Skip to main content

Studio System

Studio System


 During which decades was the Hollywood studio system at its most powerful?

the studio system was most popular between the 1920s and the 1960s, (this was also known as the "golden age" of Hollywood) when studios made hundreds of movies a year, not all them were successful, but many of them were (for example Casablanca).


 What were the major "big five" studios?

The ‘Big Five’ were the main studios that were making movies in Hollywood. They were MGM, 20th Century Fox, RKO, Paramount and Warner Bros. There were other film studios at the time, but none of them were as successful or as well known as the "Big Five"


What areas and roles in film production did the studio system have direct control over?

the studio system meant that the studio had control over basically every part of the film, hence why in Casablanca the director (Curtiz) is referred to as a "director for hire" as he wasn't really involved in the film as other directors (such as the director of apocalypse now). Everyone worked for the studio, from the actors to the editors. The studio system was about vertical integration.


Why was this factory method of production successful?

the factory method was successful because not only could studios gwt much more movies out then they could before (meaning at least one was likely to be successful), the less successful (b list movies) were sold to cinemas with the better movies in packages, meaning the studios could sell many movies off at once. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Casablanca Characters

                                       -Casablanca- Rick Rick is the main character of Casablanca, he plays a man who was left by someone he loved (Ilse) and was changed forever. Rick is one of the people who are happy to settle down in Casablanca and isn't attempting to reach America (as he isn't allowed back into the country). Rick doesn't "stick his neck out" for anyone, and at the beginning of the film he is happy to just stay and run his cafe without being disturbed by anyone, however, toward the end of the film we see his aims change, he wants to help Ilse escape Casablanca with victor, he doesn't care what happens to himself, he just wants to protect his lover. Rick is meant to portray America at the time, who weren't currently involved in world war two) Ilse Isle is victors wife, and Ricks former lover, who left him in Paris. In the film we see her torn between Victor, her ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wasp (short film notes)

Wasp (short film notes) The beginning of this film could be compared to another film that we analyse within film a level- captain fantastic. Both of the films begin in the middle of the action with no explanation as to what is happening and no sound over the top of the scenes. Both of these film start of, not by aligning us with the parental figure, but instead allowing us to make our own judgment of the parent and their choices, but go on to explain that the parents truly love and care about their children. Another thing that captain fantastic and Wasp have in common is that the “main character” isn’t specifically just a lovable character, each one has flaws that get exposed as the film goes on, but both characters truly care about there kids, and when it comes down to it, choose to make the decisions that would benefit their children, rather than support their own personal gain. The films do not create loveable characters, they make relatable parents instead, showing the stru...
Post a Comment
Read more

Casablanca Scenes

Casablanca Scenes The opening bar scene The performance in the opening scene in Ricks bar creates a sense of isolation in the bar, everyone has their backs turned, and they all sit in groups of two or three, the biggest grouping being around six people This shows the danger and untrusting nature of those who are stuck in Casablanca. While Ricks is one of the happier places in Casablanca, it still has a melancholy tone to it, for example, the two men having a conversation (albeit a one-sided conversation), about he is never going to get out of Casablanca, the other man is uninterested, shown through uneven eye-lines and body language, suggesting this is a common occurrence in Casablanca. The camera during the opening shots uses a lot of movement in the bar scene, panning around the bar from right to left. It also uses establishing shots at the start of the scene. This is the typical style of classical Hollywood. The camera is also never really still, moving from conversation to ...
Post a Comment
Read more