Take Home Final Q

1. The era of the classic Hollywood system began in the early 1900's and spanned into the 1950's. Many great films were produced and some of them over the years have come to even be known as classics. In those days, much like today, there were studios that were in charge of film production and distribution. Three of the major studios from those days were: MGM, Universal Pictures, and Warner Brothers Entertainment. Each of them started off clean, but eventually they three of them started to build reputations come the 1940's. Warner Brothers was getting known for their Gangster films; the same too for MGM and Universal. Universal was home to the monsters i.e. "Frankenstein", "Dracula", and "The Mummy". MGM rounded out the affair with their line-up of musicals. Of course these studios didn't stick only to this formula, but they didn't stray far away from it to often.

2. During the time of what has become known as the studio system, many films were produced. Modeled after the automobile assembly line, films were dependent on the efforts of many people from the production team. These teams consisted of many contracted employees such as Producers, Directors, Moviestars, all the way down to the productions designers and writers. The studio system helped to create a standardized way of creating movies by hiring the best workers, directors, actors, and producers that they could and put them under contract so that they couldn't work for anyone else. Theses "Powdermakers" or factories of filmmaking began to shoot and produce films at an alarming rate. The downside to this is that because they were making so many films, not every movie was going to be a sure fire hit. There were a lot of successes and even more misses.

3. The collapse of the studio system began in the early 1940's. By being accused of conducting monopolistic practices by the US Department of Justice's Antitrust Division; the major studios were forced to let go of their ties to one another, as well as let go of their theater chains. This lead to the loss of a wealth of revenue for the major studios. Followed up by labor strikes aimed at the studios post WWII and the creation of Independent production companies; the demise of the studio system was nothing but assured.

4. The studio system was not without its merits. In turn it gave rise to the star system, a system that is still very much alive today. Despite the facts, audiences have always seen Hollywood as a resort where the rich and famous go to create dreams. Much as it is done today, the star system is bolstered a lot by the media. Reporters and Newspaper articles give actors and actresses an almost Godlike quality. The public didn't help by eating up every rumor they hear, but the stars brought in much of the studios money. The system lasted through the millennium and it's still going strong. People go to the movies not just in the interest of hearing a good story or seeing a grandiose display of visual and special effects, but they still go to see their favorite actors. Even today, there is still something magical about Hollywood.

5. The word "Genre" originates from the French language and it refers to a category of a particular thing. In the film industry genre is used to describe the inherent traits or characteristics of a particular film narrative. In relation to films comprising the horror genre, they often meet a very set formula of set characteristics. Atmospherically horror films are often very dark and foreboding. In well done Horror films their characters are often well rounded individuals put into horrific and even terrifying situations. Horror films don't always have to deal in monsters or ghosts; they can also portray human beings as the subject of everyone's nightmares. The best in horror is often fantastical like "Dracula" and "Frankenstein" or grounded in reality    
such as "Se7en". Horror films capture many qualities, most of them have become formulaic in todays films. Horror films are meant to do one of five things; they're meant to disturb, terrify, nauseate, startle, or leave you in suspense. It has been my experience that these films will employ any and every method/idea imaginable to ensure these five traits.

6. In the movement from silent films to "talkies" of films with sound; there were consequences that appeared as a result of the conversion.  When films transcended into the realm of sound, many of stars from the silent era were put out of work. It was seen and heard by audiences that these actors and actresses couldn't convey their characters on their looks alone anymore. Audiences wanted actors who could look and act the parts they were given.