174 Moving Images: Making Movies, Understanding Mediaplatforms. Personal computer screens and digital projectors have become
common presentation sources for moving images.
In fact, many viewers are experiencing motion pictures solely through
the format of a personal copy on a playable disc or digital fi le. Th is has led to
renewed interest in a wide array of moving images and a burst in preservation
of fi lms from many periods. Most surprisingly, silent fi lms have generated
exceptional interest, as well as television shows and motion pictures that
had previously been rather inaccessible and unknown by the general public,
including fi lms of the avant-garde. For fi lmmakers of the twenty-fi rst century,
digital formats such as the DVD and BluRay off er a variety of new creative
outlets in addition to being used as resources for viewing motion pictures
created as theatrical features and television series.
One of the most pervasive sources of moving images in the twenty-fi rst
century is the video game. While early video game images did not refl ect the
three-dimensional approach similar to feature fi lms and television shows,
by the turn of the century CGI was used to create visuals modeled aft er live-
action cinematography. Story development and interactive communities
have helped to raise revenue of this industry to match or surpass earnings
in other motion picture media. With some games, users are able to create
avatars—representations of themselves—to interact virtually with a world
entirely constructed of moving images.
Let us return to our questions of “Who makes movies?” and “How do
they reach audiences?” Here is a review of key sources of motion picture
creation and their access to audiences:- Major fi lm companies with a high degree of corporate structure.
With these fi rms, ultimate production control oft en rests with
executives who oversee fi nances of the corporation, as seen in the
major Hollywood studios and television networks. - Independent, small-scale production units designed to produce single
motion pictures. Such groups solicit fi nancing for their project and
develop contracts that allow for widely varying control of the fi nal
state of the motion picture. Th ey typically seek the largest audience
possible, so they work with formalized distribution networks and
must negotiate or work with a major fi lm studio that acts as the
distributor of the motion picture. - Single, independent artists or artistic collectives who create motion
pictures in ways similar to other art forms such as painting, dance,
and music. Th ese highly personal or collaborative creations typically
are supported by and experienced in independent art cinemas and
fi lm societies, museums, and non-profi t cultural institutions. - Production generated directly from commercial requisitions and
commands, such as with advertising and promotional materials,
educational missions, and industrial projects.
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