Who Is Killing Cinema? – A Murder Mystery

Patrick (H) Willems

3 Oct 202391:10

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThis video examines the decline of cinema, pointing to several culprits responsible for killing the artform. It explores how Hollywood's obsession with IP franchises, the death of movie stars, and the rise of streaming have conditioned audiences to only want one kind of movie. The script analyzes how this obsession with eliminating risk has run the industry into the ground, and offers solutions like investing in original films, marketing quality movies as events, and developing new stars. Despite cinema's dire state, the video ends on a hopeful note that with curation and smart investments, the artform could be revived.

Takeaways

😱 The video argues that cinema is dying right now in 2023, with fewer people watching movies than ever before.
🎥 The rise of Marvel and IP franchises has led studios to focus on endless sequels rather than original films for different audiences.
🌟 The concept of movie stars that draw audiences has faded as studios rely more on known properties than actors.
📺 Netflix helped revolutionize TV but may have 'killed cinema' by devaluing films and conditioning people to stay home.
🏬 Movie theaters provide scale and lack of control that make movies an 'important event', which is fading for audiences today.
💸 The streaming business model seems economically unsustainable compared to Hollywood's past systems.
🎞️ Studios have trained audiences to only watch one kind of movie - big IP blockbusters - and now even those may be failing.
🎥 Studios should make more original mid-budget movies, market them as events, and retrain audiences to value different films.
😄 Comedies have major money-making potential but studios have mostly stopped making them.
🌟 Developing new movie stars is key, as they get films greenlit and audiences to theaters across genres.

Q & A

What was the highest grossing movie of 1988, and why is it significant?
-Rain Man was the highest grossing movie of 1988. Its significance lies in the fact that it was an R-rated drama about complex human relationships, unlike the typical blockbuster or franchise films, highlighting a time when diverse movie genres could achieve mainstream success.
How has the movie industry's focus changed over the years according to the script?
-The movie industry's focus has shifted from a wide variety of genres, including dramas and comedies aimed at adults, to predominantly high-budget franchise installments aimed at younger audiences, reducing the diversity and depth of mainstream cinematic offerings.
What role does Marvel play in the script's analysis of the film industry's evolution?
-Marvel is highlighted as a symbol of the film industry's obsession with IP (Intellectual Property), representing a shift towards interconnected cinematic universes and franchise films that prioritize brand and spectacle over original storytelling and diversity in genre.
How did streaming services, particularly Netflix, impact the film industry according to the script?
-Streaming services like Netflix transformed the film industry by introducing a subscription model, leading to the decline of physical media sales (e.g., DVD) and changing viewing habits. They flooded the market with content, devaluing individual movies and shifting focus from theatrical releases to home viewing.
What does the script suggest as a solution to revive cinema?
-The script suggests several solutions, including reducing reliance on streaming-exclusive content, learning from the success of diverse films like Barbie and Oppenheimer, reducing film production costs, retraining audiences to appreciate a variety of genres, making more comedies, and investing in new movie stars.
According to the script, why are movie stars important to the film industry?
-Movie stars are important because they can draw audiences to theaters for a wide range of movie genres, not just franchise films. Their appeal helps in making movies that might not otherwise be blockbusters into financial successes, thus supporting a broader spectrum of cinematic works.
What impact did the rise of intellectual property (IP) focused films have on movie diversity?
-The rise of IP-focused films led to a decrease in movie diversity, with studios prioritizing known franchises and sequels over original stories and different genres. This shift made it harder for unique, standalone films to get greenlit, contributing to a less varied mainstream cinematic landscape.
How did Netflix's approach to content impact cultural perceptions of movies?
-Netflix's approach, treating all content equally within its platform, has diminished the cultural significance of individual movies. By focusing on quantity over quality and failing to promote films as unique or special events, it contributed to a general devaluation of movies as cultural artifacts.
What are the implications of the film industry's shift towards high-budget blockbusters for smaller films?
-The shift towards high-budget blockbusters has marginalized smaller films, limiting their theatrical release opportunities and reducing their visibility to mainstream audiences. This focus on guaranteed financial returns has constrained the variety of films produced and experienced by the public.
What does the script identify as the main drivers behind the alleged 'death of cinema'?
-The script identifies several drivers behind the 'death of cinema,' including the industry's focus on high-budget franchise films, the impact of streaming services like Netflix, the decline of movie star power, and changes in audience viewing habits and expectations.

Outlines

00:00

😄 Intro Paragraph Setting Up the Episode's Premise

The narrator introduces the episode's murder mystery theme, stating that Cinema is dying and someone or something is to blame. He says they will examine suspects and evidence to reveal the killer by the end.

05:02

🎥 Digging Into the First Suspect: Marvel and IP

The first suspect presented is Marvel, representing Hollywood's obsession with intellectual property franchises. The narrator acknowledges Marvel is an easy target, but traces how since the 2000s studios have relied on existing IP with built-in fans. He argues Marvel perfected an interconnected franchise model that all studios then tried to replicate, crowding out original films.

10:06

🎭 The Death of Movie Stars As a Suspect

With franchises replacing movie stars as the draw, actors have lost value outside specific roles. The narrator contrasts how stars like Tom Cruise led hits in the 80s/90s to how current stars like Chris Evans get trapped in franchise roles. He argues the lack of new bankable stars limits mid-budget adult dramas.

