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History of motion pictures. Movies today shaped by a history and culture emphasizing profits, avoiding controversy. Early moving pictures. Phase 1 : movement Lumiere Brothers, Edison Phase 2 : story telling, art One Reelers D.W. Griffith Adventures of Dolly Lonedale Operator.
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History of motion pictures Movies today shaped by a history and culture emphasizing profits, avoiding controversy
Early moving pictures • Phase 1: movement Lumiere Brothers, Edison • Phase 2: story telling, art • One Reelers • D.W. Griffith Adventures of Dolly Lonedale Operator
Rise of Hollywood • Impatience within industry • Desire to innovate • Move to western U.S. • Rural LA: sunshine plentiful, little rain, many barns
Birth of a Nation, 1915 • D.W. Griffith’s pioneering feature film • From Dixon’s The Clansman • Cost: $100K; revenues $18m • 3+ hours • Technical quality high • Highly racist – reactions • Movies = middle class medium
Rise of the star system • Economics of star system • Chaplin, Pickford, Arbuckle • Creating stars: Theda Bara • Rudolph Valentino
Movie industry structure • Concentration of ownership • Edison, Motion Picture Trust • Zukor: Vertical Integration – production, distribution, exhibition • Coming of Sound: Big 6 production, distribution, exhibition
Caution, self censorship • Fearful of govt. regulation • Extensive self censorship Hays Office– 1920s • Motion Picture Code, 1934 • Legion of Decency, 1930s-60s • Least Offensive Programming • Lowest Common Denominator
Business Practices • Golden age of the movies, 1928-48 • Formula • Block booking • Blind selling
Post World War 2 1. Attendance plummets due to • TV, suburbs • Movie costs soar • Paramount decree, 1948 2. Efforts to revive industry • Innovation • Blockbusters • Formulas
Hollywood revival • Switch to TV production • Selling old films to TV • Home video