(EXPLAIN HOW THE PRODUCTION CONTEXT OF CITIZEN KANE INFLUENCED THE “LOOK AND FEEL” OF THE PRODUCT. (100 WORDS MIN)) 

Welles’s notoriety while working through the Mercury Theatre on the Air caught the attention of Nelson Rockefeller, co-owner of RKO Studios in Hollywood. RKO’s board of directors wanted to make the type of artistically important movies that its rivals were producing. Their resources would help Welles to construct his artistic visions. 

Welles initially wasn’t interested, favouring theatre. Schaefer eventually made Welles an offer he couldn’t refuse: a contract that gave him almost total artistic control over a project, which was unusual as major theatres usually had all control. Plenty of people in Hollywood hoped Welles would fail due to his inexperience. This made the motivations for the director even more prominent, arguably adding a unique tone to the film. 

Although Welles denied it, there was speculation that he based the movie on the life of press magnate William Randolph Hearst, and Hearst was not happy with the result. Perhaps the idea that this was a sort of ‘true story’ enhanced its effect on audiences.