Lecture dynamics of mass communication (9th edition) chapter 9 joseph r dominick

THE DYNAMICS OF MASS COMMUNCATION Joseph R Dominick University of Georgia Athens McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Chapter Chapter Outline Motion Pictures McGraw­Hill The Phi Phenomenon Persistence of Vision History of the Motion Picture Motion Pictures in the Digital Age Defining Features of Motion Pictures Organization of the Film Industry Ownership in the Film Industry Producing Motion Pictures Economics Feedback Cable and Video: The Hollywood Connection The Film Industry © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved The Phi Phenomenon The phi phenomenon: consecutive  light sources appear to be one  source that moves McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Persistence of Vision Persistence of vision: seeing an image  for a split second after it has  disappeared McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved History of the Motion Picture • Early 19th C Toys  – Hand­drawn pictures – Thaumatrope Praxinoscope • Muybridge’s Galloping Horse (1878) – 24 cameras; 1 photo each McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved History of the Motion Picture • Edison and Dickson – Kinetoscope (1889)  • Camera + viewing device • Used perforated film  and sprocket mechanism • Kinetoscope parlors  – Expected to sell devices to individuals – Competition from Europe prompts  development of Vitascope for mass projection McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved History of the Motion Picture • Early Narrative Films – The Cabbage Fairy ­ Alice Guy Blache (1886) – A Trip to the Moon ­ Georges Méliès (1902) – The Great Train Robbery ­ Edwin S. Porter (1903) • Camera placement and editing  • Nickelodeons  – 50­90 seats and 5 cent admission – Audienceturnoverdemandsnewfilms McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved History of the Motion Picture ã Zukor, Griffith, Johnson – Zukor imports 4­reel French film Queen  Elizabeth – Birth of a Nation ­ D. W. Griffith (1915) • 3 hours long • $110,000 to produce – The Realization of a Negro’s Ambition –  George and Noble Johnson (1916) McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved History of the Motion Picture • Birth of the MPPC – Motion Picture Patents Company (1908) – Includes Edison – Attempts to restrict movie production and  distribution – Independents fight back and eventually  move to Hollywood – MPPC had lost power by 1917 McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved History of the Motion Picture • The Star System  – ) Carl Laemmle and Florence Lawrence  • Pulls audiences away from MPPC films • Promotes star competition – Charlie Chaplin • $150/week (1913)   $1 Million / 8 films (1917) – Mary Pickford • $20,000/week + 50% of profits by 1918 – United Artists Studio (1919) – Strand (NY) and Egyptian Theater (Hollywood) McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Organization of the Film Industry • Exhibition – 37,400 movie screens in 2000 (USA) – 36,000 in 2004 – Multiplex theaters • 12­18 screens • Single concession stand • 200­400 patrons McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Ownership in the Film Industry • Top six conglomerates (2004) 1) The Walt Disney Company           (Touchstone and Buena Vista) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) McGraw­Hill Time Warner  (Warner Brothers) Paramount (Viacom) (CBS, Infinity) Sony/MGM  NBC Universal (GE, NBC) News Corporation (20thCenturyFox) â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Producing Motion Pictures ã Preproduction – – – – McGraw­Hill Idea:  plot outline, novel, Broadway play Write the screen play: treatment, script drafts,  final polish Producer: Talent search Producer: Financial backing Producer:Directorandcameracrew ProducerandDirector:studioandlocation scouting,andscheduling â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Producing Motion Pictures ã Production – – – – Shooting the film $400,000 ­ $500,000 per day Average schedule: 70 days 2 minutes usable film per shooting day • Postproduction – – – – Editing Special effects Postproduction sound Release print McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Economics • Film revenue sources  – Domestic box office  – DVD/cassette rental and sales – Foreign box office Averageticketpricein2004ư$6.25 Hollywoodisingoodfinancialshape McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Economics ã FinancingaFilm $ $ $ $ – Direct loan from distributor Pickup – buy finished film later for set price Limited partnership with liability limitations Joint venture Producer and distributor agree on dividing gross  receipts Filmmustearn2ẵư3timesproductioncostto showprofit McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Economics ã DealingwiththeExhibitor – Exhibition license specifies: • Run of the film; Holdover rights • Date available for showing • Financial terms – Split percentage (50/50… 60/40…….70/30…) – Sliding scale  – 90­10 deal: nut, air, then 90/10 – Concessions: 90 percent of theater profit McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Economics • Promoting a Film – First three days are critical – Common promotion strategies • Pre­opening media blitz • TrailersinatheatersComingAttractions ã Internetexposureusingtrailersandsound scores ã Internetadsonportalsandticketsites McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Feedback • Film companies develop feedback  using: – Box­office figures monitored by trade  publications including Variety – Market research • Concept testing • Script analysis • Test screenings of a rough cut • Focus groups McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Feedback Figure 9-1 Variety Box-Office Revenue Chart McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Feedback Figure 9-2 Average Weekly Film Attendance in the United States McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Cable and Video: The Hollywood Connection ã • • • • • Home video – Hollywood’s biggest revenue source DVD/tape sales + rentals: $24 billion (2004) 6M rent films daily; 12M go to theater 60% of US homes have DVD player Pay­Per­View  (30 million homes) Licensingrevenuefrompremiumcablechannels HBOShowtimeCinemax McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved The Film Industry ã Getting Experience – Making films independently  – Courses of study in film • 750 colleges and universities with courses • 227 with bachelor’s degrees • Fullrangeofcinematography:equipment, film,history,art,aesthetics,projects McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved The Film Industry ã EntryLevel – Interview • Know somebody • Get noticed in internships and training courses • Persistent presentation of resume to companies – Take practically any job to start McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved The Film Industry ã UpwardMobility Editingroomworkerstendtostaythere – Production Assistants       Assistant Directors          Director             Producer – Distribution or sales   management McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved ... Expectedtoselldevicestoindividuals CompetitionfromEuropeprompts developmentofVitascopeformassprojection McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved History of the Motion Picture • Early Narrative Films –... © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved History of the Motion Picture • The Studio Years ( 193 0 –  195 0) – – – – MGM   RKO   Universal   Columbia Warner Brothers   20th Century Fox Paramount United Artists... – Direct loan from distributor Pickupbuyfinishedfilmlaterforsetprice Limitedpartnershipwithliabilitylimitations Jointventure Produceranddistributoragreeondividinggross receipts Filmmustearn2ẵư3timesproductioncostto