The rise of the creative industries has emerged a struggle between creativity and commerce; however, this struggle is nothing new to the role of a film producer. Film producers turn ideas into motion pictures and oversee all creative and commercial decisions from start to finish. The core of the job comes from balancing art and business in film, aiming to tell creative stories that are made efficiently as well as being profitable. In an academic study on creativity and commerce, Dr. Andrew Spicer stated that the job of a film producer is “characterised as the continuous struggle between commerce (what would sell), cultural aspiration (making innovative, challenging films to showcase new and exciting creative talent) and entrepreneurial ambition
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With global box office revenues in 2015 reaching $38.3 billion (Theatrical Market Statistics 2015), it is easy to see why so many content creators and producers want to be apart of the film industry. Despite the importance of art in film as mentioned above, it is well-known “that aesthetic legitimization of the medium are consistently countered by the profit motive” (Simonton 94). This ideology comes from the emergence and popularization of ‘cultural industries’ or ‘creative economies’ (de Valck 42), which despite being deemed creative, can focus moreso on the industrious and commercial side of creativity. After a study on the film industry, and film festivals in particular, Dr. de Valck from University of Amsterdam stated: “Cinema can never exist solely in the cultural realm. A film needs to be produced and distributed before audiences can enjoy the aesthetic experience of watching it, and this presupposes some form of economic activity” (41). This takes a realist perspective to art, contrasting the more romantic views previously discussed. For most major studios, true artistic expression has been replaced by cash-grabs, often sequels or franchises, which rely on the appeal of brand recognition or movie stars (Simonton 94). The modern film industry has placed a greater emphasis on profit and brand by exploiting franchises in order to create sequels and remakes, which, in turn, makes the film industry a commercialized conveyor
With global box office revenues in 2015 reaching $38.3 billion (Theatrical Market Statistics 2015), it is easy to see why so many content creators and producers want to be apart of the film industry. Despite the importance of art in film as mentioned above, it is well-known “that aesthetic legitimization of the medium are consistently countered by the profit motive” (Simonton 94). This ideology comes from the emergence and popularization of ‘cultural industries’ or ‘creative economies’ (de Valck 42), which despite being deemed creative, can focus moreso on the industrious and commercial side of creativity. After a study on the film industry, and film festivals in particular, Dr. de Valck from University of Amsterdam stated: “Cinema can never exist solely in the cultural realm. A film needs to be produced and distributed before audiences can enjoy the aesthetic experience of watching it, and this presupposes some form of economic activity” (41). This takes a realist perspective to art, contrasting the more romantic views previously discussed. For most major studios, true artistic expression has been replaced by cash-grabs, often sequels or franchises, which rely on the appeal of brand recognition or movie stars (Simonton 94). The modern film industry has placed a greater emphasis on profit and brand by exploiting franchises in order to create sequels and remakes, which, in turn, makes the film industry a commercialized conveyor