Reflection: “What is the Hollywood style like?”

What makes a hollywood movie a hollywood movie? Is it the story? Is it the style? Or is it the director?

Well, according to a man named John, the one who appeared firstly on the video we watched, “…It's all of these and more.” During the one-hour video viewing, I was able to jot down some notes. And here’s a few of them that both my ears and pen were able to capture:

• Hollywood style is almost invisible. That the audience wasn't to notice cuts; the audience wasn't to notice camera movement.
• It makes the audience so involved with the story and to identify with the characters.
• Business people and storytellers once collaborated to create a style of storytelling that could capture the whole world.
• American film is all about story and narrative.
• Characters can substitute the story.
• It has an illusionistic style.
• Once a camera angle is chosen, that would be the only camera angle. They just have to work on long and closer shots.
• Style is in the surface of the story.
• Camera’s moves were designed to sweep an audience into the drama.
• It has a grand style of storytelling.
• Hollywood still employ the basic principles and style based on what was established in the studio of mass production.
• Directors and actors design the actual movie.
• Everyone is involved in rewriting the story.
• American directors are influenced by European films.

On the latter part of the video, it was mentioned that Hollywood is flexible and its directors were encouraged to bring their own individuality in every movie they produce. That seemed to be pretty obvious nowadays as different Hollywood movies and a whole lot more are trying to compete one another when it comes to style and eccentricity. In fact, I had to watch Casablanca (1942), The Way We Were (1973) and The Ten Commandments (1956) over the weekends to make sure I understand what I’m about to write in this reflection paper. With today’s technology, I don’t think it would be fair to compare the movies of then and now in the essence of “style.” But for me, old and new Hollywood movies are pretty much the same if we’ll take into consideration the bulleted points aforesaid above. Hence, with all due respect to the style of Hollywood cinema – as elaborated on what was listed above – it all boils down to passing down the legacy of creating good movies that as an audience you would want to feel as though that scene is taking place in front of your eyes as you speak. The classical Hollywood style has not ended. The heart of the technique was always there. You may always try to do something that was never done before. But Hollywood didn’t change. What changed are the tools that you use to work.

(Below are the posters of those movies I mentioned earlier that I had to watch over the weekends.
Credits to Google.com for the photos.)