From Megapics to Indie Flicks: Film within the Media Environment

The New New Hollywood (Same as the Old Hollywood?) After WWII, Hollywood's pre-War mass audience became increasingly segmented. The studios focused on making fewer, but increasingly larger, event films: blockbusters. While the rest of the film "market" was divided into audience segments: low-budget genre films, art cinema, & various independent productions. Even after the Paramount Decision forced the studios to divest their theaters (exhibition), they still controlled distribution.

The New, New Hollywood (Same as the Old Hollywood?) In many ways, this situation remains the same today, only more so. Blockbusters are now Megapictures. Independent and foreign films and some low- budget genre pictures play mainly to segmented, “niche” audience groups. But distribution (and most financing) remains largely in the control of the major studios. And the studios, now part of huge media conglomerates, are more powerful than before the Paramount Decision. Some even own theater chains again.

Paramount Decision The Paramount decision was a supreme court ruling in 1948 against the major film studios in Hollywood famously known as the 'big 5',which were the main fully integrated film studios between 1920s These studios were Fox, Loew's incorporated, Paramount Pictures, RKO and Warner Brothers. The case was challenged and won by independent film producers and distributors.

Film within a Media Environment There has been a major shift in cinema, in how films work, at least in Hollywood. Increasingly, films are no longer just films. Not just that they are increasingly seen on video, or that they are shot digitally. But now, a film no longer considered as a single product (much less as a work of art). Rather, part of a larger marketing strategy, which profits not just from theatrical box office, but from a wide range of ancillary media and products.

Transformers: the mega corporation

The Economics of Filmmaking The goal of Hollywood filmmaking is no longer simply to make money at the box office. Domestic theatrical revenues are an ever smaller part of total revenues for films. Rather, the goal is to make films that can generate revenues from multiple media (video, television, music, theater, books, computer games) and licensing of ancillary products.

Media Conglomeration Generating profits from multiple revenue streams has become increasingly important as Hollywood studios have become part of larger media corporations. Moreover, each media form serves to cross- promote the others: what is called Synergy. This cross-marketing also extends to other companies, who advertise the film in exchange for "product placements" within the film or by advertising "tie-in" products based on the film.

Making Films Financially "Safe" Early "high concept" films such as Saturday Night Fever, Flashdance, and Top Gun became blockbusters by marketing their concept. I.e., w/out major stars (at the time) and huge budgets. But increasingly, Hollywood has come to base marketing on: "Bankable" stars (and directors) people-in-hollywood.html/?a=viewall "Pre-sold properties"--already well-known from some other medium: tv shows, comic books, computer games-- or "sequels" and "franchises" where the stars and/or characters are readily recognizable. Marketing special effects, (esp. CGI), fast cutting, and other spectacular visual effects. Recently, 3-D.

Megapictures and Indie Films Starting in the 1980s, lower-budget Indie films began to have sustained commercial success in the U.S. Much like "alternative" music, Indies gained appeal from their opposition to the conventional big-budget Hollywood movies. But Indie films were made possible by some of the same factors that led to megapictures. That is: video, cable tv, and foreign pre-sales helped finance the Indie film movement.

Stranger Than Paradise Jim Jarmusch's Stranger Than Paradise (1984) was almost the perfect inverse of megapicture. Shot in long takes on grainy black & white film, with black between scenes, with no stars, no effects, and almost no story, for $110,000. It gained critical success (won prize at Cannes); platformed release gained word of mouth, and eventually grossed $2 million.

U.S. Independent Films Indie movement allowed filmmakers to make films that, because of their low-budget and video sales, could afford to gain acceptance through critical/public word-of-mouth. It also allowed some films from many who had been denied access to Hollywood--women, African-American, Chicano, Asian, gay/lesbian. Often, these filmmakers brought new perspectives/approaches to their films based on their own cultural/racial background. Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust (1991) is a good example.

U.S. Independent Films Unfortunately, independent films suffered in some ways from their own success, particularly when Quentin Tarantino's $8 million Pulp Fiction grossed $200 million in 1994.

Forced to sell out This raised the bar, so that the moderate successes of Dash, Jarmusch, & others, while they paid huge percentage returns, became less enticing to independent distributors. Since the 1990s, most independent production companies have been forced (mainly to gain distribution and financing) to become part of Hollywood studios.

New Hollywood In the late 60’s Foreign films were resonating with young people in ways the large studios couldn’t Bonnie and Clyde (Aurthur Penn) Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper) First truly independent film of new Hollywood Midnight Cowboy, John Schlesinger Francis Ford Coppola, Zoetrope ( achieved distribution from Warner Brothers) By the 70‘s the major studios were backing films like Dog Day Afternoon

Hollywood “Independent” Studios Disney bought Mirimax in 1993 Turner Broadcasting bought Fine Line Features in 1994 Sony Pictures Classics 1992 Fox Searchlight Pictures 1995 Paramount Vantage 1998 Focus Features 2002 Warner Independent Pictures 2003 [15

Film Festival Circuit The Sundance Institute renamed their festival: The Sundance Film Festival in 1991 The “festival circuit” refers to films playing festivals before getting distributed by big name studios Independent movie-making has also resulted in the proliferation and repopularization festivals Full-length films are often showcased at film festivals such as the Sundance Film Festival, the Slamdance Film Festival, the South By Southwest film festival, the Raindance Film Festival, ACE Film Festival, or the Cannes Film Festival. Award winners from these exhibitions are more likely to get picked up for distribution by major film studios.

The 4 “Independent” Studios Today

3 Types of Films made in America large budget blockbusters and high-cost star vehicles marketed by the six major studio producer-distributors. Budgets on the major studios’ pictures averaged $100 million, with approximately one-third of it spent on marketing because of the large release campaigns.

Indie Studio Films Another class of Hollywood feature film included art films, specialty films, and other niche-market fare controlled by the conglomerates’ indie subsidiaries. Budgets on these indie films averaged $40 million per release in the early 2000s, with $10 million to $15 million spent on marketing (MPA, 2006:12).

Non-Studio Indies The final class of film consisted of genre and specialty films administered by independent producer-distributors with only a few dozen or possibly a few hundred- release campaigns screens in select urban markets. Films like these usually cost less than $10 million, but frequently less than $5 million, with small marketing budgets that escalate if and when a particular film performs.

Digital Cinema The distinction between megapictures and indie films can be seen in the technologies they use. Many independent filmmakers have made use of inexpensive digital video. At the same time, George Lucas, using a much higher level of technology, has moved to a completely digital cinema. Digital cinema holds the promise of making the premise of indie filmmaking come true: that anyone could make a film.

Digital Cinema: Issues But even you are able to make a film, who will see it? In other words: the issue is still distribution. Control of distribution remains how corporations control what films are seen. Digital/online distribution holds the promise of escaping corporate control, opening doors for low-budget & independent filmmakers, But It is also difficult to gain attention in a crowded, “cluttered” media environment. Thus far, the “films” that attract attention are either humorous (or sometimes scandalous) videos, or Products of corporations who can afford to market their products. Thus, filmmakers should pay attention to alternative means of distribution and marketing.