1. + Introduction to Communications Media Ch 9 Motion Pictures

2. + Blog Page -- Movies http://dansimonicmblog.wordpress.com/movies/

3. + Early American Cinema 1878 Edward Muybridge attempts to settle a bet “When a horse gallops do all four feet ever leave the ground? Set up 24 still cameras around a track to photograph a running horse When view rapidly, gave appearance of movement

4. + Thomas Edison and William Dickson developed the first motion picture camera (“Kinetescope”) Edison thought he would make money by showing small movies to one person at a time for a penny a movie Edison wanted to make money by selling a lot of small Kinescope machines Early American Cinema

5. + European inventors were developing a large screen movie format at the same time In 1896 Edison unveils a large screen projector (the “Vitascope”) Early movies were novelties (action of acrobats tumbling, horses running, jugglers juggling) Early American Cinema

6. + Motion Studies

7. + Nickelodeons Movie makers began using motion pictures to tell stories 1902 a French filmmaker releases “A Trip to the Moon”

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9. + Development of the Motion Picture 1903 Edwin S. Porter makes “The Great Train Robbery” First time a movie is edited and uses multiple camera angles

10. + Nickelodeons The Great Train Robbery and other narrative movies become vary popular 50-90 seat movie houses spring up in cities all over Admission is 5 cents, leading to the name “Nickelodeons”

11. + Nickelodeons Depended on audience turnover Would change films quickly (even daily) Led to a demand for lots of movies NY and NJ were early sites for “Film Factories” which turned out many films

12. + Movies get Longer Most American films of this era were short European filmmakers were making longer films and American filmmakers started following that model Edward Zucker imported a European feature length film and charged audiences $1 to see it.

13. + Birth of a Nation D.W. Griffith makes a 3-hour movie in 1915 Birth of a Nation is set 50 years after the Civil War and presents a very different picture of the South than commonly accepted The film is very controversial and draws protests and creates unrest (first time a film is recognized as being controversial)

14. + African American Cinema Brothers George and Noble Johnson decide to make films showing a more realistic depiction of African American life They form a film company (Lincoln Motion Pictures) which makes films for an African American audience.

15. + American Cinema Moves West Battles between established movie companies and independent film makers get worse in the early part of the 20 th century Independents move west to Hollywood and the movie industry grows and prospers there

16. + The Star System Early movie companies didn’t believe in promoting actors and actresses Independent film companies realized that promoting “stars” could help generate excitement and interest in their movies Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin were the earliest big names 1919 Pickford and Chaplin (as well as many other actors and actresses) joined together to form “United Artists” as their own production company

17. + The Star System Audiences began demanding longer movies (1 to 2 hours) Nickelodeons had hard wooden seats Theaters began renovating to be more comfortable Larger, more elaborate theaters were built (some as large as a city block)

18. + Consolidation and Growth The cost of making and distributing movies was increasing “Stars had to be paid higher salaries” Making movies longer cost more Competition to get in the biggest and best theaters increased

19. + Consolidation and Growth One owner combined production and distribution functions into one corporate structure (eventually became Paramount pictures) Several companies (Paramount, Fox pictures) also began building their own theaters Marcus Loew (a theater chain owner) purchased his own movie company (eventually becoming MGM)

20. + Block Booking Movie companies would force theater owners to agree to show less popular movies in order to get more popular ones (theater owners didn’t like it, but gave movie companies a predictable stream of revenue). World War I was devastating Europe during this time, so American movie companies were able to establish dominance over the market for movies worldwide

21. + The Roaring Twenties Age of prosperity after WWI Movie profits were so high that pictures became extravagant Cost of making the average movie went up 1500% between 1914 and 1924 1925 Ben Hur made for a reported $6 million (average film cost bout $200,000)

22. + “Sin City” Exploding salaries and young actors and actresses led to outrageous behavior Huge parties, prostitution charges, untimely deaths and lots of controversy Both state and federal governments began introducing bills to create censorship boards Movie industry moved to create its own self regulatory body (MPPDA) which went on to set standards that would be followed for the next four decades

23. + “Talkies” The ability to record sound on film started in 1918, but Hollywood didn’t look in to using it until the late 1920s Movies were making money and movie companies didn’t want to mess with success Warner Bros. was not doing well and so, decided to experiment

24. + “Talkies” In1927 the studio released “The Jazz Singer” with Al Jolson who sang and spokeAl Jolson Within 2 years, the market for silent films was gone

