Introduction to Communications Media

1. Introduction to Communications Media Ch 9 Motion Pictures

2. Blog Page -- Movies • http://dansimonicmblog.wordpress.com/movies/

3. Early American Cinema • 1878 Edward Muybridge attempts to settle a bet • “When a horse gallops do all four feet ever leave the ground? • Set up 24 still cameras around a track to photograph a running horse • When view rapidly, gave appearance of movement

4. Early American Cinema • Thomas Edison and William Dickson developed the first motion picture camera (“Kinetescope”) • Edison thought he would make money by showing small movies to one person at a time for a penny a movie • Edison wanted to make money by selling a lot of small Kinescope machines

5. Early American Cinema • European inventors were developing a large screen movie format at the same time • In 1896 Edison unveils a large screen projector (the “Vitascope”) • Early movies were novelties (action of acrobats tumbling, horses running, jugglers juggling)

6. Motion Studies

7. Nickelodeons • Movie makers began using motion pictures to tell stories • 1902 a French filmmaker releases “A Trip to the Moon”

9. Development of the Motion Picture • 1903 Edwin S. Porter makes “The Great Train Robbery” First time a movie is edited and uses multiple camera angles

10. Nickelodeons • The Great Train Robbery and other narrative movies become vary popular • 50-90 seat movie houses spring up in cities all over • Admission is 5 cents, leading to the name “Nickelodeons”

11. Nickelodeons • Depended on audience turnover • Would change films quickly (even daily) • Led to a demand for lots of movies • NY and NJ were early sites for “Film Factories” which turned out many films

12. Movies get Longer • Most American films of this era were short • European filmmakers were making longer films and American filmmakers started following that model • Edward Zucker imported a European feature length film and charged audiences $1 to see it.

13. Birth of a Nation • D.W. Griffith makes a 3-hour movie in 1915 • Birth of a Nation is set 50 years after the Civil War and presents a very different picture of the South than commonly accepted • The film is very controversial and draws protests and creates unrest (first time a film is recognized as being controversial)

14. African American Cinema • Brothers George and Noble Johnson decide to make films showing a more realistic depiction of African American life • They form a film company (Lincoln Motion Pictures) which makes films for an African American audience.

15. American Cinema Moves West • Battles between established movie companies and independent film makers get worse in the early part of the 20th century • Independents move west to Hollywood and the movie industry grows and prospers there

16. The Star System • Early movie companies didn’t believe in promoting actors and actresses • Independent film companies realized that promoting “stars” could help generate excitement and interest in their movies • Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin were the earliest big names • 1919 Pickford and Chaplin (as well as many other actors and actresses) joined together to form “United Artists” as their own production company

17. The Star System • Audiences began demanding longer movies (1 to 2 hours) • Nickelodeons had hard wooden seats • Theaters began renovating to be more comfortable • Larger, more elaborate theaters were built (some as large as a city block)

18. Consolidation and Growth • The cost of making and distributing movies was increasing • “Stars had to be paid higher salaries” • Making movies longer cost more • Competition to get in the biggest and best theaters increased

19. Consolidation and Growth • One owner combined production and distribution functions into one corporate structure (eventually became Paramount pictures) • Several companies (Paramount, Fox pictures) also began building their own theaters • Marcus Loew (a theater chain owner) purchased his own movie company (eventually becoming MGM)

20. Block Booking • Movie companies would force theater owners to agree to show less popular movies in order to get more popular ones (theater owners didn’t like it, but gave movie companies a predictable stream of revenue). • World War I was devastating Europe during this time, so American movie companies were able to establish dominance over the market for movies worldwide

21. The Roaring Twenties • Age of prosperity after WWI • Movie profits were so high that pictures became extravagant • Cost of making the average movie went up 1500% between 1914 and 1924 • 1925 Ben Hur made for a reported $6 million (average film cost bout $200,000)

