518 CHAPTER 11FILMMAKING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
Thinking about Filmmaking Technologies and Production Systems
Understanding and appreciating what can, and has
been, achieved in a particular movie is closely linked
to understanding the technology and production sys-
tems that existed at the time it was made. Major—
sometimes revolutionary—advances in technology
and production systems (the how and where movies
are made) have generally been made when a director
or producer asks for a stylistic effect for which nei-
ther technique nor technology currently exist. Some-
times, the response is “That’s impossible” or “That’s
not the way we do things here.” Fortunately, though,
such requests throw down challenges to the artists
and technicians working on the movie. For example,
even though Orson Welles had never made a movie
before Citizen Kane, he knew what he wanted and
was sufficiently enthusiastic and persuasive to con-
vince his crew to improve existing technologies (e.g.,
in deep-focus cinematography) or invent new ones
(e.g., in sound recording). The result, of course,
radically changed the prevailing conventions ofmoviemaking. But even Citizen Kane, revolutionary
as it was, has its weaknesses. Take, for example, the
special effects used throughout the movie. Although
the effects represent the state of the art in 1940,
they are not seamlessly integrated into the images
and so, in contrast to what we see today, are clumsy.
Understanding what could (and could not) be
achieved at a particular time in film history helps us
to understand the current state of film art and the
opportunities (and limitations) available to filmmak-
ers. Keeping this perspective is vital today as we
watch the film industry making its first steps toward
what most experts agree will be an almost total con-
version to digital technologies. Yesterday’s movies
are being digitally remastered in order to restore the
visual depth and sparkle of the original 35mm prints,
and while those movies today that are being shot
digitally do not necessarily improve the image, they
are challenging our visual perception and thus the
way we look at movies.close look at a movie by one studio that was
produced near the beginning of that studio’s his-
tory, and then compare it to another made more
recently. From this comparative viewing, what
can you say about how and to what extent that
studio has changed from its beginnings?
✔An interesting way to gain insight into the pro-
duction of an independent movie is to examine
its financing, particularly the nature and invest-
ment of each producer and/or production com-
pany. This and other related information can be
found in such publications as the Wall Street
Journal, Variety, and the Hollywood Reporteras
well as online at IMDbPro (www.pro.imdb.com).
From this information, you can see the hierarchy
of financial influences behind the film and pose
questions about how this might have affected the
movie’s content and form.
✔The conversion to digital technology is a key fac-
tor in the overall future of the production, distri-
bution, and exhibition systems of the international
film industry. As such, a study of the challenges,
costs, and implications of just one of these areas
is an excellent subject for your further study, per-
haps even a term paper. One way to look at this
phenomenon is in the context of the conversion to
sound in the late 1920s and early 1930s.✔In studying a particular movie, learn as much as
you can about the prevailing cinematic conven-
tions and state of the filmmaking art at the time
it was made. In particular, do some research on
the major creative personnel to determine if any
of them are known for particular innovations.
For example, if you are studying the influence of
F. W. Murnau’s Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
(1927) on Hollywood conventions, it’s important
to know his key role in the development of the
German expressionist film as well as his pioneer-
ing use of the moving camera.
✔Movies made during the height of the studio sys-
tem in Hollywood and those made in the independ-
ent system that followed are often quite similar in
their look. However, the studio system had some
space for mavericks, the independent system
relies heavily on traditional methods of movie -
making, and the production system in place today
is very much a hybrid of the two. In studying a
movie, try to determine the extent to which the
production system affected its production. You
might, for example, examine such related aspects
as design, lighting, and cinematography.
✔Today, we have seven major studios (six of which
are carryovers from the golden age) as well as
one relative newcomer (DreamWorks). Take aScreening Checklist: Filmmaking Technologies and Production Systems