1. Chapter 7 - Movies While these slides were created using material from the above textbook, they are not official presentations from the publisher, Bedford/St. Martin’s. In addition, many slides may contain professor’s supplemental notes on various media topics.

2. “The movie is not only a supreme expression of mechanism, but paradoxically it offers as product the most magical of consumer commodities, namely dreams.” Marshall McLuhan

3. In This Chapter… The Jazz Singer The Move West Hollywood Narratives Studio System/Business Plan Blockbuster Mentality

5. Though mostly a silent film, with only 354 words of spoken dialogue and a few songs, it established both the technology and popularity of sound. Some audiences stood and applauded when they heard the dialogue.“Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet.” –First words spoken by Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer

6. The Move West Aspiring filmmakers moved west for three main reasons: to escape Edison’s New York lawyers to take advantage of great weather to take advantage of varied scenery (mountains, ocean)

7. Hollywood Narratives Includes two basic components: Story—what happens to whom Discourse—how the story is told “The combination of convention and invention—standardized Hollywood stories and differentiated special effects—provides a powerful economic package that satisfies most audiences’ appetites for both the familiar and the distinctive.”—Media & Culture

8. Major Studios – 2007 Figures Sony (Columbia, MGM/UA) $897.60 million Viacom (Paramount, DreamWorks) $764.00 million Time Warner (Warner Bros., New Line) $613.70 million Disney (Pixar, Miramax, Buena Vista) $581.40 million News Corporation ( 20th Century Fox) $350.40 million GE/NBC Universal (Universal, Focus, Rogue) $260.80 million Independents - $111.00 million (including Lion’s Gate--$76.5 million)

9. Studio System/Business Plan Vertical Integration – studios dominate all three essential levels: production, distribution, and exhibition. Oligopoly – a few firms control the bulk of the business Synergy: The promotion and sale of a product throughout the various subsidiaries of the media conglomerate. Companies promote the new movie and: The book form Soundtrack T-shirts Web site Toy action figures

10. Studio System/Business Plan Six Ways to Make Money: Studios get 40% of box office revenue (the theaters get 60%) DVDs and rental “windows” Release on cable and television outlets, including pay-per-view, video-on-demand, premium cable Foreign markets Distribution of the work of independent producers and filmmakers, who need to hire the studios to gain wide circulation Merchandise licensing and product placement

11. Blockbuster Mentality 80-90% of newly released movies movies fail to make money at the box office As a result, studios hope for one major hit to offset the losses of the other films Studios can make money on DVD sales, and in foreign markets. By 2006, a major studio film, on average, costs $68.5 million to produce; add in marketing and advertising at about $34.5 million per film=$100.3 million as a grand total. (compare that to $82.1 million in 2000).

12. Blockbuster Mentality Studios are so desperate for the next blockbuster, they lose sight of (and funding for) other, worthy pictures. Characteristics: Young adults are target audience Action-packed Big-budget releases Heavy merchandising tie-ins Possibility of sequels Internet Movie Database (IMDB) All Time Top Gross List