172 Moving Images: Making Movies, Understanding Media(primarily consisting of chains of theaters) have a great eff ect on the survival
of motion pictures. If a movie is made, it still needs to get to the audience.
And potential viewers need to know about it.
As moviegoing audiences grew during the fi rst decades of the twentieth
century, the success of the moviemaking industry led to the construction of
theaters that vied for the interest of the public. Cinemas grew throughout the
United States and across the world, becoming as large and ornate as the ticket
sales of the local population could support. As receipts for movies fl ourished
and waned over the decades, sizes and types of moviegoing venues shift ed
with these fl uctuations. In addition, the growth and subsequent decline of
independent distributors and cinemas have had a strong eff ect on the varieties
and sources of movies reaching the general public.
Another important factor in the diversity of fi lms able to reach audiences
across the world is the role of fi lm foundations, museums, and other cultural
institutions that are involved with motion picture projection, preservation, and
education. Th ese organizations have provided an outlet for certain movies,
particularly foreign fi lms and those with smaller distribution budgets and
less access to major publicity campaigns, to become widely seen and even to
acquire a respected status among viewers. Forward-thinking institutions such
as the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New
York, and the British Film Institute have fulfi lled vital roles in establishing
motion pictures as an important art form and in archiving a wide variety of
fi lms. Finally, the international fi lm festival circuit has become a conduit for
fi lms to achieve recognition and to secure substantial circulation through the
initial exposure to critics and audiences that can lead to distribution deals.Figure 5-4 The
Cinémathèque Française
in Paris, designed by Frank
Gehry. (Courtesy Laurent
Carmé)Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).