25. + The Depression Era Talkies helped the movie industry at first, but as things got worse, attendance fell Hollywood tried several things New technologies such as “Technicolor” were tried Theaters introduced the “double feature” (2 movies for the price of one)

26. + The Depression Era Cartoon shorts became popular and were often added to the beginnings of the showing These things led to an increase in the number of films made (almost 400 a year during the 1930s) Good for big studios which could make more films economically Bad for small companies which couldn’t

27. + The Studio Years (1930-1950) 8 large studios dominate the industry MGM, 20 th Century Fox, RKO, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Universal, Columbia and United Artists They built large back-lot movie sets, built elaborate sound stages, developed “stables” of talent groomed for stardom

28. + The Studio Years (1930-1950) Studios developed reputations for certain kinds of movies Warner Brothers – gangster films 20 th Century Fox – historical and adventure MGM – lavish star studded musicals From 1939 to 1941 height of this period Gone with the Wind (Technicolor) Wizard of Oz Stagecoach Citizen Kane

29. + End of an Era In 1938 the U.S. Justice Department filed a suit against Paramount and other major film companies alleging the industry’s practice of “vertical integration” constituted a restraint of trade Suit was put on hold during WWII, but in 1948 the courts had ruled in favor of the government’s case Studios were forced to give up one of the three holdings in question (production, distribution, theaters) most gave up their theater chains Studios were also forced to stop the practice of block booking

30. + Reaction to Television In the late 1940s, television began building a sizeable audience Studios fight back by refusing to advertise films on television or release films for broadcast on TV Many studios added clauses to their stars contracts forbidding them to appear on TV None of these measures made any difference on TV’s growing popularity

31. + New Approach Movie industry decides to try technical approach 3-D Cinerama (3 projectors and screen that curved around the audience) Cheaper versions such as Cinemascope, Panavision and Vistavision were also tried)

32. + Capitulation Hollywood belatedly realizes it’s better off playing a role in the development of television Studios begin releasing films for airing on TV Studios begin making films designed to compete with television “Spectacles” such as Cleopatra Adult themed topics which couldn’t be shown on TV

33. + Realignment – 1960 to 1990 Rise of the independent film producer Studios become less powerful, many release stars from contract system Stars often work for reduced salary for greater say in process Many large studios were bought by big corporations

34. + Realignment – 1960 to 1990 Industry guidance on content loosens Instead of limiting what movies can show, new “rating” system is introduced Supreme Court decisions also give movie makers more freedom Revenues and budgets increased during this period as going to the movies became popular again

35. + Contemporary Trends Piracy and illegal file sharing Hollywood followed the RIAA approach Recent raid in China found 1.6 million illegal copies of movies 81 million counterfeit DVDs seized in 2006 Estimated losses about $6 billion in 2005

36. + Contemporary Trends Theater attendance is declining, but revenues are increasing Increased ticket prices 3D movies charge even more Movie industry makes more from sales and rentals of DVDs 6 big studios still produce the bulk of the movies seen here Sony/MGM, NBC Universal, Disney, Fox, Warner Brothers and Paramount

37. + The Digital Age Digital movie making Digital cameras are replacing film cameras “300” only the actors were real Digital distribution Instead of making “prints” movies can be distributed via DVD, ftp or internet Improved quality and cheaper costs, but… Converting theaters to use digital technology is expensive

38. + The Digital Age Digital distribution to the home Movies can be rented or purchased Apple TV, Movielink, OnDemand Hotel rentals Digital projection Expensive (about $150,000 per screen) Theater owners want movie studios and distributers to pay since they’re the ones who’ll benefit Studios and distributers say they’re already bearing the costs of making both digital and analog versions

39. + The Digital Age Mobile movies Portable DVD players Laptop and tablet computers Cell phones UGC (user generated content) Defining features of motion pictures Most expensive form of media ($120 million or so) Dominated by big conglomerates Strong aesthetic dimension (tension between artistic and financial interests) Strong social dimension

40. + Film Industry Organization Production Story development Casting Art Makeup Sets

41. + Film Industry Organization Distribution Supplies prints to theaters Supplies films to TV networks and makers of DVDs Provide transportation and delivery systems to get films to theaters on time Makes enough copies of the movie for release Handle advertising and promotion Dominated by big film companies

42. + Film Industry Organization Exhibition By 2000 about 37,400 theaters in the United States By 2007 number dropped to about 37,000 Multiplexes of 12 or even 18 theaters show a variety of movies Theaters are changing food and drink offerings

43. + Film Industry Ownership Disney Touchstone (mature audiences) Buena Vista (general films) Time Warner (Warner Brothers) Paramount (Viacom) Sony/MGM NBC Universal News Corporation (20 th Century Fox)

