Take Home Test

Lindsey Coldren

6/20/12

American Cinema Exam

Thomas Hammond

1. The classic Hollywood Studio System started in the 19 teens and spanned about 50 years. Name three of the Major Studios and give a brief background on what type of films they were each known for.
         One of the major studios in the early 1900's was M-G-M Studios. It was known for for producing glamorous and sophisticated pictures. They were known as one of the first studios to film in technicolor. The Wizard of OZ and Gone With the Wind were a couple of their most famous technicolor pictures.
         A second, major studio, was RKO. They were known for producing a variety of very different films. Two of their most famous pictures were King Kong sand Citizen Kane. They also produced a number of Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger musicals. RKO also produced many film noirs. In 1948 Howard Hughes took over the studio and this led to the decline of RKO.
         A third major studio was Columbia Pictures. This studio was known for producing witty, screwball comedies. One of Columbia Pictures' most famous screwball comedies, that was directed by Frank Capra, was It Happened One Night. Another famous screwball comedy was Howard Hawk's His Girl Friday.
   
   
2. What were the advantages of the Studio System? Were there any disadvantages?
        The advantages of the studio system wast that it kept the entire film crew under contract. This was a huge advantage because then everyone was always ready to begin filming the next picture. They didn’t have to pause and wait as long, to find actors, writers, and directors when they wanted to begin a new picture. Each studio even had their own, personal fire and police department. They also had their own gyms, restaurants and medical stations. I think that this could be a disadvantage to smaller studios however. The smaller studios didn't have as big a crew so they couldn't make as much money as the bigger studios. Another disadvantage, for the crews, is that they couldn't chose what pictures they wanted to work on since they were under contract to one studio.

3. Name and discuss three of the reasons for the decline and eventual end of the original Studio System.
        One reason that led to the decline of the original studio system was that the Department of Justice's Antitrust division sued the major film studios. The studios had to separate the production companies from the distribution companies. Another reason that lead to the decline of the studio system was that actors and directors also started separating themselves and forming their own businesses. A third reason for the decline was that the attendance of movie watchers began to drop. Television was beginning to become more popular with people and people began to go to the movies less frequently.

4. Explain the rise of the Star System and why you think it continues to be an important part of the American Film Industry.
        There were many factors that contributed to the rise of a star. The film studios introduced the world to the first star magazine. These were very popular in the early 1900's. It provided free publicity for the studios' upcoming movies. The studio also found it useful to advertised the stars of their new films. It helped draw the public in and encourage them to see the film. I believe that the star system is still important because people who aren't celebrities still idolize them and wish they could have the life of a celebrity. Everyone wonders what it would be like to be a celebrity. I feel like everyone believes that stars' lives are so perfect. They seem to live a glamourous life that everybody wishes they had. Celebrities are also so mysterious, because the public feels like they know celebrities after watching them on the screen, and reading about them in magazines, but we really don't.

5. The French critic Andre Bazin developed the Auteur Theory in the 1950s. What is it and which filmmakers (name 3) might fit its definition from the first five decades of American Film?
         The Auteur Theory is when the director's own, personal vision is reflected in the film. Another way of defining Auteur Theory is when a movie is very recognizable for having a certain director and the director is reflected within the film. Many directors are known for using the Auteur Theory in their work. Alfred Hitchcock was one of the first directors known for using it. All his films are anticipated to be filled with suspense and mystery. I know what to expect when I go to see an Alfred Hitchcock movie. He even makes an appearance in almost every film he directed. A more recent director that uses Auteur Theory is Martin Scorsese. I can usually expect to see a good action movie, filled with crime and suspense when I watch one of his films. Another current director that uses Auteur Theory would be Tim Burton. He is always reflected in his films. They are always pleasantly odd and filled with a very specific style that is very recognizable as Tim Burton. Most of his filmed are fairytale-like and filled with fantasy.
   All these directors also used many of the same actors in their films as well. Cary Grant starred in a number of Hitchcock films, Leonardo DiCaprio well known for acting in several Scorsese films, and Johnny Depp is famous for playing versatile characters from Edward Scissorhands to Willy Wonka in Tim Burton films.

6. A large part of the decision to make a film is based on its genre. Every genre has its own conventions and characteristics. What are some of these in relation to the Horror Film?
         The horror genre has always been my favorite genre in film. There are many characteristics that set it apart from other genres. A horror film is supposed to keep the audience on the edge of their seat and make them feel scared. There are many different types of horror films. As John Belton writes in American Cinema, is that there “is a focus [in horror] on what it means to be human.” I've noticed that the villain, in many horror films, is either unsatisfied with themselves as a person or they might not be human at all. There is also many reoccurring themes in horror films that involve the pursuit of knowledge.

7. What were some of the consequences in the conversion from the Silent to the Sound Film?
         The conversion from silent to sound film brought about many changes in the film industry. One of the most significant changes it brought was to the acting. Actor had to really change the way they acted. They began expressing themselves more with words, rather than their body. In silent films the actors' body language was much more dramatic and emotional and everything had to be expressed with their body and face expressions. With sound they had to act more realistically.