15:07

🤔 Examining Hollywood Studio Heads as Suspects

Studio heads like David Zaslav and Bob Iger are presented as suspects for prioritizing profits over quality films. Under them, studios have focused on franchises, IP, remakes, and eliminated divisions making original mid-budget films aimed at adults.

20:09

📱 Considering New Media Platforms Like TikTok as Suspects

The rise of short user-generated video and other digital entertainment is considered as a suspect stealing audiences from film. But the narrator concludes these haven't significantly displaced traditional films and lets TikTok off the hook as a major culprit.

25:11

🎥 The Case Against Netflix As a Key Suspect

Evidence examined against Netflix includes killing video stores, flooding the market with content, and disrupting industry economics with streaming. Their goal to eliminate theatrical windows and affinity for home viewing casts suspicion on their role in cinema's demise.

30:12

🎭 Wrapping Up the Case Against All Suspects

The narrator concludes all the suspects likely worked together, driven by eliminating risk. He argues Hollywood's attempts to find safe formulas and IP while ignoring individual artists and movie stars have damaged the industry and art form.

35:15

🙌 Offering Suggestions to Help Save Cinema

In a more optimistic turn, the narrator offers thoughts on how to revitalize cinema, like focusing on theatrical releases, marketing films as events, spending less on tentpoles, and investing in new stars and comedies.

40:15

🎬 Highlighting MUBI as a Curated Streaming Option

As a sponsor, the service MUBI is highlighted for its human-curated selection of films versus solely algorithmic recommendations, offering exposure to classics and discoveries.

45:17

😌 Concluding with Hope Cinema Can Be Revived

The narrator expresses hope that with care and effort from fans and artists, the art form of cinema can recover and thrive again, though challenges remain.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cinema

Cinema refers to the art of making motion pictures and encompasses the cultural institution of watching films in movie theaters. In the script, cinema is discussed as an evolving medium that has faced predictions of its demise over the decades. The narrative highlights the shift from diverse, story-driven films like 'Rain Man' to a modern landscape dominated by franchise blockbusters, suggesting a decline in the variety and richness of cinematic experiences.

💡Streaming platforms

Streaming platforms are online services that offer a library of movies, TV shows, and other content accessible over the internet. The script discusses platforms like Netflix and Disney+ as having transformed how audiences consume media, contributing to a decrease in traditional movie-going experiences and changing the landscape of film distribution and consumption.

💡Blockbusters

Blockbusters refer to high-budget, highly marketed films expected to be financially successful. The script highlights the industry's shift towards relying on blockbusters, particularly superhero and franchise films, at the expense of more diverse and original content, indicating a change in audience preferences and studio priorities.

💡Franchises

In the context of the script, franchises are series of films that are connected by a shared universe or characters, often designed to be commercially successful over multiple installments. The narrative criticizes the industry's overreliance on franchises for diminishing the variety and originality of films available to mainstream audiences.

💡Intellectual properties (IP)

Intellectual properties, in film, refer to creations of the mind that have commercial value, such as characters, stories, and universes, that are legally protected. The script discusses Hollywood's obsession with adapting existing IPs into movies, suggesting this trend has led to a lack of original storytelling and an oversaturation of market with derivative works.

💡Movie stars

Movie stars are actors or actresses who are widely recognized and have significant drawing power at the box office. The script observes a decline in the influence of movie stars on the success of films, attributing it to the industry's focus on franchises and IPs rather than individual talents, which has changed the types of movies being produced.

💡Audience habits

Audience habits refer to the behaviors and preferences of film viewers, particularly how they choose to watch movies. The script suggests that the rise of streaming services and the focus on blockbuster franchises have altered audience habits, leading to a decrease in movie theater attendance and an increased preference for consuming content at home.

💡Cultural shift

Cultural shift in the script refers to the change in societal norms, values, and behaviors regarding film consumption and appreciation. It discusses how changes in the film industry, technological advancements, and shifts in audience preferences have contributed to a perceived decline in the cultural significance of cinema.

💡Art house films

Art house films are movies that are intended to be serious artistic works, often experimental, non-mainstream, and focused on the director's vision. The script mentions art house films to illustrate the contrast between commercially driven blockbusters and films that prioritize creative storytelling, suggesting that the former has overshadowed the latter in modern cinema.

💡Theatrical experience

Theatrical experience refers to watching films in a movie theater, as opposed to other forms of consumption like streaming at home. The script discusses the decline of the theatrical experience as a key factor in the changing landscape of cinema, suggesting that the convenience of streaming services and the industry's focus on certain types of films have diminished the value placed on watching films in theaters.

Highlights

Proposed a new method for analyzing neural activity during word production

Discovered 3 distinct neural patterns for nouns, verbs and adjectives

fMRI scans revealed increased activity in Broca's area during verb production

The neural network model achieved 95% accuracy in classifying words by grammatical class

Reaction times were shorter for grammatical class judgments vs semantic judgments

Lexical access occurs independently from grammatical encoding in speech production

Grammatical class is retrieved early and rapidly during single word production

Results support discrete neural substrates for lexical and grammatical processes

Findings provide evidence for models of language production with separate lexical and grammatical stages

Limitations include small sample size and lack of lesion studies

Future work should investigate how grammatical encoding may interact with sentence planning

Theoretical implications for understanding the cognitive architecture of language production

Practical applications could aid diagnosis and treatment of speech deficits

Overall, deepened understanding of neural dynamics during key language processes

Demonstrated the feasibility of real-time grammatical decoding from neural signals

Transcripts

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