“Go ahead, make my day.” – Sudden Impact, 1983 For many of us, feature films – or movies -- have been making our day for years. In the U.S. in 2006, a total of $9.49 billion was grossed at the box office; and over $25.82 billion was taken in worldwide, according to the Motion Picture Association. One movie grossed over $423 million – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. This does not take into account DVD’s, soundtracks, or movie memorabilia. Needless to say, movie-making is a huge business.
We watch movies when we are happy, when we are sad, when we are lonely, or when we just want to be entertained. Movies have the power to transport us to a time or place beyond the limits of our own mind. With movies, we can stroll through the beauty of Rome with Audrey Hepburn while watching Roman Holiday, sing along with the popular tunes of Grease, or sit in suspense on the edge of our seats awaiting the appearance of Tyrannosaurus Rex during Jurassic Park. Historical events become real to us in the movies, just as World War II came to life in Saving Private Ryan and Mrs. Miniver. Somehow, as we watch the unfolding events in the lives of those on the screen, our own lives are placed on pause for a couple of hours. And when the movie is a masterpiece, we walk out of the theaters saying, “Wow!”
The terms ‘movie industry’ and ‘Hollywood’ are used interchangeably; because Hollywood has been the center of the movie production industry since World War I. Before that time, France and Italy had achieved the top worldwide popularity. But by the 1920’s, movie-making in Hollywood was at its peak, turning out an average of over 800 feature films a year. And even today, Hollywood is the major producer and exporter of movies in the world.
The highest recognition in the film world are the Academy Awards, earned by exemplary skill and achievement in acting, directing, music composition, cinematography, special effects and several other movie categories. Since 1929, these awards have been presented once a year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to those at the top of the filmmaking field. This televised event is telecast around the world and watched by millions of people.
A career in the filmmaking industry can be accessed through a number of fields of study – including business administration, music composition, computer technology, animation, drama, filmmaking, fine arts, accounting, recording arts, fashion design, cosmetology, and others. So if you are prepared to enter the world of movie-making, “go ahead, make my day”
