[csaa-forum] CCCS presents Tom O'Regan

[Melissa Gregg]

THE CENTRE FOR CRITICAL AND CULTURAL STUDIES PRESENTS

Professor Tom O’Regan

Hollywood, Location and Globally Dispersed Production

Date:		Thursday 20 May 2004
Place:   	The Mayne Centre, University of Queensland
Time:      	2.00pm-3.30pm

Members of the university community and the general public are invited
to attend this free seminar with refreshments to follow.

SUBJECT
Globally dispersed production has become an intrinsic and routine
feature of the contemporary Hollywood blockbuster. In this presentation,
Professor O’Regan anchors this global dispersal to inter-related factors
of production and design.

Please scroll down for further information or visit the website at
http://www.cccs.uq.edu.au/index.html?page=16394&pid=16094 

ABSTRACT
As at February 2004, eight of the worldwide top 10 highest grossing
films of all time  were largely or completely shot outside mainland USA,
although most returned to California for post-production. Titanic was
shot at Fox Baja Studios, Mexico; The Lord of the Rings trilogy was shot
in New Zealand; the two Harry Potter films-Chamber of Secrets and
Sorcerer's Stone-and Star Wars: the Phantom Menace were shot in a London
studio; Jurassic Park in Hawaii. Only Finding Nemo and Independence Day
(numbers 9 and 10 on the list) were largely or completely made in
mainland USA. Whatever the value of such a list, it nonetheless draws
our attention to the way that globally dispersed production has become
an intrinsic and routine feature of the contemporary Hollywood
blockbuster.  In this presentation, based on recently completed work
with Ben Goldsmith, I will anchor this global dispersal to three
inter-related factors: the project-based system of production which has
allowed diverse inputs from a globally-defined industry; the number of
locations which are now able to provide the package of studios, other
facilities, services and natural and built environments necessary for
blockbuster production; and combination of the design interest of the
Hollywood majors in developing projects and the location interest of
places in securing projects. We now have inter-related dynamics of
global geographical dispersal at the level of the production shoot and
concentration in Los Angeles at the level of production design (and, to
a great extent, post-production). Indeed the central problem facing the
Hollywood majors, independent producers and the various facilities, film
commissions and film service providers located around the world is to
transform one-off, itinerant blockbuster projects into something more
permanent through developing or securing a portfolio of projects. Here
design and location interests coincide in a mutual aim to transform
"episodic project collaboration" into "more enduring project networks".


This research is part of a larger study undertaken with Ben Goldsmith to
chart the role of the film studio complex in international film and
television production. So far the principal outcome of this
collaboration is the report on international trends in studio
development "Cinema Cities/Media Cities" for the Australian Film
Commission. Together we are working on a book entitled "The Film Studio"
for an American publisher.
  
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Tom O'Regan is Professor of Media and Cultural Studies in the School of
English, Media Studies and Art History at the University of Queensland.
He is the author of Australian National Cinema, Australian Television
Culture and co-author of Cinema Cities/Media Cities and The Future for
Local Content? From 1999 to 2002 he was director of the Australian Key
Centre for Cultural and Media Policy. He joined the University of
Queensland in January this year.

Collaborator Dr Ben Goldsmith is an ARC post-doctoral research fellow in
the Faculty of Arts at Griffith University. He was a research fellow in
the Australian Key Centre for Cultural and Media Policy from 1998-2002.
He is co-author of two major reports Cinema Cities/Media Cities (with T.
O’Regan) and The Future for Local Content? (with O’Regan, J. Thomas and
S. Cunningham). In July he will take up a position at the Australian
Film, Television and Radio School.

For further information, please contact:
Lisa Gunders, Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies
Ph. (07) 3346 9764   Fax (07) 3365 7184
Email: admin.cccs at uq.edu.au




-- 
Melissa Gregg
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies
4th Floor, Forgan Smith Tower
University of Queensland 4072
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