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The Studio Industry In The 1920's

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The new studio system took Hollywood by storm between the early 1910’s, and continued until the studio systems decline in the 1950’s which were primarily due to the government’s influence and federal taxes. There was a studio system in place pre-1920, however they did not have much influence and there was many independent film makers dominating the entertainment industry at that time, these older studios often varied in budgets, styles, and general film content, but this changed with the new studio system. Thomas Schatz mentions in his book The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era, the old studio systems have failing, and if they haven’t already, they failed, because there was ‘no longer a market’ and the old studios were only surviving due to success of the big ‘motion pictures created in earlier years’. This ultimately led to a new system being created in Los Angeles. The new studio system was established in the early 1900’s and developed and matured into five major studio companies in the 1920’s; each of the five companies had their own distinctive style, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is known for …show more content…

If another theatre wanted to play one the Big Five’s film, the studio would take a rather large ‘exhibitor’s fee’. Having such money being generated from exhibition meant that the studios could distribute the films via ‘block booking’ meaning that the studios would sell a certain number of tickets in one go and this allowed the general public to watch a number of films in one

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From the 1920's to 1948, the movie industry as a whole was at the peak of production and popularity, and the five biggest studios producing them (nicknamed the Big Five) controlled almost every aspect of the industry. Even the stars' lives were carefully manipulated; what was seen by the public as a casual outing by a famous movie star was little more than a staged advertisement to remind people to go see their latest movie. What was generally dubbed “the movies” had become a business seen in terms of dollars and cents, and like any scenario that revolves around finance, some less than legal strategies were put into play. It was this that led to the investigation of Paramount Pictures and the court case in May of 1948, and the resulting ban

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Hollywood in the 1920s may not have been the Golden Age of films, but it was a significant decade for the movie industry during one of the greatest times of prosperity in the United States. The boom in the growth of the film industry was made possible at the time by the studios that moved in and took over Hollywood: the “Big Five”, the “Little Three”, and “Poverty Row”. These studios were able to be successful, though because of the remarkable technological advancements made during the’ '20s in Hollywood which led to the films people see today that are filled with complex graphic effects and remarkable sound. As everyone rushed to the movies during the Roaring '20s, this new pastime created questions on how the films would influence the young

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During Hollywood's so-called “Golden Age,” the studio system in place at the time was very different compared to that which exists today. The modern film industry operates very differently, and that is due to multiple factors and events that took place during the 1930s and 40s. The Great Depression, World War II, and the Supreme Court all affected the studio system in fundamental ways. The heyday of Hollywood studio power can be defined within the confines of the Great Depression.

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The studio system of “Golden Age” was factory. The majors such as Paramount had hundred acre facilities that were self-sufficient communities. Each building had a purpose, whether it was a studio with one set or multiples sets, storage or set making, none of the were in short supply. The majors were an assembly line that could produce a movie a week. Hollywood worked on the basis of movies equal money, more movies is more money, more money is more power and power is what they had.

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Advertisement and media has transformed since the 1950’s and has allowed the world of film to expand but also has limited in a strange way. A huge game changer after the 1950s was the introduction of television, prompting many actors and filmmakers to transition to this form of media, creating a new competition. It’s more difficult of a market especially since many can get entertainment right in the comfort of their own home. After the Paramount case, the film industry downsized so much that actors transferred to the art of television rather than film. This new market also created a new form of advertisement for the films presented in theaters.

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In the early 1940s televisions were becoming popular in American homes. In the beginning of television there were no 'large networks' or 'must see TV' shows, mostly just presidential debates and sporting events were broadcasted. When the federal government made the studios sell their theater holdings they also blocked them from purchasing television stations as well. Television was gaining power just as the Hollywood Studio System was beginning to fall apart. This is something that would greatly effect the future of Hollywood.

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After the financial crisis of 1929 there were but eight studios left and to help the studios reduce risk they created the studio system. It’s use of the contract system was one of it’s most powerful strategies. This allowed the studios to mitigate some of the risk of making films. Under the contract system everyone who worked for the studio was under contract to the studio. This allowed the workers to identify with the studios that they worked for, since all employees worked on all films.

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It was something about the extra step it took for him to convey his ideas to the rest of his film crew and the multitude of other people involved in the business. He later stated that it was difficult for him to focus on his production process with that extra step involved. From this point he made his resignation from Metro-Goldwyn and begun working on a lot of freelance work. With his newfound time, he could focus more of himself on the quality of his work rather than how to convey his ideas to others who can help him achieve the quality of work he already had the potential to do alone. He finally founded Goldwyn Inc., became an independent producer in the film industry, and even managed to become friends with other independents such as the likes of Charlie Chaplin

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Film productions during the 1960's in America was subject to low attendances and studios that were facing shifts of ownership. Out of this time rose the increasing draw of the star and directors, as they were the only hope the studios had of drawing audiences. The studios drew less interest from viewers as they were being run by individuals who had less authority and confidence than the previous heads (Wexman 289). In this period also rose the American New Wave, led by young film makers.

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After the nightmare of the first world war people were eager to enjoy life. In the 1920s the motion picture industry developed greatly and became one of the largest sources of popular entertainment. Although, Canadians loved movies they were still black and white and had poor technical qualities. In the beginning, movies were also silent, orchestra or piano would be playing and there would be subtitiles to help explain what's happening. Actors exaggerated their movements and facial expressions in order to get ideas across to the audience.

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During the 1950s, why was Hollywood in such a decline while the economy was booming? The film industry knew they needed to change in order to gain the attention back of the American audiences. Technology continued to evolve and made it difficult in the beginning with the addition of a new medium “The Television set”. The industry looked towards co-agreements with television companies, new technology and revising the production code in order for the film industry to reemerge with profits it knew it could make.

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Since the film industry was an oligopoly many companies cooperated to close the market from any competition. With the introduction of sound into films this resulted in many changes with the structure of the film industry. As a result of film introducing sound RKO was created and they exhibited the sound system Photo-phone. The studio system consisted of eight major studios ad each studio contributed to 80% of Hollywood’s film output. By 1930,

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The period of time between 1927 and 1949 are fondly referred to as “The Golden Age of Hollywood” beginning with the introduction of sound to film, and ending with the 1948 Supreme Court ruling regarding the hearing under antitrust laws. The Golden Age was a wonderful and very profitable time for the major studio executives. The studio system was designed very similarly to that of an automotive assembly line for a major automotive company such as Ford or Chevrolet. Everything was done on the lot, from the planning of the movie, to the writing, the shooting of the scenes, editing, and even the canning of the film for distribution to the studio owned movie theaters.

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In the nineteen twenties to the nineteen forties, these were the golden years for what came to be known today as experimental and avant garde film cinema. Over the decades, there have been several film makers and artists which have become iconic in the experimental film world such as Andy Warhol and Stan Brakhage. With a history lasting just as long as narrative cinema, experimental film has a time line of events just as exciting. Over the years, it has been given many different names; avant garde in the twenties, experimental in the forties, underground cinema in the fifties or independent cinema in the sixties, which is what avant garde is referred to as today. In the twenties, people were aware of what film was and its capabilities, which

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The older generation of people, preferred to stay home and watch the television, while the new generation of young teenagers went to the theaters. And they didn’t want to watch what their parents were watching. So Hollywood filmmakers such as, Fred Zimmermann, Elia Kazan, and Nicholas Ray, had to adjust and make movies to fit their new audiences. And since these incredible filmmakers of the 1950s knew how to captive their audience so well, the seats at theaters were somewhat full once again with masses of youthful audiences.

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