Presentation Transcript

1. FILM 2700: HISTORY OF THE MOTION PICTUREPROFESSOR SHELDON SCHIFFER

   MAYMESTER VERSIONOffice hours: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Daily Office: 25 Park Place South – Room 1023 phone: 404-413-5623 email: schiffer@gsu.edu http://schiffer.gsu.edu/wordpress/history
2. REVIEW
3. Major Historical Concepts to 1908[note the players, their objectives, their obstacles, their action, the events]-1- Conditions for the Development of Cinema •Economic •Technological •Sociological •Cultural •adaptation of known moving image technologies •zoetrope, phenokistoscope, praxinoscope Competition among Manufacturers • Patent wars for Cameras & Projectors •Selling vs. renting equipment •Kinetoscope/Mutacope parlors vs. Phantascope/Cinematográphe projectors • Race to make projector with brightest and biggest image •Co-option of Vitascope by Edison to counter Phantascope of Lathams •Co-option of Blackton’sVitagraph
4. Major Historical Concepts to 1908[note the players, their objectives, their obstacles, their action, the events]-2- Development of Genres • Scenics most expensive • Fictions/Historicals in studio cheapest •Known Literary/Historical Adaptations Safest Development of Production Systems •Evolution of specialists in five phases: script development, production, post-production, distribution and exhibition Development of Theatrical Architecture •Abandonment of circus-like Theater of Attractions for permanent buildings with bright projectors •Proximity to foot traffic and public transit •Replacement of adapted spaces such as live theaters, civic centers
5. Major Historical Concepts to 1908[note the players, their objectives, their obstacles, their action, the events]-3- Development of Feature Film •Long form films secured a predictable larger audience •Star system fueled and promised a crowd of fans Development of Star System •stage/vaudeville actors and sports stars first used in early films •fear of expense of contracts for full films and serials •Fan culture independently created through press and clubs •Ads/posters for Biograph girl aka “Florence Lawrence” •False death Publicity scam by Laemlle brought Lawrence to IMP •Lawrence then Mary Pickford wooed away from Biograph as stars •stars increased the cost of films, and increased their box office profit
6. Major Historical Concepts to 1908[note the players, their objectives, their obstacles, their action, the events]-4- Nickelodeon of Shorts to Theaters of Features •Longer films required more comfortable spaces for longer visits •Family suitable entertainment enabled more visitors Government Involvement •Settlement of patent disputes •Censorship mechanisms •NY Board of Review prototype to MPAA attempt to abolish Nickelodeon Corporate Merging and Insurgency •MPPC becomes Edison’s conglomerate to control technology and content •Carl Laemlle rebels to create IMP for independent films and theaters Corporate Merging and Insurgency •Move to Hollywood from 1908 to 1910 allows for year round production
7. Lecture Slides: Day 3 Setting Up the Hollywood Empire, and the First Cinemas of Resistance and Distinction
8. Historical Question 3.1 What are the tactics of empire building that are in common with business competition?
9. Ingredients for Empire Self-Affirming collection of ideas that unite willing members of the empire AKA “ideology” Distinct characteristics that identify members and outsiders Possession and control of valuable commodity Control of material resources for manufacture of commodity
10. Ingredients for Empire Control of labor to extract resources and manufacture commodity Promotion of ideas that reinforce need for commodity (advertising) Surveillance of resisting parties Co-option of resisting leading resisting members to the side of imperialists In the first 15 years of cinema, no one country could make an empire, until WWI. Hollywood, the young institution did all of these during the period after WWI.
11. Historical Question 3.2 What were the advantages and disadvantages of a film company or entrepreneur of moving to Los Angeles in the period 1904-14?
12. Pre-WWI Popularity Of Early Hollywood With concentration of intellectual focus on one industry in California, advances in storytelling technique surpassed all other industries http://gunsock.hubpages.com/hub/Hollywood_-_The_History_of_a_Movie_Capital
13. California Advantages Over East Coast Flexible liberal culture – politics and art (Swiss and Athenian model) Outstanding predictable sunny weather Lots of open real estate No major competing industries Ample transport
14. California Advantages Over East Coast Liberal investment class Polyglot of European engineers, laborers and tradespersons Access to cheap (immigrant) labor (Mexican, Chinese, Japanese) But, further away from Broadway recognized talent and NY finance Concentrate a mass of person around one principal industrial purpose, with few distractions, growth often occurs
15. Result of WWI on Film Industries France converts its film manufacturing to munitions, studio to barracks – industry diminished Transportation routes for films blocked (inside and outside Europe) Transportation systems overtaken by troops, munitions and war hardware Enemy countries blockaded exchange of films U.S. films consumed by non-combatant countries U.S. films stockpiled, awaiting end of war for release
16. Historical Question 3.3 What effects did WW1 have on the international film industries?
17. Result of WWI on Film Industries Advantage to U.S. for economies of expanding scale. More quantity of product, cheaper price of product at market. Greater the consumption, the greater profits return to sponsor new products and innovation.
