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AMERICAN FILM. PERSISTANCE OF THE CHC… & SOME ALTERNATIVES. American film seems to be a monolithic entity Seems to follow a fairly rigid pattern However, room for diversity, both within & without the Hollywood industry. DIVERSITY WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.
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AMERICAN FILM PERSISTANCE OF THE CHC… & SOME ALTERNATIVES
American film seems to be a monolithic entity • Seems to follow a fairly rigid pattern • However, room for diversity, both within & without the Hollywood industry
DIVERSITY WITHIN THE INDUSTRY • Studio Era: musical shorts, cartoons, newsreels & short documentary pieces • Different genres, each with its own conventions (but always within CHC style) • There are influences from other film styles • German Expressionism • Italian Neorealism • European Art Cinema
DIVERSITY WITHIN THE INDUSTRY • Combinations of animation & live action, etc. • Occasionally a documentary • Some personalities powerful enough to “go their own way”
OUTSIDE OF THE INDUSTRY • Since silent era, individuals have made more personal films • Most short, avant-garde films • Some documentaries, ethnographic films • A few feature films, but usually too expensive for an individual
PERSISTENCE OF THE MODE • CHC persists, largely unchanged by alternatives • The fact that we refer to “alternative films” indicates that they are not dominant • Most films, made anywhere, follow the basic conventions of the CHC • Narrative structure (individual protagonist, cause & effect construction, goals, etc.) • Stylistic conventions (continuity editing, esp.)
PERSISTENCE OF THE MODE • Even alternatives limit their “deviations” to specific features • They use CHC as a base, then deviate from it in specific, & limited, ways • Ensures that audience can follow the narrative • We all speak the language of Hollywood
WHAT DO WE CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES TODAY? • The term “independents”, in the business sense, applies to all films made today • But we think of independent films based on stylistic features, not mode of production • Some are playful with temporal & spatial relations • Others are more like European Art Cinema, with a sense of ambiguity
WHAT DO WE CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES TODAY? • Some explore the limits of technology & aesthetics • A look has been accepted as “good” for Hollywood films • Fairly soft, warm lighting • A clear image • Fine-grained film stock • “Professional” acting, good-looking stars in sympathetic roles
WHAT DO WE CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES TODAY? • Some films challenge accepted aesthetic qualities • May use natural lighting, regardless of resulting clarity of image • May use non-professional actors, or not especially good looking • May use cheaper alternatives to expensive film stock & cameras (digital video)
The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez, 1999)
HOW DO ALTERNATIVES FIT IN THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM? • MARKETING • “Independent” or alternative films share a number of conventions that signal “art” to some viewers, who then seek out movies with these conventions • Tend to receive awards at film festivals & approval of critics, both used in marketing • Add diversity of product to a studio’s offerings
HOW DO ALTERNATIVES FIT IN THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM? • Have taken over some of the role of B movies • Many actors, directors & technicians begin on these low-budget movies before moving into mainstream • Some never do, as a matter of choice • Some prefer the relative freedom offered by smaller budgets • Some simply prefer these kinds of films
HOW DO ALTERNATIVES FIT IN THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM? • Some well-known actors (& sometimes directors) make these movies later in their careers • May be trying to prove that they are real “actors” • May be trying to “jump start” their careers during a slump
John Cusack & Cameron Diaz in Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze, 1999)
HOW DO ALTERNATIVES FIT IN THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM? • New technologies, especially video & digital technology, can be explored • Doesn’t jeopardize success of expensive movies • Technologies then used in more expensive movies • Technologies are often used as aesthetic features, usually with narrative implications
HOW DO ALTERNATIVES FIT IN THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM? • Because they are almost always distributed by majors, will almost never deviate too much from CHC style • The most obviously different films tend to be made without studio financing • Studios would demand changes before investing &/or agreeing to distribution • May agree after film is made & has had some exposure; a “negative pick-up”
HOW DO ALTERNATIVES FIT IN THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM? • Most films don’t offer extreme alternatives • They are just kind of “quirky” • Allow viewers to think of themselves as artsy & clever, without having to think too much or get too confused