Behind the Screens: Hollywood goes Hypercommercial 4 of 5

Summary:

Hollywood movies are rapidly becoming vehicles for the ulterior marketing and advertising motives of studios and their owners, rather than entertainment in their own right.

Behind the Screens explores this trend toward "hypercommercialism" through phenomena such as product placement, tie-ins, merchandising and cross-promotions. It combines multiple examples taken directly from the movies with incisive interviews provided by film scholars, cultural critics, political economists, and an Oscar-nominated screenwriter.

Behind the Screens presents an accessible argument designed for school and college-age audiences-- precisely the demographic most prized by both Hollywood studios and advertisers alike. It features examples drawn from movies such as Wayne's World, Forrest Gump, The Lion King, Summer of Sam, and Toy Story. Interviewees include Jeremy Pikser, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of the Warren Beatty film Bulworth; Mark Crispin Miller, Professor of Communication at New York University; Susan Douglas, Professor of Communication at the University of Michigan; Professor Robert W. McChesney of the Univeristy of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Professor Janet Wasko of the university of Oregon.
Logistical Information:

Directed by Matt Soar & Susan Ericsson
Produced by Matt Soar
Edited by Susan Ericsson
Executive Producer Sut Jhally
Copyright 2000
Source:http://www.mediaed.org/videos/CommercialismPoliticsAn dMedia/BehindtheScreens (more)

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• hollywood
• propaganda
• product
• media
• advertisement
• corporation

[LoneGunman90]

@pfeiffer101 It's not entirely dependent. By adding more to the "Disney Princesses" they can charge more for Disney Princess items because there are more characters, and they're sold as the group of the Disney Princesses. They can also sell compilation sound tracks, and get money from the less successful movies by making people buy them with more successful products.

[Feltip6]

Liberal leaning but not in the sense your imagining. Free-market doesn't come into the equation but rather democracy within the political system which from their point of view is inexistent to a degree due to media monopolies.

[Hudsucker94]

I'm curious, these people they interview in the video, are they more conservative or liberal leaning?

[pfeiffer101]

The logic is wrong at one point. If Disney's movie does not do well at the box office then how can the company still make $500 million through mechandising, etc? That $500 million is dependent on the success of the film so if the film does not do well Disney will not make that $500 million.

[oHelmslyo]

I sure am, my friend. Michael Eisner has nothing on Walt Disney.

[Duvmasta]

I think you're trying to compare Dreamworks to Paramount.

[Duvmasta]

Aladdin was made earlier before Prince of Egypt

[oHelmslyo]

In comparing Dreamworks to Disney, here's this: Aladdin was a decent musical romp, but the Prince of Egypt was an epic animated masterpiece.

[paranhosfabiogmail]

is the interviewer crying?