Communications and Media

The star system refers to the system of creating, exploiting and promoting movie stars in the classical Hollywood cinema. In the star system, studios used to select talented young glamorize and actors and then create personas for them, frequently inventing names and backgrounds. Examples of star system stars are rock Hudson (Roy Harold), Cary Grant (Archie Leach) and Joan Crawford (Lucille Fay Lesueur). The star system places emphasis on the figure (image) rather than the acting, though tactful acting, dancing lessons and voice used to be a general component of the regimen. For example women were supposed to conduct themselves like ladies and by no means leave home without makeup and fashionable, stylish clad. Men on the other hand were to be seen as gentlemen in the public. Like the todays studio executives, the agents and the public relations officers work with the actors in creating a star persona, they would work collectively to cover up lifestyles and incidents which would spoil the public image of the star. In this system, it was common to organize for sham dates between the single stars (male) and the single starlets (females) so as to generate publicity. A stars drinking problems, drug abuse or divorce problems used to be covered up using money or promises of future excusive stories (Keith 2005, par. 1- 2)

In the beginning of the 1930s up to 1960s it became common for some studios to organize for contractual swap-over of talent with the actors and the directors for prestige films. The stars at times would pursue the swaps for themselves. The star system still existed by the beginning of the 1950s dark, tall and handsome rock Hudson is the excellent product of the star system. Hudsons limited talent was nurtured in the strict limits of a universal studio contract and picture B series. After he played as bad boy redeemed in magnificent obsession in 1954 Rock Hudsons fame soared, merged by several successful melodramas-for example Written on the Wind in 1956 and All That Heaven Allows in 1955 (Keith 2005, par. 3). These were directed by his mentor Douglas Sirk (Keith 2005, par.3) Throughout 1960s Hudson alternated superficial sex comedies with action stage shows and dramas. The glossy glasshouse melodrama Hudson had popularized in 1950s became a world television trend by the 1980s. Hudson joined the cast of one of these super-rich sagas, Dynasty in late 1984 (Keith 2005, par. 6) His strained features provoked comments.  By the mid 1985, snaps of the virtually unrecognizable, spectral star Hudson were blazed across the entire world. Rumours which earlier said that he was a victim of AIDS were established when he later sought after treatment in Paris (Keith 2005 par. 6, 7)

Hudsons sex life attracted attention after his lover, Marc Christian, whom he never informed about his status sued his estate successfully. On the screen Hudson used to be the epitome of a movie star virile, unassuming and upright. It would be right if one claims that he was among the great actors of his time a gay who became the unquestionable global symbol of heterosexuality. Rock Hudson happens to be the last of the manufactured movie stars. Hudsons screen occurrence boosted by beefcake fan clubs, photographs and endless bachelorhood momentarily disrupted by a set marriage to Phyllis Gates (Wilsons secretary) in 1955-divorced in 1958.Hudsons alluring mixture of outward honesty and determined ambition, putting a public mask till it was ripped off him, places him among the grand American glamour symbols Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, President John F. Kennedy, and Elizabeth Taylor (Day 1995, p.65)

New Hollywood
For more than twenty five years now, the new Hollywood has been a great industry in entertainment across the globe. They use a combination of eclectic song list, stage presence and talent to play all styles of music (McDonald 2010, par.1). New Hollywood (post classical Hollywood) which is at times called the American new wave reflects the period between mid 1960s and early 1980s. During this period, a new creation of young and energetic filmmakers become prominent in America, manipulating the kinds of films that were produced, how they were produced as well as marketing them. This influenced the manner in which major studios viewed the process of filmmaking. The films made were a component of studio system and they were not independent filmmakers. They introduced the styles which separated them from the traditions of the studios. New Hollywood is thus a broader filmmaking association which was influenced by this age referred to as the Hollywood renaissance. This new age was countercultural, film-school and young and hence was able to target the youth which the old Hollywood was losing. It changed the whole business from being producer driven by old Hollywood system by injecting movies with energy, freshness, passion, sexuality and a natural taste of film (New Hollywood 2009, par. 1-4)

