The invisible style of story telling is where small individual shots of actions are put together in a way that it feels continuous and natural to a spectator

Continuity editing is where multiple shots can be shot in different locations and times, however when put together it suspends the audience’s disbelief, and makes it seem like one seamless story and scene

1. What is meant by the invisible style of storytelling?

Invisible style does not highlight the narrative directly, and attempts to conceal the 2 dimensionality of the film.

2. What is continuity editing?

Film editing techniques that are used to blend multiple shots, taken at different times or locations to create a seamless flow throughout the film.

The ‘invisible style’ is the idea that each shot doesn’t seem edited or constructed therefore allowing the story to seem more natural. Continuity is the key to this to create ‘seamless’ shots. also known as causality. Events are linear and in sequential order. The audience are immersed instead of feeling as they are watching a film.

Continuity editing is editing sticking to rules of film such as the 180 degree rule and the 30 degree rule. this links time and place.

1. What is meant by the invisible style of storytelling? – highlighting the narrative of a film not directly, but through the likes of lighting, framing or editing to achieve the immersion into the story.
2. What is continuity editing? – cutting related shots, or multiple components from a single shot, into a singular sequence.

1 What were the Big 5 studios & what type of movies was each studio famous for?

1. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
2. Wizard of Oz, Warner Bros
3. Casablanca, Paramount
4. A farewell to Arms, Fox
5. Miracle on 34th Street and RKO – Citizen Kane

2.  Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was?

vertical integration  the practice of a large corporation controlling multiple aspects of the film industry, from production and distribution, to exhibition and even ownership of the theaters

.Block-booking An act or instance of reserving a large number of tickets,

3. Why and when did the original studio system collapse?

The Court ruled in United States v. Paramount in, 1948, finding that the studios had violated anti-trust laws,

4. What was happening in America in 1948

. President Truman signs Executive Order 9981, ending racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces

1. The five big studios

Paramount was famous for  “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1931) and “Shanghai Express” (1932), and were able to showcase the ability to adapt and innovate.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was famous for inventing the Hollywood stable-of-stars system.

Twentieth Century Fox is famous for producing mainly westerns, musicals, screen biographies, and religious epics.

Warner Bros Throughout the 1920s was known for its musicals and colour films.

RKO was famous for movie classics such as King Kong (1933), The Informer (1935), and Citizen Kane (1941), as well as a series of stylish musicals.

2) Vertical integration is when one company owns and has control over each step of a process in media: the production, exhibition, distribution and circulation.

Block booking was a system of selling multiple films to a theatre as a unit. Block booking was the prevailing practice in the Hollywood studio system from the turn of the 1930s.

3) The studio system collapsed as the supreme court ruled over the case in 1948. This was because the studios had a near monopoly and violated anti-trust laws, affecting 5 big studios and 3 smaller ones.

4) post world war 2 there was fear against communism which affected many actors such as Charley Chaplin

1. the big 5 studios: Most of Hollywood of the 1930s through the end of the Golden Age was ruled by five studios:

Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) – famous for musicals e.g. the wizard of oz.

RKO – monster movies/horror films, famous for stop motion and special effects.

20th Century Fox – drama films

Warner Bros – action pictures

Paramount Pictures – big budget lavish costume dramas – adaptations of classic novels

2. Vertical integration enabled studios to achieve control over the entire film industry and this studio system (from the 1930s to the1950s) affected the way films were made and the way they were watched. Films were made very cheaply during the studio system.

Block booking meant that a studio would sell its films in packages on an all-or-nothing basis – usually requiring theatres to buy several mediocre pictures for every desirable one

3. In the end, the Court ruled in United States v. Paramount on May 4, 1948, finding that the studios had violated anti-trust laws, in a devastating blow to five major studios and three smaller ones. The case had roots dating back to 1921, when concerns first arose about the studios and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

4. The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and the start of World War II on the European front were some of the most impactful historical events of the time. (1930-1947)

•1) What were the Big 5 studios & what type of movies was each studio famous for? – MGM/Metro Goldwyn Mayer (The Wizard of Oz), RKO (Citizen Kane), 20th Century Fox (Miracle on 34th Street), Warner Bros (Casablanca), Paramount ( A Farewell to Arms)

•2) Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was? – When a media company controls two or more key stages of the release of their product.

•3) Why and when did the original studio system collapse? – The ‘block booking’ system (selling multiple films to cinemas as one unit) was killed in court, where it was also suggested that studio-theatre monopiles should be dismantled.

•4) What was happening in America(and around the world) at this time? – The stock market crash, the Great Depression and the events of the 2nd world war.