Technology and the Death of Cinema

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In the textbook ‘American Film: A History’, Jon Lewis discusses the components which he believes are markers of “the end of cinema as we know it”. By Cinema, Jon Lewis is meaning the all-encompassing thing that is film-making and film-viewing, as well as the marketing, and business side of Hollywood itself. The changes that resulted from the conglomerate business model, the marketing system of the industry and the advance in technology are the major argument points discussed by Lewis, however I think that technology itself is truly the overarching cause of the changes that’ve been seen. In the subtitle ‘New New Hollywood’, Lewis explains the far reach of media conglomerates who at the time were called The Top Six. AOL Time Warner whose entertainment holdings were the largest of all others by late 2005, is a great example of the synergy conglomerates held. Film studios, television networks, magazines, AOL online services, a baseball team and a series of theme parks were all under the ownership of AOL Time Warner, and under this blanket of ownership were thus able to utilize every form of entertainment to market their products. With this market research became a necessity for the big businesses, not only could they test the popularity of cast members through test audiences, they could test and promote their own products through the various chains of entertainment sectors in their company (television, film, magazines, etc.) The emergence of home theatre allowed films to be released in a variety of formats and screened on various types of equipment. Studios began viewing conversion of film into multiple formats as a top priority. Though box-office numbers remained important markers of success it wasn’t the largest source of revenue... ... middle of paper ... ...Lewis' assessment of cinema, with the increase in technology, and modern home theatre capabilities; at this point there is no turning back, and cinema as it once was will never be again. Even with the upheaval of classic film remakes, the technology that is at film-makers disposal makes it impossible for films to ever be made in the way they once were. This is evident in the way films have progressed through their periods as human knowledge expanded bringing new techniques to filming, and acting themselves, where technology is concerned there is no roof yet, and cinema is certain to change with each advancement. Works Cited American Cinema: A History, Jon Lewis, 2008. The Lord of the Rings, Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings_film_trilogy#Special_effects The Polar Express, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Express_%28film%29

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