New Hollywood: A Brief Overview

New Hollywood Overview

  • Course: MPF 427 Film History and Criticism since 1960, Dr. Hudson Moura

Agenda

  • Reading: "American Cinema of the 1970" by Lester D. Friedman
  • Screening: Jaws (1975), Steve Spielberg; Jaws @ 50: The Definite Inside Story (2025)

Key Concepts

  • Jaws is central to the "Hollywood rebirth," redefining the blockbuster and influencing commercial logic in the industry.
  • The 1970s featured a director-driven cinema with new representational freedoms and aesthetic experimentation.
  • Economic instability in early 1970s Hollywood led to new financing and distribution models.

MPAA Ratings System

  • Replaced the Production Code in 1968, allowing greater depiction of sexuality and violence in films.

Early 1970s Cinema Trends

  • Films often focus on character over plot, with anti-heroes and critiques of American society.
  • Rising production costs and falling attendance necessitated a focus on fewer, big hits.

Demographic and Audience Changes

  • The Baby Boom generation's maturation shifted cinema habits, prompting studios to target demographic-specific audiences.

Exhibition Changes

  • Rise of multiplex theaters altered film exhibition, fostering new distribution strategies.

Corporate Influence on Filmmaking

  • Studious were absorbed into corporations, prioritizing projects with high marketing potential over cultural production.
  • Studios became middlemen, relying on independent companies for creative risk.

Blockbuster Economics

  • Studios anticipated most films losing money, depending on a few hits for profit. This influenced project selection, often prioritizing demographic appeal.

Marketing and Advertising

  • Strategic marketing integrated production with publicity to create significant visibility for films.
  • Saturation booking and advertising became norm, as seen with Jaws and later Star Wars.

Cultural Impact of Jaws

  • Jaws symbolizes the shift to the blockbuster era, paving the way for studios to focus on engineered mass hits and redefined profit models.
  • The film's structure and marketing strategies established a template for future blockbusters, emphasizing suspense and clear narratives.