The Whole Equation of Pictures

Schatz begins his article “The Whole Equation of Pictures” with a reflection back to old Hollywood cinema. He describes a time in which the Hollywood industry was booming; the word “industry” referring to the Henry Ford-style movie making studio process. I found it interesting the way he mentioned directors at the time. Either you were able to create your own iconic directorial style, or you fell to the wayside working as a cog in part of the machine. As George Stevens asserts, “The filmmaker became the employee.” It is important to note that the filmmakers we do remember (Hitchcock, Hawks, Capra, etc.) all had a much larger role in the filmmaking process than simply directing. Schatz describes that they also had a hand in casting, editing, and script development; all of which were earned by the directors paying their dues within the system. In a way it seems like you must play into the system in order to have enough power to escape out of it. Money has always been a driving force behind Hollywood cinema and this article has made me compare old Hollywood cinema versus today’s. Who felt more pressure to make money for studios and how does that affect a director’s artistic freedom?