Browsing by Subject "Motion picture industry"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Batman, Time Warner, and franchise filmmaking in the conglomerate era
(2008-05) Owczarski, Kimberly Ann, 1975-; Schatz, Thomas, 1948-
Spanning the nearly two decades since the Time Warner merger and the arrival of Batman in theaters, this study explains how media conglomeration affects the development of key properties by providing an extensive understanding of a film franchise. Beginning with Batman in 1989 and ending with Batman Begins in 2005, I argue that examining the Batman film franchise is one way to understand contemporary Hollywood. Through an integration of archival research, critical discourse analysis, and textual analysis, this study presents a comprehensive view of the Batman films by focusing on the development of this groundbreaking franchise, its impact on Time Warner, and what it tells us about the state of the contemporary film industry as a whole. Key issues of authorship, branding, and genre are integral aspects of the production of franchise films, and are essential themes that I discuss in this study. The story of the Batman franchise is not only about a multi-mediated property, but also a conglomerate’s attempt to define itself within the increasingly competitive entertainment industry. By following the developments with the Batman franchise, Time Warner, and the film industry since 1989, this dissertation examines the conglomerate era and the place of the franchise film within it. Thus, I argue that the Batman franchise’s arc provides the framework for understanding the changes which have occurred in the industry, particularly in regard to media conglomeration.
Convergent Hollywood, DVD, and the transformation of the home entertainment industries
(2007-12) Sebok, Bryan Robert, 1978-; Schatz, Thomas, 1948-
In 1997, DVD was introduced to the American public, beginning the fastest diffusion of any consumer electronics product in history. In this dissertation, I show how DVD, via favorable conditions in industry, technology, culture, economics, and the regulatory environment, replaced existing home video and computing technologies while transforming home entertainment. I analyze how DVD was successfully developed and commercialized by member firms in the filmed entertainment, consumer electronics, and computing industries from 1994-2002. I demonstrate how a new industry developed around DVD through unprecedented cooperation between these three industries. This study uses trade publications, mainstream press reports, industry data, advertisements, depositions to congress, and published interviews with industry members to analyze a process that has been understudied by scholars. Through the use of these resources, I explore how demand for the technology developed within existing contexts and how myriad forces aligned to enable the emergence of a new disc technology. Furthermore, I demonstrate how DVD reshaped these contexts while transforming the nature and business of filmed content distribution. DVD initiated a new era for digital content distribution. This era was marked by the convergence of three industries, new levels of access to filmed entertainment, mobilized viewing opportunities, the conflation of the computer and the television set, and heightened efforts to protect content through a variety of legal, regulatory, and technological strategies.
Deregulation, integration and a new era of media conglomerates: the case of Fox, 1985-1995
(2004) Perren, Alisa; Schatz, Thomas
In 1985, the film and television industries began a decade-long process of realignment. In this dissertation, I show how News Corp., primarily via its subsidiary, the Fox network, played a central role in redefining the relationship between motion picture studios and television distributors from 1985 to 1995. I analyze how the company successfully launched and expanded Fox Broadcasting by cultivating productive relationships with a variety of different stakeholders including advertisers, the creative community, independent television stations, regulators, cable operators, cable program services, and the press. This study uses trade publications and mainstream press reports to chronicle and analyze a period that has been understudied by scholars. Through the use of these resources, I describe the specific regulatory, economic and technological conditions enabling the emergence of a fourth network. This discussion is followed by an analysis of how Fox further shaped these conditions while also introducing a number of significant programming, marketing and distribution innovations to broadcasting. Through Fox’s heightened emphasis on targeting specific demographics, its aggressive pursuit of a brand identity and its development of niche-oriented television programming, the company redefined network television along with the larger media landscape. Indeed, Fox, along with parent company News Corp., initiated a new era for media conglomerates. This era was marked by network-studio integration and the increased economic and marketing value of network television programming to entertainment companies.
Teen films of the 1980s : genre, new Hollywood, and generation X
(2011-05) Nelson, Elissa Helen; Schatz, Thomas, 1948-; Wilkins, Karin G.; Ramirez Berg, Charles; Buhler, James; Kearney, Mary C.; Kackman, Michael
Teen films from the 1980s are a part of the zeitgeist, but there is very little we actually understand about how they can be qualified and defined, and about the phenomenon of their prolific production, box office success, and cultural relevance. Gaining greater insights about these issues is essential for recognizing the significance of a specific group of films and the ways they address concerns of how teens come of age, but is also important for learning about the films’ historical and industrial contexts of production. Asking the questions why these kinds of films, why at this time, and what do they mean, leads to an awareness and identification of the phenomenon, but additionally, these lines of inquiry explore how the films and their success are tied to changing Hollywood industrial conditions, and to the shifting political, economic, social, and cultural climate of the U.S. in the 1980s. While previous scholars have studied the industrial context of production of teen films in the 1950s, and some have looked at the different types of films produced in the 1980s, the matter remains as to whether teen films actually constitute their own genre. Examining this question of genre is necessary for clarifying a number of issues: how the films relate to the culture at large; how representations of youth on screen can help us understand and reevaluate Generation X, the demographic group coming of age at the time; and how an assessment of these films contributes to a re-conceptualization of the ways films are produced, marketed, and categorized in the New Hollywood. Using primary data consisting of textual analysis and contextual analysis, and applying both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the study builds on and adds to previous approaches to genre. The contributions of this research are multifaceted. By gaining insights about these films, we can begin to appreciate more fully a maligned generation, the changing landscape of the entertainment industry, and a cultural phenomenon.
Terry Gilliam's adventures in Wonderland : how a fantastical director survives in Hollywood
(2006-08) Nowlin, Kathryn; Staiger, Janet
This thesis covers a wide range of Terry Gilliam's directing career, including his use of genre, motif analysis, and production history.