The Big Picture: Money and Power in HollywoodIn this unprecedented, all-encompassing, and thoroughly entertaining account of the movie business, acclaimed writer Edward Jay Epstein reveals the real magic behind moviemaking: how the studios make their money. Epstein shows that in Hollywood, the only art that matters is the art of the deal: Major films turn huge profits not from the movies themselves but through myriad other enterprises, from video-game spin-offs and soundtracks to fast-food tie-ins, and even theme-park rides. The studios may compete for stars and Oscars, but their corporate parents view wth one another in less glamorous markets such as cable, home video, and pay-TV. Money, though, is only a small part of the Hollywood story; the social and political milieus–power, prestige, and status–tell the rest. Alongside its remarkable financial revelations and incisive profiles of the pioneers who helped build Hollywood, The Big Picture is filled with eye-opening insider stories. If you are interested in Hollywood today and the complex and fascinating way it has evolved in order to survive, you haven’ t seen the big picture until you’ve read The Big Picture. |
Contents
The Two Hollywoods | 3 |
The New System | 25 |
The Creators | 27 |
Americanizing the World | 85 |
The Sexopoly | 93 |
The Clearinghouse Concept | 106 |
The Art of Deception the Deception of | 127 |
Development Hell | 129 |
The Television Windfall | 219 |
License to Merchandise | 225 |
The Learning Imperative | 229 |
The Midas Formula | 236 |
The Social Logic of Hollywood | 243 |
Homo Ludens | 245 |
The Communal Instinct | 253 |
The New Elites | 258 |
The Green Light | 139 |
Preparing the Illusion | 148 |
Lights Cameras Action | 154 |
Bits and Pieces | 163 |
Completing the Illusion | 170 |
The Creation of Audiences | 175 |
The Awareness Mission | 177 |
The Drive | 184 |
Day | 187 |
The Economic Logic of Hollywood | 193 |
The Popcorn Economy | 195 |
Alien Territory | 203 |
The DVD Revolution | 209 |
Hollywood at Work and Play | 290 |
The Culture of Deception | 296 |
The Political Logic of Hollywood | 311 |
The Pictures in Our Heads | 313 |
The Rules of the Game | 319 |
The World According to Hollywood | 327 |
The Once and Future Hollywood | 338 |
The Rise of the Tube Moguls | 353 |
Notes | 359 |
Acknowledgments | 381 |
| 383 | |
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The Big Picture: The New Logic of Money and Power in Hollywood Edward Jay Epstein Limited preview - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
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