The greatest change in the new Hollywood was an in-depth emphasis based on realism. New filmmakers in Hollywood quickly developed the preference for site shooting which gained effect in increasing immersion of films and realism particularly compared to artificiality of the past spectacles and musicals. Using editing in artistic effect, it was important in new Hollywood for foreshadowing a movies climax (New Hollywood, 2009, par. 1-4). In addition, the figures of the new Hollywood admit their involvement in marijuana and LSD has removed the old image of public masking that was used by the star system (Day 1995, p.65)

The independence of the American cinema today
The new Hollywood wave marked a major shift to the independency of production and innovative work by a new generation of directors which greatly transformed star wars, after jaws and the recognition of the essence of blockbusters, control of production and advertising by the studios. The new system in Hollywood was still deep rooted in studio system that financed production, distribution and development of the films. Not even one of them was able to independently finance or release their own film (Bresson 2005 par.1)

The independent cinema in America has been a crucial creative media entity for about a decade and a half now. The approach used by this sector is of cultural construction which simultaneously offers social-political orientation via which the critics as well as the audience can be able to obtain given films to famous movements and thoughts. The declaration of autonomy questions the possible independence of the cinema and questions whether independent film could survive the mass creation and margins of Hollywood. American cinema continues growing as a glossy scene. The independence declarations of this industry provides an analysis of its popularity, production process (which is called niche cinema), and economic viability (McDonald 2010, par.4-5)

Features of tech noir
Tech noir refers to a style of presentation or genre that combines the details of technology, hallmarks and devices of speculative fiction and science to the fundamental premises, styles and themes. Noir happens in a mysterious world, one of emotional and moral bleakness. In noir, the order of natural things in the society is usually upside down. Noir came from 1950 and 1960s films which the French referred as the noir films. The films were dark both in their physical as well as emotional presentation. Tech noir therefore represents a body of science fiction and speculative fiction work in media reflecting an inversion of the natural order of humanity but not a dread of technology put in a setting of tech-y (Richardson 2003, par. 14)

In tech-noir, characters are seen as existing in a totally nihilistic world. The film borrows from the hard-boiled technique of crime fiction from the depression era and is the first seen film in the 1940s (Tech noir net 2007, par.1).  The principal themes captured in these films were corruption, greed, murder and fatalistic atmosphere. They featured archetypal characters such as crooked cops, cynical private eye, jealous husbands and the femme fatale (Tech noir net 2007, par.2). Tech noir also represents a state where technology has greatly advanced in all features apart from the outward appearance. Examples of tech noir are sophisticated computers that are linked to type -writer for input or use of old phones in the place of cell phones (Tech noir net 2007, par.2)

Tech noir is therefore both a genre and a style because it utilizes the elements of film noir in producing a traditional look in a futuristic atmosphere. It is a genre because it includes themes of mystery, corruption, dystopia and conspiracy. Therefore this film can be properly described as being characteristic of cultural anxieties since it combines both tradition and technology in the same scene as well as modern styles and old methods of film production. In addition, the film reflects the society in a twisted manner where the order of normal life is turned upside down (Gehring 1998, p.6)

Impact of computer generated imaging on Hollywood films produced since 1980
Today, Hollywood has gone digital. Cameras no longer capture scenes in form of frames but rather in bits. Further a new generation of computer wizards juggles up everything raging from seemingly impossible beasts to the cliff-top battlegrounds. Film is dead. Long live movies (Russo 2007, par.1)
The impact of digital computer technology on Hollywood film industry has been steady but all-inclusive. Today in Hollywood, a movie can be shot, edited and disseminated (from camera to theatre and further) exclusive of even one frame of film. This transformation has greatly changed both business and art form of the camera (Russo 2007, par.1).

This impact is seen in the shift from long distant to digital recording, cinema to graphics, digital cameras and the shooting clear looking footage which are easier to control than the film (Russo 2007, par.1)

Feature of block buster and the high concept
Before 1975, successful films which were based on box office (a type of film) were called blockbuster films. Block buster were originally created by audience but after a while, this term was used to refer to high production which targeted mass markets on which fortunes associated with distributor and studio depended (Sunday Mercury 2008, p.6).

A high concept is a script, whose premise has afresh twist, is universal, can be summarized in 25-logline giving an excellent picture of the whole movie and it involves empathetic heroes dealing with big problems (Sunday mercury 2008, p.6). High concept is not limited to the rigid blockbuster. High concept is the home for all genres comedies, romantic, animation, classics, Indies, chick flicks and documentaries (Niki 2009, par. 6)