22. “Sin City” • Exploding salaries and young actors and actresses led to outrageous behavior • Huge parties, prostitution charges, untimely deaths and lots of controversy • Both state and federal governments began introducing bills to create censorship boards • Movie industry moved to create its own self regulatory body (MPPDA) which went on to set standards that would be followed for the next four decades

23. “Talkies” • The ability to record sound on film started in 1918, but Hollywood didn’t look in to using it until the late 1920s • Movies were making money and movie companies didn’t want to mess with success • Warner Bros. was not doing well and so, decided to experiment

24. “Talkies” • In1927 the studio released “The Jazz Singer” with Al Jolson who sang and spoke • Within 2 years, the market for silent films was gone

25. The Depression Era • Talkies helped the movie industry at first, but as things got worse, attendance fell • Hollywood tried several things • New technologies such as “Technicolor” were tried • Theaters introduced the “double feature” (2 movies for the price of one)

26. The Depression Era • Cartoon shorts became popular and were often added to the beginnings of the showing • These things led to an increase in the number of films made (almost 400 a year during the 1930s) • Good for big studios which could make more films economically • Bad for small companies which couldn’t

27. The Studio Years (1930-1950) • 8 large studios dominate the industry • MGM, 20th Century Fox, RKO, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Universal, Columbia and United Artists • They built large back-lot movie sets, built elaborate sound stages, developed “stables” of talent groomed for stardom

28. The Studio Years (1930-1950) • Studios developed reputations for certain kinds of movies • Warner Brothers – gangster films • 20th Century Fox – historical and adventure • MGM – lavish star studded musicals • From 1939 to 1941 height of this period • Gone with the Wind (Technicolor) • Wizard of Oz • Stagecoach • Citizen Kane

29. End of an Era • In 1938 the U.S. Justice Department filed a suit against Paramount and other major film companies alleging the industry’s practice of “vertical integration” constituted a restraint of trade • Suit was put on hold during WWII, but in 1948 the courts had ruled in favor of the government’s case • Studios were forced to give up one of the three holdings in question (production, distribution, theaters) most gave up their theater chains • Studios were also forced to stop the practice of block booking

30. Reaction to Television • In the late 1940s, television began building a sizeable audience • Studios fight back by refusing to advertise films on television or release films for broadcast on TV • Many studios added clauses to their stars contracts forbidding them to appear on TV • None of these measures made any difference on TV’s growing popularity

31. New Approach • Movie industry decides to try technical approach • 3-D • Cinerama (3 projectors and screen that curved around the audience) • Cheaper versions such as Cinemascope, Panavision and Vistavision were also tried)

32. Capitulation • Hollywood belatedly realizes it’s better off playing a role in the development of television • Studios begin releasing films for airing on TV • Studios begin making films designed to compete with television • “Spectacles” such as Cleopatra • Adult themed topics which couldn’t be shown on TV

33. Realignment – 1960 to 1990 • Rise of the independent film producer • Studios become less powerful, many release stars from contract system • Stars often work for reduced salary for greater say in process • Many large studios were bought by big corporations

34. Realignment – 1960 to 1990 • Industry guidance on content loosens • Instead of limiting what movies can show, new “rating” system is introduced • Supreme Court decisions also give movie makers more freedom • Revenues and budgets increased during this period as going to the movies became popular again

35. Contemporary Trends • Piracy and illegal file sharing • Hollywood followed the RIAA approach • Recent raid in China found 1.6 million illegal copies of movies • 81 million counterfeit DVDs seized in 2006 • Estimated losses about $6 billion in 2005

36. Contemporary Trends • Theater attendance is declining, but revenues are increasing • Increased ticket prices • 3D movies charge even more • Movie industry makes more from sales and rentals of DVDs • 6 big studios still produce the bulk of the movies seen here • Sony/MGM, NBC Universal, Disney, Fox, Warner Brothers and Paramount

