Not only has audio been incorporated in movies, but color too. These amazing advances in technology allow the viewer to draw a better picture from the film. People are able to understand the story further than when there was no sound or color. The evolution in the film industry has changed so drastically in the last century that we now have movies in 3-D. However, this progression had to start somewhere. I'm not sure we can have much more advancements in cameras and technology with films, but I guess you never know. Filmmakers have been able to make revolutionary advances that change the future of film.
Woody Allen's career spiked during the years of 1952-1971. Woody Allen has introduced comedy to the industry. People are now able to be entertained in a new form. He began at an usual age in an usual time. At an early age of 15, Allen began writing jokes for a local newspaper. This is the way that he was able to rise to fame producing comedic films at first, and later changing to various types.
What else happened during this time period? The television had been introduced and was growing in popularity for general entertainment. For the television industry to sustain itself, they changed the size of the films that were being produced to fit a wider screen. During the 1950s, color was being used more often. And the biggest change of all was in the number of indoor theaters that closed from 1948-1958. The once, ever-popular movie industry had competition with the television. However, over the same time period, the number of outdoor theaters grew from about 1,000 to 5,000 in 1958. This is a huge increase. It was a great tactic to stand out from the television. Movies now had something special. The ability to watch a movie from your car was a completely new concept of the time. Now this challenged the success of the television.
Besides all of the technical changes in film, there was also changes in the films themselves. Musicals, westerns, suspenses, and epics were all very common. There was the introduction of science fiction films. This particular type caught the attention of many viewers. A few of the popular sci-fi's of the 1950s include The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing From Another World, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Incredible Shrinking Man.
Science fiction is a genre of fiction that deals with impacts from scientific or technological innovations, often set in a futuristic or non-realistic setting. This gives a sense of fantasy, and ultimately relief from the real world for viewers. Another new genre allowed filmmakers to displace people from their everyday lives and sit through a futuristic fantasy world. Does these new innovations in the films play a role in the real world?
During these years, there was also an expansion in popular actors and actresses. James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Paul Newman are just to name a few. These three people made a great impact in films as actors. They became world-wide role models and idols.
After discovering everything that happened in the 1950s, I wondered how could all of that happen in only ten years? It truly is amazing to see how the people ultimately predict if a new genre, idea, or film will succeed or fail.
The 1960s was another busy decade in itself. In America, the culture had changed into the hippie, rock n' roll and experimentation with drugs. This reflects onto the film industry. Films being produced had to deal with more of those cultural themes. These ten years also contained a lot of violence, death, and tragedies. JFK was assassinated, Hair opened off-Broadway, the Cuban Missile Crisis was going on, anti-Vietnam War protests were taking place, and "60 Minutes"debuts on television. These are just some of the major events that occurred during the 1960s that have some effect on the film industry. To say the least, it is clear that the 1960s brought trouble to the industry. Major companies were financially unstable and foreign films were influencing the United States. It seems to me that the relaxed culture brought along with it many ups and downs in history.
As the film industry in the 1970s began in financial disarray, they ended more prosperous and successful. Risks in language and sexuality were being taken by young filmmakers. Yet again, another change in film content. Also, the theme of war-truths in films was very popular. People wanted to know what was happening on the front lines of a war. They don't want to be fooled by the media, they want it to be informative. The end of the 1970s showed how changes in ideas can bring a greater positive audience response. It is difficult to sum up about 20 years in history; however, the film industry has come a long way from where it began a century ago.
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