Lately I find less films that I’ve actually seen, and more films popping up on my “to-see” list. My family gets annoyed when I look at a film and pronounce it may go straight to Netflix. That’s because of The Modern Lament:I don’t have time to see all these films!”; (and some of the films look really, really crappy!)
I think everyone is aware of the problem. The fact is ALL kinds of media continue to bombard us daily. I can’t get through my e-mails every day, let alone the ambitious Netflix list I’ve compiled for 2014! That being said, there are some advantages to seeing films on television. Many of the best and brightest Hollywood talent-Claire Danes and Kevin Spacey come to mind- are gravitating towards cable and television. One of the biggest topics floating around Hollywood these days is the rise of the small screen. At a film conference last year, even Steven Speilberg confessed that “Lincoln” was almost made for TV.
Another new development concerning films involves the rise of the international market. Gone are the days when the United States traffic at the box-office dominated the decisions surrounding box-office hits. In the 21st Century, the Global Village of Film has given rise to a new standard in which films are marketed for international audiences. Once again, we are manufacturing and marketing films for a mass audience.
In my book, 6 Degrees of Film: The Future of Film in the Global Village, there’s a section discussing the great debate that occurred when talking pictures first came on the scene. One of the reasons studio bosses trembled at the thought of “talkies” was the thought of losing all that revenue. The reasoning was simple. Silent films were distributed globally. Talking pictures kept the films bound to the borders of their country of origin, or at least, the language of origin… With a global market for film emerging, once again the market has expanded. So now and into the foreseeable future… movies really are being made for the Global Village.
Six Degrees of Film 