Is The Film Industry Set For An Implosion ?

What's In Hollywood's Future

Hollywood has changed.  Movie-making has become a game of Texas hold'em where you're either 'all in' or 'out'.  Movie-making and distribution is currently all about the mega-blockbuster or the low-budget indie - there is no middle ground.

The film business, like all other businesses, is about making money and the best way to accomplish that, right now, is with high-impact, big budget, action movies with oodles of special effects and stunts, and a simple theme that appeals to a global audience. Studio execs bet big that their mega-blockbusters - ranging in cost from $200-400 million - will reap larger returns and that worldwide audiences will continue to demand more of the same.

Have movies reached a point where the art form has become a wasteland where story-telling and meaty scripts have given way to fantasy, illusion, superheros, and the undead? I'm afraid so. But, is that bad?  Steven Spielberg and George Lucas believe so.  At a recent conference at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, both moguls predicted that the current path Hollywood is on will lead to an "implosion" - and all it will take is one summer of mega-flops.

Spielberg told USC students that even established film-makers were struggling to get their projects into cinemas. citing the Oscar winning Lincoln which came very close to being an HBO pay-per-view.  Lucas, reiterated saying, "The pathway to get into theatres is really getting smaller and smaller.  Red Tails (Lucas's war drama) barely scraped into cinemas last year.  You're talking about Spielberg and Lucas can't get their movie into a theatre."

I think both Spielberg and Lucas are right. I don't know if there will be an implosion, but I do believe the dynamics of the industry are going to change.  I think two major  changes will occur. First, there will eventually be tiered pricing for movies at cinemas. Moviegoers will be asked to pay one price for a mega-blockbuster, say $20 but only $10 or less for other films which cannot garner a large audience.  Second, movies will be released day-and-date across all digital platforms.

The movie industry is changing. Yes, it will be harder for young aspirants to break into the 'game' and it will be a free-for-all regarding content that grabs eyeballs, but hasn't the entertainment piece of  'arts & entertainment'  always been the elusive factor.

Best & Happy Moviegoing
Jim Lavorato