The Contemporary Hollywood Film Industry

The contemporary Hollywood film industry is characterized by continuity and change. While many well-established Hollywood studios continue to dominate the film business, the industry also has witnessed various changes during the past two decades. The Contemporary Hollywood Film Industry is a collection of essays by leading scholars that examine the U.S. film industry as an international phenomenon, from the l980s to present day. It explores a host of challenges and changes facing Hollywood, and includes important discussions of the industry's labor and star systems, as well as intellectual property and state relations. Essays consider the role of independent producers, the global marketplace for Hollywood product, corporate changes, and various new media windows, including video, DVD to cable, satellite, and online channels of delivery. Offering a balanced, fresh, and international approach to the important contemporary period in Hollywood, this text is designed specifically for classroom use in undergraduate and graduate level film courses. Contributors include: Paul McDonald, Janet Wasko, Tom Schatz, Philip Drake, Charles Acland, Eileen R. Meehan, Frederick Wasser, Randy Nichols, Jeff Smith, Susan Christopherson, Manjunath Pendakur, Ronald V. Bettig, John Trumpbour, Joel Augros, Peter Kramer, Krishna P. Jayakar, David Waterman, Tamara L. Falicov, John A. Lent, Nitin Govil, and David Newman.

Paul McDonald is Professor in Film and Television Studies at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He is the author of Video and DVD Industries and The Star System: Hollywood's Production of Popular Identities and co-editor for the International Screen Industries series from the British Film Institute.

Janet Wasko is the Knight Chair in Communication Research at the University of Oregon. She is the author of How Hollywood Works, Understanding Disney: The Manufacture of Fantasy, and Hollywood in the Information Age: Beyond the Silver Screen. She also edited A Companion to Television and Dazzled by Disney? The Global Disney Audience Project.