Motion pictures have been a very important part of people’s’ lives for many centuries. back in the early 1900’s, motion pictures have evolved into the form of enjoyment for many families and individuals all over the world. The concept of the motion picture was first introduced to a mass audience in 1891 through Thomas Edison’s kinetoscope. In 1895 the Lumière brothers released the cinématographe. This meant motion pictures were projected for the audience to view. In 1910 film was a popular form of entertainment with the nickelodeon theater. Thomas Edison began the production of motion pictures in 1888. Thomas Edison and his assistant William Dickson created the first device that could record moving pictures. These motion pictures were only a few seconds long and didn’t have any sound. After Edison’s invention of motion picture the industry started to be successful. Hollywood was the spot for the production of motion pictures. The reason Hollywood was booming was because it was a ideal location for the industry and land was sold for cheap. Many of the people who moved to Hollywood that joined the industry, came to Hollywood to get away from their parents companies and to make a name for themselves. Then technology stepped into the picture. The introduction of the VCR was in the late 1970s. This made home movie viewing easy for families. The VCR was replaced by DVD technology in the late 1990s, which is now being replaced by Blu-ray Disc. 

This led to the development of the “Big Five” studios. They consisted of MGM, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, and RKO. These studios not only produced and distributed films, but operated their own theater chains as well. The Little Three “major minor” studios were Universal, Columbia, and United Artists (UA). They produced and distributed top films but they did not have their own. The industry was growing, there were some setbacks that studios had to face. The major issue they faced was the supreme court’s Paramount Decree. This turned into a nationwide issue in 1948. The “Big Five” companies were seen as a monopoly and the supreme court passed an antitrust act to decrease their power. Another issue they faced was the growth of television. Watching television became more of a popular pastime for Americans, rather than going to the movies. These studios still produce films and are widely known in Hollywood.

As time passed these studios flourished during WW2 and The depression as they held monopolies in the film industry. There were many great movies that were made however from the late 60s to the early 70s some of the studios went under new ownership. This meant it was just another task for them to overcome. The article also talked about Jaws and how it flourished when it was released. Then things such as HBO were developed and delivered movies to people. The film industry has really changed and grown throughout the years but it is sad how TV has somewhat taken control and people have lost interest in the industry. In the short video Rise of the Studio System, Adolph Zukor was the biggest influential film producer of all time. He manages to do what Thomas Edison could not do. His success was from taking advantage of a fully industrial factory system of production. He was also first to appeal to Wall Street for financial banking. Zukor looked over seas for profits in the business. Adolph had a deep understanding of the public. He got the public to idolize the stars going to the movies, it became its own social movement. 

This weeks screaming was When The Lion Roars, and it touched on when MGM was first founded and opened. This showed how films were first made and created. MGM was founded in Culver City outside of Hollywood. After this Hollywood then became booming with new stars and eventually these people became big names in movies. He Who Gets Slapped was the first big movie created by them and showed people how movies were something people could appreciate and find funny. The public’s appetite for these shimmering silver images was insane. There was 45 buildings lots of land, its own police, a zoo, a school, and much more. MGMs first business was a creation of a corporate identity. The identity was dignity and strength and the use of a lion. Ben Hur was the most costly film in motion picture. It was a film that took 3 years and in 2 color technicals. They ended up having a new director, roles, and scripts changed because many didn’t like how expensive it turned out to be. There was 3,500 extras in Ben Hur. In 1927 sound began to rise and this would mean silent films would soon be done

Question for the class: Do you see the film business flourishing in the next 10 years?