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The failure of blockbusters
The failure of blockbusters
What is the effect of blockbusters on film
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The coexistence of films in America can be broken down into two categories the blockbuster film and the independent. Blockbuster films according to Lewis is a film that is enormously popular or was so costly to make that it must be successful to make a profit. An independent film also known as indie are films that are produced outside of the typical studio systems and are distributed by independent agencies. Blockbusters usually have a large marketing campaign to ensure the success of the film. Independent films tend to have smaller marketing and look for word of mouth after they have been released. Film festivals often provide smaller indie films the opportunity to screen their films with the hope of generating a buzz for the film. Indie
Movies today are extremely expensive to make and are typically financed through either film studio contracts or from investors willing to take a risk. In order to be successful, movies need to be marketed and distributed either under contract by the film studios or by companies that specialize in such services. The aspects of financing, marketing and distribution of films have changed between the studio and independent systems over the years as the evolution of the film industry took place.
Describe some ways in which business values and artistic values in Hollywood contend with one another.
John Small, a fourteen year old boy in Uptown St. Paul, proceeds into the Suburban World Cinema, anxious to see Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant. He is equipped with a parental note, replete with the phone number where his parents can be reached to verify that they did indeed author the note should its authenticity be questioned. John pushes seven crumpled-up dollar bills and the folded note into the metal dugout under the box office window, only to be met with a tinny, disinterested voice booming through the round silver speaker mounted on the window: "No children under seventeen allowed! Sorry. This note isn't gonna cut it."
Film genre is a distinctive collection of comparisons in the narrative aspects from which the films are produced. Genre denotes the characterization of narrative films, through the stories the literature tells and the way it presents these stories (Barsam and Monahan, 2013.) Film genres are often described by a set of conventions of storytelling such as themes, conflicts, situations, setting, character types, story formula, presentation, visual style, and even movie stars associated with particular genres (Barsam and Monahan, 2013). These conventions are not always enforced as filmmakers incorporate only some of these elements within any particular film. A few commonly recognized film genres include the Western, musical, horror, science fiction, and etc. A genre-bender film steps outside some of the defining features of its genre in terms of its conventions but is easily identified when it has been blended with another genre. The gangster film genre concentrates on stories whose principal struggle is between criminals and the society they live in. This genre typically emphasizes a cautionary tale that is demonstrated by the main character who commits crimes (Barsam and Monahan, 2013.) Also, this genre is often blended with film noir, a distinct genre made discernible by its mood of pessimism, and fatalism. The film, Bonnie and Clyde directed by Arthur Penn in 1967, is an example of a genre-bending gangster film due to its distinct genre conventions of story formula, setting, and character types that step outside of the typical gangster film genre conventions.
Have you ever had one of those days that were so bad that you desperately needed a night at the ice cream or candy store? The 1970’s was that really bad day, while the night of self- indulgence was the 1980’s. Americans love to escape from our daily stress, and of all the products that allow us to do so, none is more popular than the movies. Movies are key cultural artifacts that offer a view of American culture and social history. They not only offer a snapshot of hair styles and fashions of the times but they also provide a host of insights into Americans’ ever-changing ideals. Like any cultural artifact, the movies can be approached in a number of ways. Cultural historians have treated movies as a document that records the look and mood of the time that promotes a particular political or moral value or highlights individual or social anxieties and tensions. These cultural documents present a particular image of gender, ethnicity, romance, and violence. Out of the political and economic unrest of the 1970’s that saw the mood and esteem of the country, as reflected in the artistry and messages in the movies, sink to a new low, came a new sense of pride in who we are, not seen since the post-World War II economic boom of the 1950’s. Of this need to change, Oscar Award winner Paul Newman stated,
What components make a movie successful in cinema? Filmmakers have crafted a formula to successfully deliver the hero narrative. This formula consists of the hero’s journey and archetypes. Hero films typically follow a ten-step sequence to properly set up and execute the hero’s journey. These movies range from stories of transformations, searches, or a journey back home. Archetypes are used to employ character profile as well as add variety and depth to these stories. Ridley Scott directed Alien, in which Ellen Ripley embarks on a journey where she must survive an alien who is out on a murderous rampage and return back to Earth. Alien adds originality to its storyline by choosing a female lead instead of a male, but the film still incorporates the same heroic attributes that make a story successful. In this “going home journey” film, Scott is able to incorporate the hero’s journey and the official hero archetype towards the heroine Ellen Ripley.
The debate over Casablanca and Citizen Kane has been a classic argument between film critics and historians alike because both of these pieces contain great cinematographic value, and are timeless pictures that have managed to captivate audiences well beyond their era. However, the real question at hand is which film is the greatest? Which film transformed the future of American film making? It is these questions that I as many others have, will attempt to answer in the following essay as I explain why I believe Citizen Kane has achieved the status of greatest film ever made.
