Significant changes to the financing of films occurred in the years following the Golden Age of Hollywood. Two decades after the invention of movies there were two significant shifts. First from individual owners of small production companies, for example, Edison and Griffith to medium-sized firms and then to the large corporations that not only sold stock but also relied heavily on the infusion of significant capital from the investment community (Barsam, Monahan 477). Financing a movie today is not governed by any one party and may, in fact, come from a variety of sources such as the studio, the producer, the investment company or from a combination of these. Movies today are much more expensive due to a variety of factors. One of the major cost factors is the cost of directors, actors, and producers. This cost can vary greatly depending on whether or not they are union employees. Another considerable expense can be securing a location especially an exotic location which can drive up the cost as will the extended period of time shooting at that location. And finally, the technology used such as CGI can come with a steep price tag. …show more content…
Making the decisions on how and where to advertise, distribute and show a film is, like filmmaking, itself, the work of professionals (Barsam, Monahan 482). Several decisions must be made on when the film will be released, the number of screens the film will debut on, and where the film will first be distributed. Differing considerations need to be made on foreign and domestic distribution rights as well as contracts for DVD’s, airline and cruise screenings and marketing partnerships with fast food chains, toy manufacturers, and others (Barsam, Monahan