he faced in making the film, Columbia
pictures a force of antagonism.
The HIV/AIDS crisis hit the US by storm causing widespread
fear throughout the gay community and eventually the wider demographic. Early on,
the virus was played down by the mainstream media as something only gay people
could acquire. This created ignorance until ‘normal’ people not in the risk
groups of HIV/AIDS were contracting the virus creating a pandemic.
Hollywood used the topic for two reasons. Firstly, to remove
stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. They did this effectively in the case of Philadelphia (1993) using Tom Hanks, a well-regarded
actor to portray a gay AIDS victim. This normalised HIV/AIDS, giving people the
idea that if Tom Hanks could get it anyone could! Thus, providing more support
towards the fight for a cure and a more rational outlook on the disease.
The second reason is financial. Some suggest that the makers
of Philadelphia utilised the
sensitive subject as a way of reeling in high viewing numbers and therefore
high investment return. The box office statistics
prove that feat.
Hollywood has always
been able to create social change and in cases like Philadelphia, And the Band Played on but with the risk-free high
revenue that comes with these films, it’s no surprise that film-makers continue
to produce films in this manner.
[1]
Abel, R. The Cinema Book: Third Edition (Bloomsbury,
2007)
[2] Abel,
R. The Cinema Book: Third Edition (Bloomsbury,
2007)
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