More show biz is done overseas.

[Aspiring Mogul]

The overseas market is becoming increasingly important, to some extent, more important than the domestic American market. I know of at least one company that is focusing on funding movies made for China - I've been thinking of approaching them, but I would need to assemble a team first.

Three of the four top-grossing films of 2011 — “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “Kung Fu Panda 2” — did more than 70% of their business overseas.

And Tintin would have been a hit just on overseas receipts alone. But this does not mean the US will lose its dominance as the film capital of the world, because the creative talent and infrastructure is still in Hollywood, and, to a lesser extent, New York, Vancouver, and Toronto. And I don't see that changing. Asian societies tend to be rigid, and that is not conducive to creative thinking. America society, on the other hand, encourages entrepreneurialism and individuality, the qualities needed in the arts.

 

[directorik]

This isn't new.

WWI really hurt the new medium of filmmaking. WWII almost
destroyed several Hollywood studios because even in the 1930's
60/70% of revenue came from Europe. When I got started making
DTV (direct-to-video) movies I worked for a prodCo that made
movies specifically for Japan, Thailand and the Philippines - that
was 80% of their market. Look at specific directors and you'll find
people like Woody Allen, David Cronenberg and David Lynch make
considerably more money in Europe and Japan than in the States.
They always have. and that isn't new either; Jerry Lewis and France
anyone?

As the market in China opens up films made in the US will make more
and more money there. This is one of the main reasons "Hollywood"
has done so well with the big action films with big stars. The overseas
desire for these kinds of American movies is huge and always has
been.

I have traveled all over the world working on a TV show. Everywhere
we go, everywhere, people see us Americans and even if they cannot
speak a work of English they know John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and
Johnny Depp.

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

WWI really hurt the new medium of filmmaking. WWII almost
destroyed several Hollywood studios because even in the 1930's
60/70% of revenue came from Europe.

I know that was true of Walt Disney's studio, though the reason also is that most of the economy product went towards war, as opposed to cartoons. But, even then, he made war cartoons, and a classic, of course, is Donald Duck in Der Fuhrer's Face.

You got any books on this?

 

[directorik]

I don’t understand what you mean.

Revenue from Europe was more than 50% of revenue for American
studios in the 1930’s/40’s. WWII stopped that revenue. Several
studios - most notably Disney - found money by working for the US
government making propaganda films. That has nothing to do with
revenue coming for overseas which is what your link is about. They
needed to make up for the lost revenue by working for the
government.

My point was the overseas is not BECOMING increasingly important -
it has ALWAYS been important and between 50% and 70% of total
revenues of “Hollywood” productions.

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

I don’t understand what you mean.

Revenue from Europe was more than 50% of revenue for American
studios in the 1930’s/40’s. WWII stopped that revenue. Several
studios - most notably Disney - found money by working for the US
government making propaganda films. That has nothing to do with
revenue coming for overseas which is what your link is about. They
needed to make up for the lost revenue by working for the
government.

My point was the overseas is not BECOMING increasingly important -
it has ALWAYS been important and between 50% and 70% of total
revenues of “Hollywood” productions.

Oh, OK. I thought you had some books on this, which I would be interested in reading. Ah, the golden age of Hollywood - that was great, but I think the best is yet to come.