The Rise of the Studio System

Introduction

• The studio system emerged as a response to the control of the international market by French studio Pathé in 1908.
• Thomas Edison established the Motion Pictures Patent Company ("the trust") to control the industry using patent rights.

Emergence of Independents

• Foreign studios bypassed the trust by roadshowing films across the USA.
• Independent producers, such as William Fox, rose to prominence.
• Adolf Zucker of Paramount gained control over film production, distribution, and exhibition.
  • Utilized a factory system of production.
  • Secured Wall Street investment for vertical integration.
  • Bought theaters and exhibition venues.
  • Promoted films through stars under contract.

Importance of Theater Ownership

• Elaborate theaters attracted new audiences.
• Cinema became a social movement.

International Expansion

• Will Hayes lobbied for American cinema in foreign markets.
• America's rise was aided by political and global factors, e.g., the opening of the Panama Canal and WWI.
• American cinema dominated due to economic advantages and production value.

Opposition and Alternatives

• United Artists, formed by Chaplin, Fairbanks, Pickford, and Griffith, opposed the studio system but eventually complied.
• German studio UFA went bankrupt and was bailed out by Americans.
• Soviet Union released knockoffs to counter American films.
  • Developed the montage theory and method acting (Stanislavski).

Soviet Cinema

• Battleship Potemkin by Sergei Eisenstein highlighted montage theory.
  • Famous Odessa Steps sequence demonstrated emotional impact.
  • Influenced filmmakers like Coppola and De Palma.

Influence of Hollywood

• Hollywood classical system became the global standard.
• Star system and comprehensive editing style contributed to the rise.
• Set stage for the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Conclusion

• Next episode will explore the Golden Age of Hollywood.