The director yells “cut,” signaling that the scene has been finished. In an instant, the lights go dim as the actors and actresses disperse among the set to get their makeup and hair redone. Presumably, no other world could embrace the lights, camera, and action as well as Hollywood. One of the most well known places in California, Hollywoodland, was founded by Harvey Henderson Wilcox and his wife in 1853. In Hollywoodland, movies and films were produced for the public. After the sign was established in 1923, it was neglected, which led to the disrepair of the letters. The last four letters were taken off in 1943 as it is now known today as “Hollywood” (“History of Hollywood, California”). Los Angeles,
Hollywood’s diversity problem is well-known; however, the extent might be surprising to most Americans. According to a 2014 report by the Center for the Study of Women in Television, Film & New Media, found that females comprised only 30% of all speaking characters among the top grossing films of 2013. (Lauzen, 2014) However, minority women faired far worse than their Caucasian counterparts. As a matter of fact, if one looks at the numbers even female characters from other world’s were as better represented in film than some minority women; the numbers are as follow for women: Caucasian (73%), African American (14%), Latina (5%), Asian and other world tied (3%). (Lauzen, 2014) If the lack of representation were not enough consider a 2009 study which found that when minority groups are portrayed on television the portrayal tends to be negative. (Alexandrin, 2009) A study by Busselle and Crandall (2009) found that the manner in which African-Americans are portrayed, often as unemployed criminals, tends to have an influence on the way the public perceives African-American’s lack of economic success. Furthermore, the news media does an equally poor job in the ways that African-American’s are presented; according to the same study while 27% of Americans were considered “poor” in 1996 the images of America’s “poor” being presented by news media was heavily Black (63%). (Busselle & Crandall, 2002) Today, this can be seen in the way that African-American victims of police brutality are depicted in the media. Even when African-Americans are murdered at the hands of police for minor and non-violent offenses (e.g. Mike Brown, Eric Gardner, and Tamir Rice) they are often portrayed as thugs, criminals, and vandals. What’s more, seve...
As advance technology of fiber-optic developed and is on the rise, everyday there is another story about entertaining movies on demand and streaming online is with ease. Those developments which let movie’s viewers sit in the comfort of their home or anywhere with access to the internet can stream instance movies with a push of a bottom. They no longer need to make a trip to the movie’s stores for movies rental and return, so that is why movie shops fail and filed for bankruptcy bring a symbolic close to the “let’s go rent a movie” era. Blockbuster LLC, formerly Blockbuster Entertainment Inc., both owned and franchised American-based giant provider of home movie and video game rental services through video rental stores, later adding movies by mail, streaming online and video on demand. Due to the peak of fiber-optic and competition from companies such as Netflix, Redbox, and GameFly, Blockbuster became the victim of digital media and filed for bankruptcy on September 23, 2010 due to significant lost in revenue.[3]
It’s no question that genre is a very important factor in a screenwriter’s pursuit of creating a highly marketable film. Considering genre types in writing a script for an upcoming film is important to not only the target audience, but the technical characteristics of certain genres. Every film created is categorized into a specific genre based on elements of that genre type, as well as accompanied by technical aspects that classify a film as a specific genre type. Some films are finalized as purely one type of genre, while in other instances the film gains the classification of type different genre types. Sound, cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, and narrative are the formal elements of film that help determine a final product into a genre class, or multiple genre classes. Yet even dwelling in the subcategories of major genre types, like science fiction or action, films also have the ability to shift genre within their screen time and not only be placed in a genre category but jump genre types as well. This is caused greatly by the blending of genre types that have elements that complement each other’s qualities well and can easily be transitioned from one type to the next. Where Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) series prequel Prometheus (2012) began under the science fiction type genre and develops a gradual transition into horror, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard’s Cabin in the Woods (2012) flips the two genres, beginning as a horror genre than transitions into a science fiction category.
Measuring the success of a film can be an incredibly subjective endeavor. However, analyzing a film’s ROI, or return on investment, can provide insight on how profitable a movie is. Horror films are the most
War films have long been a staple in American film culture. It’s understandable, because war has long been a staple of American culture. Every Oscar season, there seems to be the token movie dealing with war. Most recently it was Hacksaw Ridge. The first Oscars in 1927 awarded best picture to Wings, a war film depicting the love stories of two pilots in World War
Many people don’t think about it so much, but movies (or just film in general) have become such a big part of our lives that we don’t think much of it because it just feels like a usual part of living. But have you ever wondered why this is, and how far back film started? Movies and film have been around for a long time, have developed in big ways throughout time, and has advanced in such a big and new way to this day.
Globalization is the spread of different political, economic and cultural trends to different parts of the world. (Stanford) American media has spread rapidly throughout the world, and at the forefront of the media blitz is film.