Hollywood in the Information Age: Beyond the Silver Screen (Texas Film Studies Series) [Paperback]

Janet Wasko (Author)

Book Description

Series: Texas Film Studies Series | Publication Date: 1994

Hollywood, movies, and the silver screen were once synonymous, but sweeping changes in the film industry over the last two decades have revolutionized everything from film distribution (video, network TV, cable and pay-cable) to marketing and spin-offs (toys, games, books, theme park rides) to ownership and control of the major studios. This wide-ranging book delves into all these areas to offer a major new assessment of the filmed entertainment industry as it positions itself for the twenty-first century. Janet Wasko's in-depth investigation of the effects of new technologies on production, distribution and exhibition, and marketing constitutes a state-of-the-art account of the transformation of one of the world's most important entertainment industries. This book will be vital reading for everyone involved in the film industry, and it will become a key text for students in media and film studies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

a This book is a timely contribution to the debate on the Information Super Highway and the globalization of media markets. Full of up--to--date information, it is essential reading for all those studying current developments in the media.a Nicholas Garnham, University of Westminster a Looking for a rudder to steer through the shifting currents of moviedom in the information age? Waskoa s ... treatise may be just the thing.a Box Office a Wasko provides a full analysis of the major ways the Hollywood movie business is maintaining its monopoly on film making. This is an important look at the lucrative business of big movie making. Recommended.a The Readera s Review --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

'This book is a timely contribution to the debate on the Information Super Highway and the globalization of media markets. Full of up-to-date information, it is essential reading for all those studying current developments in the media.' Nicholas Garnham, University of Westminster

'Looking for a rudder to steer through the shifting currents of moviedom in the information age? Wasko's ... treatise may be just the thing.' Box Office

'Wasko provides a full analysis of the major ways the Hollywood movie business is maintaining its monopoly on film making. This is an important look at the lucrative business of big movie making. Recommended.' The Reader's Review --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 318 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1 edition (1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292790945
• ISBN-13: 978-0292790940
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,628,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Conspiracy Theory In Every Chapter, October 27, 2000

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This review is from: Hollywood in the Information Age: Beyond the Silver Screen (Texas Film Studies Series) (Hardcover)

Welcome to the Hollywood that your teachers, parents, and the media never told you about. It wasn't that these influential propagators of information didn't want to keep this information a secret from you: they simply didn't know any better. Janet Wasko takes readers on a journey through the history of the business side of Hollywood--who owns what, which companies are in bed with one another and how those hegemonic relationships influence which programs and information make it past these media "gatekeepers" into the mainstream. Be prepared to have your eyebrows raised and your jaw dropped when Wasko reveals the intricate relationships maintained between media outlets (such as Disney and ABC) that play up on their rivalry in public, but are partners on the sidelines. The title of this book does it no justice: this book is chock-full of information and is a must-read for media, journalism and film students and those interested in critical history.