The Future of Film

While my next blog entry is coming, I decided to share this little article about what one of our greatest Hollywood directors and producers says about the future of film industry. Re-posted from Hollywood Reporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielberg-predicts-implosion-film-567604.

Steven Spielberg Predicts 'Implosion' of Film Industry 

by Paul Bond

Steven Spielberg on Wednesday predicted an "implosion" in the film industry is inevitable, whereby a half dozen or so $250 million movies flop at the box office and alter the industry forever. What comes next -- or even before then -- will be price variances at movie theaters, where "you're gonna have to pay $25 for the next Iron Man, you're probably only going to have to pay $7 to see Lincoln." He also said that Lincoln came "this close" to being an HBO movie instead of a theatrical release.

George Lucas agreed that massive changes are afoot, including film exhibition morphing somewhat into a Broadway play model, whereby fewer movies are released, they stay in theaters for a year and ticket prices are much higher. His prediction prompted Spielberg to recall that his 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial stayed in theaters for a year and four months.

The two legendary filmmakers, along with CNBC anchor Julia Boorstin and Microsoft president of interactive entertainment business Don Mattrick, were speaking at the University of Southern California as part of the festivities surrounding the official opening of the Interactive Media Building, three stories high and part of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Lucas and Spielberg told USC students that they are learning about the industry at an extraordinary time of upheaval, where even proven talents find it difficult to get movies into theaters. Some ideas from young filmmakers "are too fringe-y for the movies," Spielberg said. "That's the big danger, and there's eventually going to be an implosion — or a big meltdown. There's going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen megabudget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that's going to change the paradigm."

Lucas lamented the high cost of marketing movies and the urge to make them for the masses while ignoring niche audiences. He called cable television "much more adventurous" than film nowadays.

"I think eventually the Lincolns will go away and they're going to be on television," Lucas said. "As mine almost was," Spielberg interjected. "This close -- ask HBO -- this close."

"We're talking Lincoln and Red Tails -- we barely got them into theaters. You're talking about Steven Spielberg and George Lucas can't get their movie into a theater," Lucas said. "I got more people into Lincoln than you got into Red Tails," Spielberg joked.

Spielberg added that he had to co-own his own studio in order to get Lincoln into theaters.

"The pathway to get into theaters is really getting smaller and smaller," Lucas said.

Mattrick and Spielberg also praised Netflix, prompting Boorstin to ask Spielberg if he planned to make original content for the Internet streamer. "I have nothing to announce," said the director.

Lucas and Spielberg also spoke of vast differences between film making and video games because the latter hasn't been able to tell stories and make consumers care about the characters. Which isn't to say the two worlds aren't connected. Spielberg, in fact, has teamed with Microsoft to make a "TV" show for Xbox 360 based on the game Halo and he is making a movie based on the Electronic Arts game Need for Speed.

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I agree with both Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Lucas. The current movie production will not be sustained soon due to the Internet (Amazon, Netflix, YouTube etc.) and cable. Everyone will try to save as much money to earn more than even today. Movie theaters will suffer because their bottom line depends on how many movies they show per week. And if a movie will be played for more than year, then going to one will be like going to the Metropolitan Opera as Mr. Spielberg said. I also hope with less movies filming, maybe, we'll see more original and mind-expanding projects around. After all, do we need to see ten different movies per week that by the end of the year, they look the same?

This is bad news for those who want to enter this profession because competition will be more fierce, and production studios will want to hire actors with experience. Therefore, the need for actors to write and film themselves will be immense, and today, it is a great time to film. 

My concluding thought is perhaps to read, write, and make movies by yourself. And if you are not inclined, then just read books. You might benefit from them more. And this change could benefit us somehow. Ain't the times exciting?
Thoughts?