37. The Digital Age • Digital movie making • Digital cameras are replacing film cameras • “300” only the actors were real • Digital distribution • Instead of making “prints” movies can be distributed via DVD, ftp or internet • Improved quality and cheaper costs, but… • Converting theaters to use digital technology is expensive

38. The Digital Age • Digital distribution to the home • Movies can be rented or purchased • Apple TV, Movielink, OnDemand • Hotel rentals • Digital projection • Expensive (about $150,000 per screen) • Theater owners want movie studios and distributers to pay since they’re the ones who’ll benefit • Studios and distributers say they’re already bearing the costs of making both digital and analog versions

39. The Digital Age • Mobile movies • Portable DVD players • Laptop and tablet computers • Cell phones • UGC (user generated content) • Defining features of motion pictures • Most expensive form of media ($120 million or so) • Dominated by big conglomerates • Strong aesthetic dimension (tension between artistic and financial interests) • Strong social dimension

40. Film Industry Organization • Production • Story development • Casting • Art • Makeup • Sets

41. Film Industry Organization • Distribution • Supplies prints to theaters • Supplies films to TV networks and makers of DVDs • Provide transportation and delivery systems to get films to theaters on time • Makes enough copies of the movie for release • Handle advertising and promotion • Dominated by big film companies

42. Film Industry Organization • Exhibition • By 2000 about 37,400 theaters in the United States • By 2007 number dropped to about 37,000 • Multiplexes of 12 or even 18 theaters show a variety of movies • Theaters are changing food and drink offerings

43. Film Industry Ownership • Disney • Touchstone (mature audiences) • Buena Vista (general films) • Time Warner (Warner Brothers) • Paramount (Viacom) • Sony/MGM • NBC Universal • News Corporation (20th Century Fox)

44. Producing Motion Pictures • Preproduction (starts with an idea) • Treatment – narrative statement of plot and descriptions of the main characters and locations • First draft script – contains dialogue and camera setups and a description of action sequences • Revised script – incorporates changes suggested by the producer, director, actor and others • Script polish – adding or subtracting scenes, revising dialogue, making other changes • At the same time, the producer is auditioning talent and offering contracts, looking for financial backing, looking for behind the camera personnel

45. Production • Cast and crew assemble at the shooting location • Each scene is shot and reshot • Once completed, everyone moves on to next location • Expensive ($500,000 a day for moderately expensive film) • Shooting lasts about 70 days on average • Each day of shooting produces about 2 minutes of useable film

46. Postproduction • Begins when filming is completed • Film editor works with director to decide how to mix shots (inserting close ups for instance) • Special effects are added • Once these things are in place, sound is added or sweetened (sound effects, narration, redone dialogue) • Once edited, film, soundtrack and special effects are sent to the lab where a release print is made

47. Economics of Motion Pictures • Revenue streams • U.S. box office receipts • International box office receipts • Sales and rentals of DVDs* • Miscellaneous video sources such as downloads, pay-per-view and video-on-demand • Merchandising

48. Economics of Motion Pictures • Financing a film • Distributor loans (producer then may rent studio facilities from distributor) • “Pickup” (distributor agrees to buy finished movie for a set price, producer can then get a bank loan) • Limited partnership (outside investors who agree to put up a certain amount) • Joint venture (multiple companies pool resources to finance a film)

49. Economics of Motion Pictures • Dealing with an exhibitor • Exhibition license (sets terms for how the film will be shown) • How many weeks the film will be shown • Holdover rights • Date the picture will be available for showing • Clearance (amount of time before film can be shown at a competing theater)

50. Economics of Motion Pictures • Financial terms • Percentage split (50/50, 60/40, 70/30) • Sliding scale (as box office increases, distributor receives bigger percentage) • 90/10 (exhibitor deducts house expenses, distributor gets 90% of remainder) • Other exhibitor revenue • Concessions • Advertising before film starts • Means less time for coming attractions, can make studios unhappy