Introduction to Mass Media Movies: Picturing the Future

Awards and Festivals Academy Award https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2016 Venice International Film Festival http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/ Dubai International Film Festival https://www.dubaifilmfest.com/ Abu Dhabi Film Festival http://www.sanadfilmfund.com/en/archive/2014/

Movies: what do you watch?

The invention of the Movie Marey, a scientist in Paris, recorded horse’s movements on graphs. 1877, Muybridge hired by Stanford in a $25,000 bet: four of a horse’s feet simultaneously leave the ground. 12 cameras lined up, first study of motion

Marey and Muybridge met. 1882, Marey perfected the first motion picture camera. 1888, Thomas Edison and William Dickson invented kinetoscope, 1894, first kinetoscope parlor in NYC, 25 cents, 10 different 90- second black/white movie. https://youtu.be/sfI0NVC0hLU kinetoscope

Auguste and Louis Lumiere The Lumiere brothers developed and improved camera and a projector. 1895, first film in Paris Lunch Hour as the Lumiere Factory Arrival of a Train 1 Franc admission, collected 35 Francs.

Filmmakers Turn Novelty into Art 1902, Georges Melies “a Trip to the Moon” 1915, Griffith “The Birth of a Nation” change movie to a mass medium with a large audience

1920s, Movies become big business The movie studios move to Hollywood Block Booking: moviemakers also owns movie theater takes a package of movies instead of showing the movies individually. The formation of United Artists: Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith: The Gold Rush (1925); City Lights (1936), Modern times (1936)

The industry’s efforts at self-regulation 1930, production code The introduction of sound: new technology brings the talkies 1927, first movie with sound The Jazz Singer

1930s, Big Five Studios 1930s, the big five dominate the movie business. WB, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, RKO 20th Century Fox

Walt Disney 1930s, Walt Disney a Hollywood newcomer, released Steamboat Willie as the first animated sound cartoon in 1928. Sold his car to finance the cartoon’s sound track. 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became a hit.

1940s: Movie Glitter during golden age MGM is the most successful studio. The Great Ziegfeld The wizard of Oz Gone with the Wind

1950s, Movies lose their audience to TV 1950s, the number of TV sets people owned grew by 400 percent 1946-1956, over 4000 theater closed. The trend of declining continues today.

Wide screen and 3-D movies Since 1950s, movie business tried to lure audience using new technologies like wide screen, 3-D movies, try to give a “you are there” feeling --- sth. Couldn’t get from TV.

How can Movies make money today Dreamworks SKG launched in 1994 as independent movies studio after UA in 1919 was sold to Viacom in 2006. Ticket sales drops, the median cost to make a movie is $107 million, only 2 out of 10 make money. Oversea sales of American movies account for 1/3 of income.

How can Movies make money today Most movie are funded by Ancillary Rights: Subscription television rights Network television rights Syndication rights (sales to independent TV stations) Airline rights for in-flight movies Military rights College rights Song rights for soundtrack albums

Movie Rating

Movie Rating in the UAE The Ministry of Information of the United Arab Emirates classifies all films, which cinemas must abide by.[99] G (General admission) – All ages are allowed. PG13 – All ages allowed but children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. PG15 – All ages allowed but children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. 15+ – 15 years old and above only. Children aged 14 and under are not allowed even if accompanied by adults. 18+ – 18 years old and above only. Children aged 17 and under are not allowed even if accompanied by adults.  

Movies at work Screenwriters Producers Directors Actors Technical production Marketing and administration

Digital Technology drives the business New digital technologies affect Production Distribution Exhibition Independent movie makers can use computer to create movies inexpensively and distribute them on the internet

Digital Technology drives the business In the future, distribution companies plan to send movies by satellite dishes on top of each theater and directly to consumer’s home 2008, Apple made movie downloads available on iTune for $2.99 each. 24 hour rental from Amazon at $2.99 New Line Cinema and Dreamworks developed a new version of 3D RealD, added $1 billion to income in 2010