- March 27, 2013
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Term paper writing
1. Judging from the readings, my blog post, and your own personal knowledge, do you think the Hollywood Studio System is still vertically integrated (does it control production, distribution, and exhibition?)? Hint: You can argue both ways! It’s not a trick question
It is known that there have been great changes in the organization of the Hollywood movie production, distribution and exhibition over the last 50 years. Everybody knows that the golden age of the Hollywood Studio System can be related to the period of 1920-1950s. At that time the organization of the movie production was completely controlled by five studios. These studios not only produced and distributed but also exhibited their movies. Due to the fact that many studios lost their audience owing to the growth of TV-viewers who preferred to stay at home and watch movies on TV, there were serious changes in the organization of Hollywood Studio System. The other reason of the fact that the Hollywood Studio system is not vertically integrated today is that the audience of Hollywood changed its priorities. The major studios had no control over the movie production today, and the movies are credited to the director but not to the studio. Many studios were bought by the companies which created huge multimedia conglomerates such as Sony and others.
2. Geoff King’s book notes that U.S. film attendance dropped from 90 million in 1946 to 27 million in 2000. What does King propose the cause is? To put it into context, how many times do you go to the movies vs. rent or buy a DVD a month?
It is true that the US film attendance dropped and the major cause of this fact is the numerous improvements in technology which led to finding other ways of entertainment. For example, DVD, satellite TV, which gave the opportunity to watch movies many times. As for me, I go to the movies 2-3 times a month while I rent or buy a DVD 5-6 times a month. So, I prefer to watch those movies I like several times that is why I use modern technologies such as DVD player, laptop. Nevertheless, I am sure that people will always go to the movies because it is a traditional way of entertainment. Geoff King could prove the fact that “film itself is not simply incoherent and dispersible series of fragments”. It is “a reliable engine” which drives the corporate machine. It will always provide benefit.