Recently came across this article on a Ghanaian website entitled, “Ghanaian Stars In Upcoming Hollywood Movie“, and wrote to Chris-Vincent, my friend, who posted my email (with my permission) to his blog, Ghanacelebrities.com.
Well, the post drew a lot of comments and developed into a debate that honestly I did not expect but really appreciate the interest. I was also notified that there was a debate on the topic on the Ghanaian radio station, Peace FM, which I tuned into their online radio,(honestly I could follow the discussion because of course I don’t speak or understand Twi).
This has led me to go further into the issue and did some research so I could gain and to an extent provide for others, at least those who are interested, some answers. As it is often said, ‘if you want something you must go after it’. That is exactly what I did in this research in my quest to understand what a “Hollywood movie” is according to the “industry”.
First and foremost, I will try to explain the term and context in which said term, “Hollywood Films/movies” is used, and what qualifies a film/movie to be covered under that term. What I did was go to what I believed to be the most appropriate sources for the answer.
I called a few studios based in Hollywood, California, more specifically; 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwym Meyer and Paramount Pictures to be exact. I told the staffs, whom I spoke, that I was doing an academic research and needed clarification, and legal definition, of the terminology “Hollywood movies or films” as it is used in the industry and by their studios.
Let me tell you this, every single one of them could not provide an answer, maybe I was just unlucky that way.
What I did find out, from the staff members that I spoke with, was that the term really doesn’t exist in any credible context. It is a layman’s term with no substantial meaning.
Basically, anyone can throw the term of “hollywood film/movie” around because it has no legitimate meaning. It is technically based on interpretation so it would not be in a contract of such without its meaning being laid out in specificity.
This is all well and good but I really needed to find something concrete on this issue. Next step, as was suggested by the staff member at MGM, was basically to contact an entertainment lawyer.
I texted my friend who is studying entertainment law to get her assistance. She responded with an “LOL, what trouble are you getting yourself into? The term has no weight and is relative. Unless clearly defined in a contract, if used, and the terms and definitions are set out in writing by all agreed parties it is vague”.
Ok so since my friend is a law student and has not completed the requirements of being a lawyer, I was not too comfortable with her definition. So I went further, yes I did.
I called the law firm Blake and Wang P.A., an entertainment law firm in Los Angeles, California and was allowed to speak with Mr. B. Blake, one of the law partners of the company’s as the name indicates (I use his first initial for obvious reasons).
I told him the spiel, that I was a student doing research and wanted to know if there is a legal definition of the term, “Hollywood films/ movie”. Of course as a lawyer he wanted to know what my paper was about exactly, so I told him that I was doing a comparative research study on Hollywood, Indian and African movie industries.
I told him that I came across a few articles that claim to be doing Hollywood films by people who go outside of the country (USA) to places like Africa to make movies, who essentially get people from these areas (Africa, since that was what started me on this issue) to do the movies; and on this pretext label the films “Hollywood film/movies(s)”.
Well, he sighed and explained to me that, although the term “Hollywood film” has no legal definition and contextually it is subjective, it is used to imply that a film made, is financed and or distributed and marketed a major production company (US company that is) with a US cast would constitute a “Hollywood film”.
The key element here is that there has to be that association, through the financing and or distribution, with a MAJOR PRODUCTION STUDIO. He also suggested that I visit the site for the Motion Picture Association of America.
I will insert the website link here for those interested in reading up more on this, www.mpaa.org. Please note that there are six major film studios known as the “Big Six” and they are Warner Brothers Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Universal Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, association with these big six by financing or distribution, according to attorney Blake’s explanation would qualify a film as “Hollywood”.
There are also independent films studios (aka mini-majors) and then other on the lower tiers. The writer of the aforementioned article on so-called “Hollywood film” did not clearly state what is meant by the term “Hollywood film” (contextually) as associated with this upcoming film, “Ties that bind”, neither did the writer categorically state that the terminology was used by the producer(s) and director or if she was the person who dubbed it as such.