18. Historical Question 3.4 As Hollywood integrated and consolidated, what were some its business practices? Who were the major players? What companies and labor specializations formed out of the consolidations?
19. Consolidation, Integration In Hollywood Response to Edison’s attempt at monopoly was oligopoly: Major studios that organized the Independent Motion Picture Company (IMP) became the studios that emulated Edison’s vertical integration tactics. Vertical and horizontal integrators who bought, merged and expanded their businesses:
20. Consolidation & Integration In Hollywood Carl Laemmle, theater owner, creates Universal Pictures in North Hollywood, 1915 AdophZukor, with other distributors, form Paramount Pictures, 1914 Paramount evolved early form of block booking: Requiring theaters to show all of a slate of films, leaving little schedule for other companies’ product, other studios followed… Sam, Jack and Harry Warner, Warner Brothers William Fox, Fox Film Corporation
21. Specialization in Hollywood As films became larger, more ambitious, and capital flowed back from box office, laborers became more specialized to accomplish principally one job on a film. Writing and continuity, around cause and effect logic, single protagonists pursuing singular super objectives Production management of schedule and budget Cinematography, visual effects and electricity Editing and titles
22. Early Consolidators Carl Laemlle, producer & distributor Billy Blitzer & DW Griffth
23. Specialization in Hollywood As films became larger, more ambitious, and capital flowed back from box office, laborers became more specialized to accomplish principally one job on a film. Scenic design and costume and makeup Cadre of support industries: carpentry, catering, advertising, entertainment journalism, talent management Construction of stages for interior electrical light only Construction of exterior lots, adaptable for creation of façades for non-California location looks
24. Major Hollywood Persons and Films Quantity of production increased, with each successful innovation, New films would attempt to copy, improve and capitalize on the marketable qualities of breakthrough film. Examples:
25. Major Hollywood Persons and Films The Cheat (1915) Cecil B. De Mille: Playwright, director, and mostly producer - drama Civilization (1916) Thomas Ince, director and mostly producer – historical drama Intolerance (1916) and Birth of a Nation (1915), DW Griffith, director – historical drama
26. Major Hollywood Persons and Films Birth of a Nation created a national controversy. Dramatizes the imperial control of U.S. troops on southern culture during Reconstruction (1865-1877) KKK members primary role to “save” white families from “menacing” black men Stereotyping of black politicians The Immigrant (1917) Charlie Chaplin, actor, director – tragic-comedy A Sammy in Siberia (1919) Harold Lloyd, actor – comedy Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) and The General (1927) Buster Keaton, actor – comedy – end of silent era
27. Historical Question 3.5 How did non-US cinemas respond to the Hollywood penetration of their entertainment markets?
28. Response of National Cinemas Europe responded by creating cinema distinct from Hollywood. Distinction became a marketing strategy for resisting the empire of Hollywood domination exploiting known characteristics unique to the specific European nation and its culture.
29. National Strategies of Resistance Germany created Autorenfilm – “author’s film” – Films of culturally specific, contemporary German literature and theater Playwrights: Max Reinhardt, Paul Lindaum, Actors: Paul Wagener, Asta Nielsen) Popular with educated class, not with the larger public DerAnderer (1913) and Student of Prague (1926) Italy created films of Roman Empire history Cabriria (1914)
30. National Strategies of Resistance Russia (like Italy) adapted its literary and theater culture of slow brooding melodrama Defence of Sevastopol (1911) France invented the serial mystery and the attractive anti-hero in serial form Fantômas (1913) France took some ideas from the Impressionist painting and evolved French Impressionist Cinema films with literary or historical themes, but presented with a visual style that showed more sensual and abstract characteristics of nature and people The Smiling Madame Beudet(1922) Germaine Dulac Napoleon (1927) Abel Gance
31. National Strategies of Resistance Denmark and Sweden exploited their unique landscape (seascapes beside mountains), stark weather, unique traits/history of national culture (as Euro exotic to other Euros and Americans) Atlantis (1913), similar story to that of the Titanic (icebergs) Erotikon (1929), early Swedish sex comedy Sir Arne’s Treasure (1919), historical novel of early Renaissance tragedy (on the ice!)
32. National Strategies of Resistance Smaller countries attempted similar tactics to co-exist with Hollywood product with indigenous product: Unique cultural characteristics intended for native audience (not necessarily for export) Shot on location with local actors, personalities, untrained amateurs Distinct natural and urban setting not found in larger exporting countries El Ultimo Malón / The Last Attack (1917) AlcidesGreca – Argentina Jiraiya the Hero (1921) Shôzô Makino - Japan ExemploRegerador / Moralizing Example (1919) José Medina – Brazil