Stars: The Influence of Celebrities in the Film Industry and on Audiences

One of the most noticeable aspects of the entertainment industry today is the prevalence of the celebrity. In any entertainment medium whether it be music, print media or the film industry, celebrities can be seen. Celebrities are often the face of the product as well, and so they are what draws the consumer in, largely because of the sway the Celebrity has over the public. Celebrities are a rather intriguing twentieth century invention, and it is the goal of this essay to look at how a person becomes a star in the show business world, how they are marketed to an audience, and as the remarkable bond with the audience that these celebrities cultivate through their marketing and press that makes the audience want to see these people on the big screen and in turn pay for the ability to see their stars.

Celebrities invade all aspects of the viewers life. They appear on newsstands and ads, on the television and the big screen, and even on the news. Gossip for regular people may stem around and incident in their favourite celebrities life. Celebrities did not always have such an integral role into the lives of those they entertained, however. Of course there have been many "celebrity" types in history, mostly notable historical figures like those in politics or in powerful positions. These celebrity entertainers were not something that translated to the early cinema however. Early cinema producers and studios did not give their actors credits, nor did they release their names to the public viewing audiences. the figures on the screen remained largely a mystery to the early film going audience, but the public wanted to know who these people that they watched and admired were .

There was an audience ready to know who they were watching...

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...necessary in the film industry. They are able to market the films they make to the audience based on their star power and the amount of interest they garner from the public. A star must work within the confines in the industry to make it, but once they are in, they rely on the good will of the public who often want to both emulate and know the stars whom the worship on the big screen, often leading to the star becoming a part of the audiences life. Stars are born on the whims of their audience.

Works Cited

Dyer, Richard. Stars. Middlesex London: British Film Institute, 1979.

Fowles, Jib. Starstruck: Celebrity Performers and the American Public. Washington, USA: The Smithsonian Institution, 1992.

Holmes, Sean P. "The Hollywood Star System and the Regulation of Actors' Labour, 1916-1934 Author(s): Sean P. Holmes." Film History.Vol.12, no. 1 (2000): 97-114.