Cinema Technique and Mass Culture
1949; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 1; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/3031301
ISSN1080-6490
Autores Tópico(s)Cinema and Media Studies
ResumoYOU might almost say that the movies were born that way. Like other industrial infants in America at the turn of the century, this one was tough and greedy and undisciplined. In a vicious battle over patents between the Motion Picture Patents Company and independents led by such men as Carl Laemmle, William Fox, Adolph Zukor, and Jesse L. Lasky, the young industry learned, before World War I, to be hard and ruthless, to think big and act big; in short, it learned techniques which led it, if I may borrow a stereotyped film title, along the road to monopoly. During the war years of 1914 to 1918 these techniques were rationally applied: (1) The product was increased in size; companies produced feature films rather than short pictures. (2) The product was standardized; formula pictures became the rule. (3) The manufacturing process was made more efficient; this introduced a high degree of technical specialization, from carpenters to star actors. (4) A wider market was sought; the industry turned from a low-class urban audience to a more prosperous middle-class audience which would pay higher admission prices. -(5) Advertising became intensive; publicity campaigns describing the story and the stars accompanied the release of each picture. To extend its control over the market, the motion picture industry during the 20s developed the practice of block booking, forcing exhibitors to rent a group of films instead of one at a time. Then, doubly to insure their control of the industry from producer to consumer, the major companies purchased key theaters throughout the country, lavish, first-run movie palaces in the cities and carefully selected
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