Then:
When someone thinks about the feature film industry
what do they think of first? Hollywood? I would. But did you know that isn’t
where it started? Eventually they moved out to sunny California because it was
exactly that: sunny. Sun helped to light the sets without the regular heavy
equipment used to light an actors’ face in a live stage production. But when
film first started it was in rainy New Jersey. Films were made indoors on
stages like in theater so they had to use all the heavy equipment. One of the
first theaters used for film was called the Black Maria and it was made by
Thomas Jefferson; creator of the light bulb. In what is known as pre-production
stories will get written and all the necessary details needed to start filming,
like choosing actors, costumes, and set pieces, will be chosen, and flushed
out. Then to start production the stage gets set and actors and actresses will act
out their story without sound. Later, in what is known as post-production,
music was added in to give the stories more life. If a scene needed to be
changed or a cut needed to take place someone would literally have to cut the
film reel and tape it back together.
The first films astonished the audience. They did not
understand how “moving picture” worked, so they always came back to see what
new thing was being shown. When producers saw that there would be no problem
gaining an audience business started booming. With a booming business comes
regulation. The Motion Picture Producers set up a code that ensured movies
would stay within the guidelines of “good moral standards”. That is how the
movie rating system we use now came to be in 1968. Before the rating system
however came the Great Depression. The feature film industry was not exempt
from the staggering decline. Producers knew that to overcome this tough time
the industry needed to work harder than ever. People need entertainment like a
movie during rough times. That is when the double feature was introduced. After
that followed movies in color. It didn’t stop there. Ideas flew from writers of
every genre. Your favorite book characters came to life. The industry was loved
so much that schools were developed to ensure that future generations would be
capable of keeping up with the entertainment standards of everyone, from
children to adults.
Now:
As the feature film industry transitioned into the current generation
entertainment was no longer a priority for production companies. It became all
about the money. Companies began pouring millions of dollars into
advertisements to hype up their movies. The main goal was to top the charts
with a money-making feature film. If the ads caught your eyes you’d go see it
in theaters and that’s what making a movie is all about. As the years went by
technology became more advanced and production companies figured out ways to incorporate
those advancements into their films. It started with CGI, or computer-generated
imagery, in the 1990s. With CGI a film could include anything that exists in
your imagination. Films like King Kong, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars all used
this type of visual effect. Although, production companies have to be cautious
of how much CGI they put into a film. Too much CGI makes a film look tacky and
then it loses audience rating and revenue. After CGI came a revamp of 3D
technology. It’s a revamp because originally audiences didn’t flock to theaters
to see the new developments. Older audiences liked familiarity. This generation
on the other hand loves to experiment and see something different. We
experiment with new technology everyday so it was no surprise when films
introduced something different, theaters were filled. For example, the film
Avatar used a variety of different techniques and was considered a box office
favorite.
Later:
The feature film industry has already started its
decline. With so much streaming technology available people elect to wait for a
movie to turn up online rather than spend money to go see it in the theater.
That is why a lot of companies have elected to create content that is familiar.
If the characters and plot line are already know people are more likely to see
the remake in the theater. For example, in the upcoming years there are a lot
of Marvel and DC comic book movies scheduled to make its way into the theater.
People have read comics for ages and have imagined what they would look like on
the big screen. Most fans would not pass up the opportunity to witness their
childhood heroes on the big screen. To make up for lost revenue production
companies have also attempted to convert book series into movies. Popular
series like The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Divergent all hit the big
screen and were big money makers. Cinemas have elected to start re-showing a
beloved series to regain audiences.
If the feature film industry ever elects to start
picking up random independent content again I believe they will take every
chance to up the technology usage. In the future I could envision films that
appear like a virtual reality. As you watch the movie you can look around at
the scenery and feel involved with the action without having any true
involvement in the movie, but who knows. Maybe one day films will be made more
like video games where you can interact and control the outcome. Also I believe that in the future a lot of jobs will be lost to technology. Simple post production editing will be done by computers and humans will have a more limited role in the feature film industry.
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