Hollywood has been the historical center of the American film industry since the early 20th century. The first film studio was established in Hollywood in 1911. By 1920, Hollywood was producing 80% of the world's films. While television and changes in the industry led production to spread out, Hollywood remains synonymous with the American film industry. It is known for launching the careers of many stars and producing thousands of films each year across many genres at its many studios.
2. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and
movie stars, the word ‘Hollywood’ is often used as a metonymy of American cinema,
and is often interchangeable. Its used to refer to the greater Los Angeles area in
general. The nickname Tinsel town refers to Hollywood and the movie industry. Many
historic Hollywood theaters are used as venues and concert stages to premiere major
theatrical releases and host the Academy Awards. It is a popular destination for
nightlife, tourism, and is home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
3. In 1911, the first studio was established in Hollywood. ― In 1920, Hollywood was
making 80% of the world’s films.
By 1950, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, KTLA,
was operating in Hollywood. Much of the movie industry remained in Hollywood,
although the district’s outward appearance completely changed.
At the beginning there were only silent, black and white movies, mainly starring Mary
Pickford and Charlie Chaplin, but soon, they made a major breakthrough by
producing movies with sounds.
HOLLYWOOD BACK THEN
4. The first genres of American films were comedy, melodrama and western, later
adventure and historical films also appeared. But now the range of genres are
beyond imagination in Hollywood. Hollywood is also referred as The Factory Of
Dreams as it produces more thousands of films each year and can make any
average person touch the limits of stardom.
5. The Silent Movie EraA silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded
sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment
the dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted
through muted gestures, mime and title cards. The idea of combining
motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself, but
because of the technical challenges involved, synchronized dialogue was
only made practical in the late 1920s with the perfection of the audion
amplifier tube. The first projected primary proto-movie was made by
Eawaerd Muybridge sometimes between 1877 and 1880. The oldest
surviving film (of the genera called pictorial realism) was created by Louis Le
Prince in 1888. It was a two-second film of people walking in ‘Oakwood
streets’ garden, entitled’ Roundhay Garden Scene’. The art of motion
pictures grew into full maturity in the ‘silent era’ (1894- 1929) before silent
films were replaced by ‘taking pictures’ in the late 1920s. Many film
scholars and buffs argue that the aesthetic quality of cinema decreased for
several years until directors, actors and production staff adapted to the new
‘talkies’.
THE SILENT MOVIE ERA
6. The Contemporary Period. In the 1970s and 1980s, multinational
corporations bought and merged many movie studios, ending the period of
artistic experimentation in Hollywood. The industry has returned to financial
success and global dominance through the development of blockbuster
franchises, large-scale marketing campaigns, and content aimed at children.
It also has placed increasing emphasis on spectacular special effects in order
to draw audiences into movie theaters. The emergence of affordable digital
video cameras and the growth of the film festival circuit have expanded the
possibilities for independent filmmakers around the world to produce,
distribute, and exhibit films.
THE CONTEMPORARY PERIOD
7. The Walk Of Fame comprises of more than 2500 five-pointed stars
embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard
and the three blocks of Vine.
There are nearly 200 Hollywood celebrities’ handprints, footprints,
and autographs on the concrete floor. On top of that, eyeglasses of
Harold Lloyd, cigar of Groucho Marx and magic wands of Harry Potter
is also there.
THE WALK OF FAME