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Hollywood movies are rapidly becoming vehicles for the ulterior marketing and advertising motives of studios and their owners, rather than entertainment in their own right.

Behind the Screens explores this trend toward "hypercommercialism" through phenomena such as product placement, tie-ins, merchandising and cross-promotions. It combines multiple examples taken directly from the movies with incisive interviews provided by film scholars, cultural critics, political economists, and an Oscar-nominated screenwriter.

Behind the Screens presents an accessible argument designed for school and college-age audiences-- precisely the demographic most prized by both Hollywood studios and advertisers alike. It features examples drawn from movies such as Wayne's World, Forrest Gump, The Lion King, Summer of Sam, and Toy Story. Interviewees include Jeremy Pikser, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of the Warren Beatty film Bulworth; Mark Crispin Miller, Professor of Communication at New York University; Susan Douglas, Professor of Communication at the University of Michigan; Professor Robert W. McChesney of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Professor Janet Wasko of the University of Oregon.

Sections: Product Placement: Advertising Goes to the Movies | Making Movies for Marketers: Cross Promotions, Merchandising, Tie-ins | Hijacking the Movies: Hollywood in the Age of Conglomerates | Limiting Stories: Making Movies in a Hypercommercial Age

Duration: 37 Mins
ISBN: 1-893521-40-0
Date Produced: 2000
Subtitles: English & Spanish

Discussion Guide
Transcript

Scholar & Filmmaker Information
Executive Producer: Sut Jhally
Producer: Matt Soar
Directors: Matt Soar, Susan Ericsson
Editor: Susan Ericsson
Graphics: Matt Soar, Sut Jhally, Susan Ericsson
Post-Production Audio: Thom Monahan
Assistant Editor: Sut Jhally
Music: Thom Monahan
Camera: Susan Ericsson, Vincent Doyle, James Allan, Sanjay Talreja
Location Sound: Jeremy Smith, James Allan, Thom Monahan