• ·         Hollywood has changed significantly over the last 75 years· 
•      Its golden age was between 1930 and 1948
•     ‘The big five’ – 5 top film studios – paramount, MGM, Fox, Warner Brothers and RKO
•     All studios are controlled by a ‘mogul’ – who controlled the careers of many stars
•       Film exhibition – financial success. 
•     Least profitable – producing films
•     3 stages – produce, distribute and exhibit (show).
•     Cinema owners kept profits due to not having to rent places for exhibition
•     Dominance of five major studios.
•     Social, economic and political forces.

·         Decline in cinema attendance and box-office takings.

·         Big five was broken.

·         The major studios did not collapse.

·         Vertical integration (all rights owned by one studio) no longer exists.

·         Studios no longer make films, but film deals.

·         Package – a treatment (longer than synopsis), details of actors/directors and locations.

·         If studios like a film they will agree to finance and produce it.

·         Today, there are more than a dozen film studios.

·         Some studios have relationships with directors and give them ‘first options’.

·         Warner Brothers owns a cinema chain – thus cutting their losses.

·Blockbusters and high concept films share a range of characteristics.

1.    Basic storyline which is universally recognisable.

2.    Characters that are easy to understand.

3.    The film is sold on its ‘look’

Profits :

·         Initial investments – advertising budgets are extremely high – films do not break even at the box office.

·         Television rights, DVD sales and merchandising – collectables / film merchandise.

·         Producers make profits from high-concept films.

KEY WORDS – Production line model, vertical integration, the package, treatment, blockbuster / high concept films.