44. + Producing Motion Pictures Preproduction (starts with an idea) Treatment – narrative statement of plot and descriptions of the main characters and locations First draft script – contains dialogue and camera setups and a description of action sequences Revised script – incorporates changes suggested by the producer, director, actor and others Script polish – adding or subtracting scenes, revising dialogue, making other changes At the same time, the producer is auditioning talent and offering contracts, looking for financial backing, looking for behind the camera personnel

45. + Production Cast and crew assemble at the shooting location Each scene is shot and reshot Once completed, everyone moves on to next location Expensive ($500,000 a day for moderately expensive film) Shooting lasts about 70 days on average Each day of shooting produces about 2 minutes of useable film

46. + Postproduction Begins when filming is completed Film editor works with director to decide how to mix shots (inserting close ups for instance) Special effects are added Once these things are in place, sound is added or sweetened (sound effects, narration, redone dialogue) Once edited, film, soundtrack and special effects are sent to the lab where a release print is made

47. + Economics of Motion Pictures Revenue streams U.S. box office receipts International box office receipts Sales and rentals of DVDs* Miscellaneous video sources such as downloads, pay-per-view and video-on-demand Merchandising

48. + Economics of Motion Pictures Financing a film Distributor loans (producer then may rent studio facilities from distributor) “Pickup” (distributor agrees to buy finished movie for a set price, producer can then get a bank loan) Limited partnership (outside investors who agree to put up a certain amount) Joint venture (multiple companies pool resources to finance a film)

49. + Economics of Motion Pictures Dealing with an exhibitor Exhibition license (sets terms for how the film will be shown) How many weeks the film will be shown Holdover rights Date the picture will be available for showing Clearance (amount of time before film can be shown at a competing theater)

50. + Economics of Motion Pictures Financial terms Percentage split (50/50, 60/40, 70/30) Sliding scale (as box office increases, distributor receives bigger percentage) 90/10 (exhibitor deducts house expenses, distributor gets 90% of remainder) Other exhibitor revenue Concessions Advertising before film starts Means less time for coming attractions, can make studios unhappy

51. + Economics of Motion Pictures Financial terms Percentage split (50/50, 60/40, 70/30) Sliding scale (as box office increases, distributor receives bigger percentage) 90/10 (exhibitor deducts house expenses, distributor gets 90% of remainder) Other exhibitor revenue Concessions Advertising before film starts Means less time for coming attractions, can make studios unhappy

52. + Economics of Motion Pictures Promoting a film First three days crucial (weekend) Films often heavily promoted for weeks before airing Columbia TriStar spent $50 million promoting Spider- Man 2 Promotion includes stars being available for interviews to talk about their pictures Can also include publicity “stunts” to arouse interest

53. + Feedback for Motion Pictures Box office Weekly box office figures as reported by trade publications Total gross and gross per screens are two important figures Blockbusters can influence a studio’s bottom line for the entire year Successful movies can results in sequels and spinoffs

54. + Feedback for Motion Pictures Market research As costs of production get higher and higher, more and more emphasis is placed on audience research Often a rough cut of the movie is made and shown to test audiences. The movie is then edited or scenes are reshot based on audience feedback This is generally followed by a “sneak” preview where the audience fills out survey cards. Further changes to the movie are made based on this feedback. Sometimes alternate endings will be filmed and each tested with audiences

55. + Feedback for Motion Pictures Motion picture audiences Average annual attendance currently about 24 million, compared to more than 85 million in the 1930s Movie audiences tend to be young (about 60% are under 40) “Frequent” movie goers (12 or more/year) account for 75% of ticket sales Tend to be young and single, middle class, from urban areas Largest audiences found in July and August, smallest in May. The first 2 weeks of December are the worst 2 weeks of the year for movie attendance.

56. + Movies at Home Home video is Hollywood’s biggest revenue source Market is maturing (revenue growth has flattened) Hollywood hopes new technology will boost revenues BlueRay DVDs 3D movies and 3D TV sales Home market is driven by big hits just like theaters Some movies bomb in theaters but find success at home Time between movie release and DVD release shrinking Gone from 6 months to 3 months Easier for studios to take advantage of ad campaigns while still fresh in people’s minds

57. + Movies at Home Other revenue sources Pay-per-view movies Licensing movies to premium cable channels Licensing movies to broadcast TV TV generates more revenue for industry than does box office

58. + Next Week Chapter 11 Broadcast Television