An Evolving Industry Intro to Film

Movies are really a category of art that use various kinds of technical combinations of imagery and sounds to tell stories. In the past, movie production equipment, skills, knowledge and expertise were assigned to large established production companies like MGM and Warner Brothers studios. For that reason and others, the actual production of a movie was an expensive and exclusive feat because producers as well as executive producers (financial backers) controlled the industry. Outside of the movie theatres, black and white televisions were costly and not everyone could afford to buy one, thus fueling the popular culture of going to the movie theatre as a form of social gathering. (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011). In modern times, technology has advanced to the point where owning a video recording camera is now common place, resulting in the production of many low budget movies such as Paranormal Activity that grossed an incredibly huge profit. (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011). In addition to that, low budget movie producers use the internet, especially social media cites to circulate their movie pre-views (trailers); thereby creating and sustaining the public’s interest in their work. They sometimes buy inexpensive web advertising space or they create interactive pages with current information and updates about their projects. As a result of technologically smart marketing strategies, good cinematography sometimes gives way to many “penny dreadful” productions. One such project that comes my mind, even though I am entertained whenever I watch it, is Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns. It is comedic and entertaining but it was a bad production. However, its success was due to the pre-release advertising build-up on the internet; it came to a crescendo just before the opening night; making it a box office hit. Technology has really changed not only how we access movies but also the overall quality of the end product.

Reference

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P.