That Business We Call Show Business by Megan Carlson

The movie business has changed quite a bit over the last few decades. They started out as silent films then moved into the studio period and from about the 1970s to the present we are considered to be in the blockbuster era. The book Mass Media: Living in a Media World defines the blockbuster era as: studios trying to make relatively expensive movies with a large, predefined audience. Steven Spielberg has been labeled as creating this blockbuster era with the big hit of the summer Jaws. This movie ended up being a huge hit! Before this time, movies were said to have been put out during the Christmas season to even do well. Other problems have started to arise over the years concerning home videos and the issue of piracy. Moviemakers are trying to make their movies a bigger hit at the beginning to be able to still keep their attendance up.

The 80’s were not just known for leg warmers and tree tiered bangs, but this was also the era in which VCR’s started to become more important. The statistic from the book states that by 1994 over 85 percent of all U.S. households had a VCR. Of course something bigger and better was released with the DVD which as of 2006 almost 81 percent of households had DVD players. Home videos did not only provide a way to enjoy your favorite blockbuster hits, but it brought older movies as well as foreign ones onto the screens of many TV sets. I love to get ready, and go to dinner and a movie, but there is something to say for curling up on the couch in your own home with an old favorite.

Today it is easier than ever for the average American to make their own movie. We are definitely in the digital age. The same technology that was used to make desktop publishing possible is now the same system used for any movie. And now not only can these be put on just a small disk, but they can be streaming on the internet literally minutes are they are shot; amazing!

Although anyone can make a movie, it does not always mean that if it is published it will turn over a profit. Only about 20 to 30 percent of movies are actually considered very profitable. The whole idea behind this is the ratio between the cost of producing/promoting and how much revenue is brought in. The difference determines if it was a flop or a hit! The major issue behind this is deciding how much of a large budget you want to put into a movie that may not be such a success. I am so happy movie makers keep taking these risks and providing me with enjoyable entertainment.