Based on the debate and the posts, by one Ms. Joy Dela Ocloo’s (the alleged author of the original article) explanation of what she used to qualify “Ties that Bind”, I would like to inform you, that this is essentially an “independent” film not a “Hollywood” film.
Other than speaking with the various studios staff members, I also did additional research on the web as to works written regarding “Hollywood” films.
According to Trevor B. McCrisken and Andrew Pepper (2005), authors of the book, American History and Contempory Hollywood Films, they state, “In addition, we decided to allow for a quite loose definition of what constitutes a “Hollywood” film as opposed to a ‘non-Hollywood’ film.
In part this is to acknowledge the often problematic distinction between Hollywood and Independent film making. In, other ways it is to draw attention to the global nature of film financing, production and distribution.
The assimilation of autonomous film studios like Columbia and Paramount into giant multinational conglomerates has further embedded Hollywood in newly emerging systems or networks of global politics and economics.
While this may not necessarily have an explicit impact on what gets made and how it gets made, it would be foolish to claim that such changes have had no impact whatsoever.
In this respect, we prefer to “Hollywood” to “American” filmmaking simply because of financing, production and distribution of most, if not all, featured films made by one of the major studios (Columbia, Fox, Paramount, Dreamworks, Universal and the like) is no longer entirely confined to the geographical boundaries of the United States.”
Clearly even the loose definition does not incorporate the defined interpretation of the term mentioned in the above cited article.
Furthermore, as cited by Richard Maltby (2003), in his book, Hollywood Cinema, quoting Phillip McCarthy, “It is hard to say what constitutes a “Hollywood” movie anymore, apart from the fact that it has a bigger budget than anyone else can remotely afford.”
With this information we see that budget plays and integral part in what is considered as a “Hollywood” film. In speaking with a friend who, in his earlier years made documentaries, was informed that there is a minimum budget requirement.
He was not too sure but said he believed that it would have to be in excess of $30, 000,000 US.
Furthermore as Malty (2003) states in his citation of John Ptak, “We have created a product that by, say, putting the name of Warner Brothers on it is a stamp of credibility. But that could be an Arnon Milchan film, directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Gerard Depardieu and Anthony Hopkins, and shot in France and Italy, and made with foreign money”.
Here again we see an additional requirement of credibility of what is believed to be a “Hollywood film/ movie” through its association with a major motion picture studio.
We should by now understand the difference between what a “Hollywood film” is and what an “independent film” is. Please keep in mind that movie producers and directors, seeking to have credibility when working in the industry are required to register with or become members of certain guilds, agencies and organizations.
Membership in guilds, agencies and organizations doesn’t automatically qualify that person’s work as a “Hollywood film/movie”.
Mostly, I would not be surprised if a high percentage of these people coming into Africa claiming to make “Hollywood films” are just making “independent films”.
And most often very low budget “independent films” that will not even reach the shelves of Wal-Mart for a reasonable number of sales marketed to a wide audience.
Most of these films will end up on the shelves of some African or Caribbean stores or on African websites that are only visited by immigrants in their localized communities.
A “Hollywood film” would be marketed aggressively internationally to a very wide and diverse audience. I am sure this is understandable because movie-goers worldwide go to the cinemas to watch the basic “American or Hollywood” films.
People, let us not flaunt our ignorance for the world to see. Let us take the time to carefully learn the industry. Ignorance will only serve as a mechanism by which others will take advantage of us, exploit us and then discard us.
I shuddered to see the smiling faces of these ignorant celebrities, who are apparently convinced that they are in a “Hollywood” movie.
I would go further and add that, it is time African movie stars (Ghanaians especially) have to think twice and not become hasty for “Hollywood” so as to put yourselves in every and any thing that may come back to haunt them.
The debates on Peacefm and Ghanacelebrities.com show this topic is very relevant and useful.
This is not about an American hating on the accomplishments of African artistes but it is rather the need to understand each other, the need for education and the need to say things as they are. Thanks to Chris-Vincent and GhanaCelebrities.Com for the opportunity to write and publish this article.
Kathy E.L/GhanaCelebrities.Com
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