Behind the Screens: Hollywood goes Hypercommercial 5 of 5

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

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

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

[silental]

Excellent documentary.

[GTRrocker666]

It is funny that capitalism is becoming the new fascism, how ironic

[narunarulove24]

This really helped me in my Media Studies class :D

Thanks for uploading this :]

It's really informative and yet still entertaining

[MrScottLi]

Fucking hell lol

Just middle-class people having a winge.

The fact is, entertainment cannot survive alone.The reason why movie studios are able to to make their 'movie magic' is due to sponsors and other forms of funding.

Now, 'art', that's a different story. What is art? if you can answer that question, then you don't really know what art is.

[Quex01]

Movie industry is just part of much bigger agenda to dumb down american people.

[adsy999]

Top class documentary, it really describes a topic that not many people are talking about. Its a shame that it has so few views and has been out for so long.

[GTRrocker666]

@MusicBySav

No, hence my comment. Capitalism and Socialism are great in theory, but the only problem with both systems is that they involve people. There is no good system unless you have a complete clampdown which would not be worth it in my opinion.

[MusicBySav]

@GTRrocker666 well capitalism nowadays leaves many poor but few rich. is tht were u wana live?

[670Kiester]

Good doco.

Look up Douglass Rushkoff The Persuaders or Merchants of Cool for more.

There's tones of similar info docos like this,"if" you're interested

[Lobos222]

Movies are like fachion, I think. It runs in waves. You cant sell black when pink is the new black...

When black is the new black again, thats when you sell black stuff.

You still get movies like "No country for old men". Disney cant make 100 Lion Kings because the viewer would become bored and stop going to the cinema etc. Ergo, now and again you see smaller film ides go through just to keep the cinema goer happy.

I dont think reality is so grim as this doc says it it.

[melcore338]

differently. If it all went to Hell tomorrow they would be the first to starve. I used to be one

[melcore338]

This is terrible. Have there been great movies made???? Well yes but it was just so very hard for the writer/director to get the movie made......... But he did get the movie made and it was a good film and did well right??? Well yes but it should have been easier. What a bunch of bull crap. People do not want to work. Working hard and going after your dreams is what America is about not handouts because we do not like who is calling the shots at the moment. Artists look at the world so