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The Studio System AND The Golden Age of Hollywood. Part One: The Studio System. What was it?. Basics of the Studio System. Essentially, the Hollywood Studio System was a way to mass produce movies Each studio was a massive lot that took up acres and acres of land
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Part One: The Studio System What was it?
Basics of the Studio System • Essentially, the Hollywood Studio System was a way to mass produce movies • Each studio was a massive lot that took up acres and acres of land • Studios were complete with several different sets (Western town, New York Avenue, European Village, horror castle, etc) • Also included in studios were any prop, costume, or piece of equipment one could ever need to make a movie
Why Studios? • As film grew more and more popular throughout the 1920’s, Americans demanded more quality films quicker • The studio system was the answer—a way to mass produce movies in one area • Eventually, five major studios emerged
MGM This is a New York City street set from the 1920’s
Behind the scenes jobs: • Special Effects department • Find ways to bring the impossible to life—King Kong, Oz, Frankenstein, etc • Director • Responsible for guiding the acting • Producer • Brought all the pieces together • Costume designer • Seamstress • Hair Designer • Set Designer • Music director • Technical Crew: • Cinematographer (lighting) • The Grip(Arranged the Set)
The “Dictator” • Oversaw the studio; had a final say on all decisions • To the Right: Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM • With the continued success of the film industry, dictators became very, VERY wealthy (and ruthful)
Part Two: The Golden Age of Hollywood The life of a Studio System Actor
Actors on the Lot • Actors were contracted to a studio and expected to make a certain number of films in a given time. • Actors did not agree to how many hours they would work, and were at the mercy of the studio • Ralph Bellamy was contracted to appear in thirteen feature films in one year; rebelled when he was asked to work straight through without a single days rest between films
Demands of the Studio • Actors had not formed Unions yet, so the studio held a lot of power • 1927 Actors Equity Association tried to organize • Mayer, against unionization of actors, formed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences • The Academy would be responsible for mediating any conflicts between actors and studios • The idea never fully came to fruition; however, an awards show did come out of this • 1933 Screen Actor’s Guild formed; has represented the stars since. (unions vs. guilds)
Effect on the Actors • Despite the harsh studio demands, many actors and actresses became household names • Stars were read about in fan magazines • During making of films, wore makeup to cover up any imperfections • Movie stars represented escape for Americans, and offered different types of escape throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood. . .
1920’s • Rudolph Valentino • Seen as the exotic hero for women • The Shiek • Represented the unreachable, romanticized ideal from a faraway land
1930’s • Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Cary Grant • All “Good Guys” who could be depended on to be brave and noble • Handsome and manly
1940’s • More sophisticated, tougher hero • Someone who became more cynical and less idealistic • Humphrey Bogart • Burt Lancaster
Women Stars of the Era Judy Garland Ingrid Berman
Other Famous Actors Gene Kelly Most Famous Role: Singin’ in the Rain James Stewart Most Famous Role: It’s a Wonderful Life
Conclusions about the system • Studio System, through mass producing movies, did several things: • Delivered volume of films to American people • Created the Golden Age of Hollywood • Turned actors and actresses into stars • Made a ton of money in the process
Film vs.Video • As noted: • Film stock is the imaging device for motion picture film • CCD or CMOS is the imaging device for video
Major Movie Studios • Paramount (including MTV Films, etc. -- Viacom / CBS ) • One of the oldest, largest and most well known movie production and distribution companies. Only studio IN Hollywood. • Founded in 1912 by Hungarian-born Adolph Zukor. • Currently owned by Viacom Inc. • Paramount held the record for highest grossing film at the box office (unadjusted)--Titanic 1997 grossed $1,842,879,955 at the world wide box office, with a domestic total gross of $600,788,188.
Major Movie Studios • Warner Bros. -- Burbank, CA • One of world's largest and most successful film producing and distributing companies. • Originally founded in 1918 by four brothers, who were immigrants from Poland. • The third oldest of Hollywood studios, and is one of the original pioneers in the film industry.
Major Movie Studios • Sony Pictures • 1987, Columbia Pictures Entertainment (Columbia and Tri-Star Studios) • Walt Disney (Buena Vista Distribution) • Founded in 1923 by Roy & Walt Disney • 20th Century Fox • Owned by News Corporation • Universal • NBC Universal. Now owned by Comcast. Founded in Los Angeles in June, 1912 by a German Jewish immigrant: Carl Laemmle
Other Movie Studios • Dreamworks SKG (Spielberg) • New Line Cinema • Founded in 1967. In 1996 it became a subsidiary of Time Warner. In 2008, ceased independent operations as a movie studio / absorbed into Warner Brothers. • Miramax • founded by Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein in 1979; bought by Disney in 1993, sold in 2010. • Lionsgate
5 stages of moviemaking • Filmmaking vs. moviemaking • Development • Pre-production • Production • Post-Production • Distribution and exhibition
Development • Who can pitch, to whom do you pitch, optioning a script / step deal • The script is written and drafted into a workable blueprint for a film • Decisions made about stars (‘packaging’) and initial casting, location, budgets • Who is calling the shots?
