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How And To What Extent Does The Way Contemporary Hollywood Operate As A ...


How and to what extent does the way contemporary Hollywood operate as a business determine the types of films that get made and how do marketing and advertising contribute to their success, distribution and appeal?

Abstract ....iii
Acknowledgements ...iv

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
Introduction .......2
Hypothesis/Rationale 8

LITERATURE REVIEW ...10

METHODOLOGY ......17

FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS ........18
Hollywod as a business machine A definition .......18
Hollywood and its cinema audiences A prospering marriage 27
Hollywood and the marketing of yet another blockbuster .............30

CONCLUSION 36

REFERENCES
1. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
1.1. INTRODUCTION
According to a PricewaterCoopers publication, the global entertainment and media industry spending surpassed $1.1 trillion in 2003, which was an increase of 3.7 per cent compared to its 2002 level1. To keep this most lucrative business flourishing, Hollywood constantly rears and spawns new films. This phenomenon is based on the convergence of two main points: the export of entertainment and the legal foundation for the film industry, i.e. the protection of Hollywood's Intellectual Property.
Contemporary Hollywood films are often described as the ideal of personal freedom, which is often based on rewarding self-improvement and efforts towards self-development but also democracy and a capitalist society. Films differ from one another through their recognition in the eyes of the audiences, i.e. through the public's recognition for what they ‘are'. A good example is how Hollywood constantly invents a distinctive image for its actors and consequently its films to make them more distinguishable and instantly recognizable among audiences.
Intrinsic here are the two most frequently occurring and conflicting definitions of Hollywood film production. First, the one advocated by authors such as Maltby (2003) and Wyatt (1994), who maintain that Hollywood in its focus and practice is nothing else than a business that is profit-driven and employs various marketing techniques on a large scale to maintain its dominance on the field of film production.
And second, the statement advocated by social theorists such as Miller et al. (2005), who see Hollywood's intentions as more socially oriented in the sense that Hollywood films can be seen as highly manufactured, pseudo personalities. According to the authors, the identities are fabricated public characters, which are shaped to meet target audiences' preferences, and their status and popularity often depend on the credibility and durability of the created image. This viewpoint also sees Hollywood's choice of lead actor/actress as very important in marketing and advertising the film.


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