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This documentary is part of the American Cinema Series,
which originally aired on PBS. This series is a survey of the American film industry as an
art form, as an industry, and as a system of representation and communication. It explores
how Hollywood films work technically, aesthetically, and culturally to reinforce and
challenge America's national self-image. Using Paramount Pictures as a case study,
"The Studio System" looks at the factory system, perfected by major film studios
in 1930s Hollywood. The studio system combined the best talent in the industry and also
allowed for individual expression. By the 1950s, television, limited budgets, and
non-exclusive contracts meant the beginning of the end for the old studio system. Huge
corporations that tend to over emphasize profit own the "New Hollywood".
(60 minutes) |