Development steps... • Producer finds a story (from...) • After identifying a theme or underlying message, the producer works with writers to prepare a synopsis • They produce a step outline, (or scene outline) breaking the story down into one-paragraph scenes that concentrate on dramatic structure • Then, they prepare a treatment, a 25 to 30 page description of the story, its mood, and characters • ‘Notes’ along the way
Development • Next, a screenwriter writes a screenplay over a period of several months. • The screenwriter may rewrite it several times to improve dramatization, clarity, structure, characters, dialogue, and overall style. Other writers may be brought in. • BUT, Producers often skip the previous steps and develop submitted screenplays -- which investors, studios, and other interested parties assess through a process called script coverage.
Development... • A film distributor may be contacted -- assess the likely market and potential financial success of the film. • Hollywood distributors consider: • the film genre, the target audience, • the historical success of similar films • actors who might appear, potential directors. • All these factors imply a certain appeal of the film to a possible audience and hence the number of "A.I.S." during the theatrical release.
Development... • Not all films make a profit from theatrical release -- DVD sales and worldwide... • Producer & screenwriter prepare a pitch and present it to potential financiers. If the pitch is successful, the film (or TV show) receives a "green light” • May be ‘optioned’ • The parties negotiate a deal and sign contracts. Once the deal is set, the film may proceed into the pre-production period. • By this stage, the film should have a clearly defined marketing strategy and target audience.
Pre-production • Preparations are made for the shoot • Cast and crew are hired • UPM -- script breakdown • Locations are selected • Sets are built • Equipment secured / leased • Script re-writes and staff
Pre-production • The production company is created and a production office established. • The production is storyboarded and visualized with the help of illustrators and concept artists. • A production budget is drawn up to plan expenditures for the film.
Production • Actual shooting of the raw elements • Crew members sharing the ‘Director’s Vision’ • Call sheets etc • Studio stages, Locations, department heads, 2nd units
Post-Production • Transfer to digital, then editing • Dialogue editing / including ADR • Music tracks (and songs) composed, performed, recorded • Scenes are scored • Sound effects are designed and recorded • Computer-graphic 'visual' effects are digitally added, • All sound elements are mixed into "stems," then the stems are mixed, then married to picture • The film is fully completed ("locked")
Once Locked... • The film is passed into the hands of the postproduction supervising sound editor to layer the sound track. • Voice recordings are synchronized • The final sound mix is created by the re-recording mixer. • The sound mix combines dialogue, sound effects, ADR, walla, Foleys and music.
Sales and distribution • The film is screened for potential buyers (distributors) • It is picked up by a distributor and reaches its cinema and/or home media audience. • Promotion and marketing -- advertising, actor appearances, etc. $$$ • ‘Straight to DVD’ ?
Major Positions • Above the line -- $$ • Residuals / owners • Producer, Director, Writer, Actors • Producer • Hires a crew • The nature of the film and the budget, determine the size and type of crew used during filmmaking • Many Hollywood blockbusters employ a cast and crew of hundreds • A low-budget, independent film may be made by a skeleton crew of eight or nine (or fewer).
Director • Primarily responsible for the storytelling, creative decisions and acting of the film. • Established versus emerging directors • Film school graduates • ‘Author’ of a movie, while the Producer is ‘author’ of a TV show • ‘Director’s cuts’ of movies
Famous TV Producers / Movie Directors • Dick Clark, Gene Roddenberry, Norman Lear, Aaron Spelling, Jerry Bruckheimer, Chuck Lorre... • Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, James Cameron, George Lucas, Ron Howard, Tim Burton, JJ Abrams...
Below the Line • Director of Photography (DP) • The cinematographer who supervises the photography of the entire film • A chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film • Responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image • Some professionals insist that the term cinematographer only applies when the director of photography and camera operator are the same person
Unit Production Manager (UPM) • Responsible for watching all the costs--to deliver the project on budget at the end of principal photography. • Lead dept. managers, script breakdown. • Producers responsible for cost-related decisions on above-the-line (primarily, casting) issues; UPM responsible for below-the-line (primarily, production period) costs. • The film’s director has the final say on the cinematographer, costume designer, production designer, and film editor; UPM makes the deals and hires the remaining crew.
