One of the hardest things about working in Hollywood and films is the actual act of getting into the industry. The old mantra of “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” has never been more true than when speaking of Hollywood and working on its films.
The problem with this, of course, means it is usually all the same people always making all the same things. If more people with different voices were able to get their content made and in front of audiences, there would be much more variety on the market.
In this post, I will discuss why making it easier to enter the Hollywood market is the biggest thing I would change if I had the power to do so.
MORE VARIETY
One of the first things I would want to change is Hollywood is making it much simpler to break into the industry. It is extremely difficult to break out in film, and that is a very unfortunate truth. And when you have the same people, you are going to get the same movie in some regard.
While some would say we are in a great place cinematically in recent years, it is not hard to argue that the majority of this success has come from adaptations, remakes, and sequels. When a film is a major success to the general public it usually also falls into one of these categories.
If it were easier to enter the industry, however, it would be much easier to get some different and original ideas made. Something that would come right away with more voices in Hollywood is more variety in films.
With more people being able to enter Hollywood easily and get their ideas made, there would be more original ideas. Not only that, but there would be much needed diversity in talent and subject matter.
I mean, how many more superhero movies do we really need?
You never know who or when the next great thing is going to be made. And with such difficulty to enter the industry, it may be put off even longer.
Now, there are those certain stand out films that are successful and feel completely new and original, but they are coming fewer and fewer at a time. The huge, blockbuster films that Hollywood pours millions and millions of dollars into and are released on a nearly monthly basis are not these new concepts and ideas.
As a matter of fact, it is all too often that these original ideas – that are also well made films, mind you – are barely seen by audiences. Mainly due to lack of marketing ability and budget to advertise as many of the larger, well-known production companies do.
Which leads right into my next point.
MORE EXPOSURE
As I stated above, there are films out there that harness the variety and new concepts in Hollywood, though they are very scarce. If there were more variety and ease of entering the industry, who is to say that the more “different” films will not just get pushed to the back and not really seen by an audience?
That is why the other big thing I would change is more exposure in Hollywood for these films.
Before I began film studies, I thought I knew a lot of movies and had a good variety of what I watched on my own. That is why I wanted to go into film.
I was so wrong.
There were far too many films I have watched in classes that were absolutely excellent which I had never even heard of before. What is worse is that I probably never would have heard of them if I was not studying film.
A recent example is Parasite, which I was able to watch in my World Film History class. This film won Best Picture at the Oscars and was acclaimed for how original and different it was. Being a foreign film, however, not many casual viewers would just stumble across it. Even though it is a fun, thrilling, and fantastic cinematic experience for everyone.
The rise in popularity of various streaming services has been a good start toward this better exposure. There are many more ways to easily digest original content with streaming, and many of the services also feature foreign options. The ability to have new content delivered directly to your home has also helped with better exposure.
But there are still those films out there that many people have never seen or heard of simply because they were marketed poorly, or not at all. Looking back at Parasite, most people have only heard of or seen the film solely because of its Oscar nomination and win.
It is a shame that more films – foreign films, especially – are not as widely viewed on a regular basis and only seen as “worth it” if they have won some award. A film that is well made, original, and all around impressive should be getting exposure before it has won any and all awards. The “casual viewer” should still be exposed to these different and creative options.
LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Although it is not something that can happen overnight, this really is not that unobtainable of a goal. Rather than pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into films, they will just have to have more modest budgets.
But I am realistic, I know it is a big wish to have an easier entrance into the Hollywood circle. Even with the benefits that would come with this new set up, it is not likely to change anytime soon
The best we can do is try our hardest as audiences to give smaller budget films a chance, and spend time exposing ourselves to more unique and different films and content.
