The American Takeover of World Markets
Suspense (Lois Weber, 1913)
The year just before World War I marked a turning point in the history of the cinema. 1914-1918
In 1913,
1) an extraordinary array of important feature films were made in Europe:
a) in France, Léonce Perret’s L’Enfant de Paris and Albert Capellani’s Germinal;
b)in Germany, Paul von Woringen’s Die Landstrasse and Stellan Rye’s The Student of
Prague; i
c)n Denmark, August Blom’s Atlantis and Benjamin Christensen’s The Mysterious X;
d)in Sweden, Victor Sjöström’s Ingeborg Holm; and
e)in Italy, Giovanni Pastrone’s Cabiria (released in early 1914).
Also in 1913,
1)the serial emerged as a major film form, and
2) labor-saving techniques were introduced into animation.
3)During the mid-teens, the feature film was becoming standardized internationally.
4) A few directors brought Swedish cinema into a “golden age”
that would last into the 1920s.
Around the world,
1) filmmakers were exploring the expressive possibilities of film style.
2) In its first decade or so, cinema relied on the display of action for its novelty value.
3)Then, during the nickelodeon era, filmmakers tested ways of telling stories clearly.
4)From about 1912 on, some directors increasingly realized that
a)distinctive lighting,
b)editing,
c)acting,
d)staging,
e)set design,
f)and other film techniques
5) could not only clarify the unfolding of the action but also heighten the film’s impact.
Time and again in this chapter,
1)we will see filmmakers creating striking compositions by:
a)backlighting subjects,
b)using lengthy takes to create a realistic sense of ordinary time passing,
c)or cutting among widely disparate elements to make a conceptual point.
2)Such techniques could enhance the narrative by lending atmosphere, meaning, and
suspense.
As of 1916 - US Dominates world market
1) the United States became the major supplier of films to the world market,
and it has held that position ever since.
2)Much of the history of world cinema has been bound up with the struggles of various
national industries to compete with Hollywood’s domination.
3)The war also limited the free flow of films and influences across borders.
4)The result was the isolation of several film-producing countries, where, for the first time,
distinctive national cinemas evolved.
Exporting &Vitagraph
1) Still, it was obvious that a great deal of money was to be made in exporting films.
2) The first American company to open its own distribution offices in Europe was
Vitagraph, which had a branch in London in 1906 and soon a second in Paris.
3) By 1909, other American firms were moving into foreign markets as well.
This expansion of American distribution abroad continued until the mid-1920s.
After the war, - Foreign Profits
1) the US industry maintained its lead abroad partly because of certain economic factors.
2) A film’s production budget was based on how much it could be expected to earn.
3)Up to the mid-1910s, when most of an American film’s income came from the domestic
market, budgets were modest.
3) Once a film could predictably earn more money abroad, its budget could be
higher.
4)It could then recover its costs in the United States and be sold cheaply abroad,
undercutting local national production.
By 1917, - Investing more money
1)Hollywood firms were estimating costs based on both domestic and foreign
sales.
2) Accordingly, producers invested in big sets, lavish costumes, and more lighting
equipment.
3) Highly paid stars like Mary Pickford and William S. Hart were soon idolized
around the world.
By late 1918 - selling backlog of films
1)Hollywood also had a backlog of films to flood the markets of countries formerly cut off
by the war.
Hollywood has had two advantages since the mid-1910s:
1) the average production budget has remained higher in Hollywood than anywhere
else in the world, and importing an American film is still often cheaper than
producing one locally.
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