One of the key purposes of film entertainment has always been the making of money, though there is a myriad of ‘uses and gratifications’. Films can also be used for diversion, information and news-gathering, social interacting through personal relationships and personal identity. The Hollywood film industry, however, is notorious for its supposed main aim of simply making money. One could argue that George Lucas is a prime example of a film director who has created a franchise and rides upon its financial success. His last role as an active director was in 2005 during the last Star Wars film, since then he has remained in the background ‘producer’ position and has had a minor directing role in 2012’s ‘Red Tails’. Though Lucas is one of Hollywood’s most successful directors, his portfolio is not as extensive as other veteran directors, such as Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese – both infamous for their strong and constant work ethic. ‘Star Wars’ is also a good example of how Hollywood are fond of making sequels and also prequels – in order to extend the commercial success of a film. This is notable in Dreamwork’s productions such as Kung Fu Panda, which spawned a recent sequel and the Shrek series, which made a decline in critical appreciation as the series went on to its third and fourth films.
The digital age has shaken up the industry, with many film bosses realising the need for a more immersive experience, rather than an audience experience – viwers now want to feel involved in film’s action. Auteurs like Quentin Tarantino have rejected these new styles of editing and shooting, whereas others – even veteran Martin Scorsese has explored 3D filming in his winter release ‘Hugo’. James Cameron exploited the sudden craze in cinema-goers for 3D and Imax with his special effects extravaganza in 2009 ‘Avatar’. This went on to become the highest grossing film of all time, due to the viral and word-of-mouth hype which spread through its notoriety as a visually immersive experience.
