Steven Spielberg and Special Effects (1978-present)Over the last hundred years in film, special effects have been utilized. It started with "A Trip to the Moon" back in 1902, and has progressed to the caliber of Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park". Spielberg is a director known for his extensive use of special effects, especially in the Sci-Fi genre. Make-up artists, engineers, and many other professions come together to create the magic we see on screen today.
Computer Animation (CGI) 1995By the late 1980's, many people had begun experimentation with computer graphics, after the rise of the computer itself. Many digital shorts had been written, but it wasn't until 1995 when the technology was available to produce an entirely CGI animated film, the Disney/Pixar studios film Toy Story. Since then, Pixar has produced many more films, and CGI as a theatrical tool has been widely used and advanced to near photo-realism, like in the 2012 film "Life of Pi", where CGI is used to create realistic tigers and marine life.
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New Hollywood (1965-1985) After the cinematic boom of the 30's, 40's, and 50's, came the rolling 60's. A new generation of young filmmakers came into being, creating a kind of "Hollywood Renaissance" that pushed cinema where it is today. They were not independent filmmakers, but worked for the many big-time studios. The "Old Hollywood" genre of "My Fair Lady" and films like it was dying out. These new films were made for the baby boomer generation. Raunchy comedies and chilling horrors were extremely popular, as were films displaying anarchy or sexuality. They were tailored to their audience, the "rebellious" youth of the 1960's and 70's. During this time, Hollywood went from a place of artistic expression, to a place based primarily on pleasing the masses.
The DVD (1995)The DVD was developed by Toshiba, Time-Warner, Matsushita Electric, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Pioneer, Thomson, and JVC in 1995 as a better way to store film and information. Prior to this, Movies were available on VHS tapes, which had revolutionized the industry in that people could now watch movies in the comfort of their homes without going to secondhand theaters. Films additionally generated more revenue for studios after their films went off the market. In June 2006, the Blu Ray disc was created, designed as a DVD in higher definition to supersede the DVD itself.
The Blockbuster Age (present)The end of the 20th into the 21st century marks the Blockbuster age of Hollywood and cinema. From the 1970's releases of "Jaws" and "Star Wars", cinema has become about merchandizing, spinoffs, and ultimately profit. These "summer blockbusters", films and franchises that blew up the box office, were what sprung the new era of cinema. Multiplexes were built to show multiple movies at a time, thus generating more profit. The addition of internet viewing has popularized the movies even further. Everywhere you look, there are ads, television, films, actors and actresses being considered as the most influential people in America, and millions of dollars being made. This is the new age of cinema.
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