1. Electronic Media: Then, Now, and Later
Norman J. Medoff and Barbara K. Kaye
Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 12

2. Feature Films: ‘The Movies’
Chapter 12
Feature Films: ‘The Movies’
Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 12

3. Then: An Entertainment Industry
Films
Early audiences captivated by novelty
Thomas Edison
An entertainment industry
International in scope
1920s: Hollywood; studio system
Silent films
Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 12

4. Then: The Production Code
1930s Hays Code set standards of “good taste”
Replaced by 1968 MPAA film rating system
Studios enforced code
Studios also complicit in anti- Communist blacklist
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5. Then: Business Great Depression 1939: Height of the Golden Age
Initially, attendance fell
Double features increased attendance
1939: Height of the Golden Age
Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, etc.
Late 1940s: TV became the entertainment of choice
Movie attendance declined
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6. Then: The Hollywood Empire Fights Back
Technological innovation
Sound
Widescreen
Epics too grand for TV
Censorship virtually ended
MPAA ratings
1970s: new cinematic Golden Age
Director-driven films
Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 12

7. Then: Stars and Heroes 1980s new type of star: action hero
1980s & 1990s: Special effects & computer-generated imagery (CGI)
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8. Now/Later: Blockbusters in the New Millennium and Today
Early 2000s: Blockbuster trends
Writers’ Guild strike 2007
Studios became more economically efficient
Fewer original scripts; more on existing ideas
Economic recession affected film industry
3D reemerged
Additional technologies
IMAX
Comfortable, reserved seats
Food/drink service
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9. Now/Later: The Studio System and Branding
Major studies continue to finance, market, distribute feature films
Branding is how each studio positions itself in the marketplace
Nowadays, branding is about generating properties with franchise potential
In 1980s, studios became profitable arms of multinational corporations that owned them
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10. Now/Later: Speaking of Star Wars
2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens
George Lucas complaint about Disney
Original Star Wars was, in part, an homage to matinee B-movies
Billion-dollar franchises are “focus-grouped-to- death”
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11. Now/Later: Theatrical Distribution
Decreasing options for theatrical diversity outside of big cities
Streaming and other options are on small screens
These options present means of reaching audiences and recouping expenses, without theatrical distribution
Most ticket revenue goes to studios; theaters make money from concessions and luxury amenities
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12. Now/Later: The Independent Revolution
1980s: U.S. independent film movement took root
Easy Rider, A Woman Under the Influence, etc.
Independent films are financed outside of the studio system
Many studios have an “indie” wing
Crowdfunding is an option for independent filmmakers
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13. Now/Later: Unions and Making a Living in the “Biz”
Even entry-level careers in the entertainment industry are competitive
Hollywood is a union town
Technicians, creatives
The old studio system worked well because everything was done “in house”
Today, much production work can be done anywhere
Runaway production: move production to other cities or countries where costs are lower
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14. Now/Later: Diversity 2014: “Blackest Oscars ever”
2016: No minority nominations for major roles
Boycotts of ceremony by some prominent celebrities of color
Minorities and women are underrepresented in leading roles, as directors, as writers, and as film studio heads
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15. Now/Later: Feature Films Today and Tomorrow
Movie studios no longer strictly in the movie business
Increasingly, studio heads are picked because they know how to sell films rather than how to make them
New/digital media are changing the industry and leading to new business model
Streaming replacing owning physical DVD
Inexpensive recording and editing technologies
Piracy
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