Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction - Paperback

Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction - Film Industry History Guide

Peter Decherney delivers an authoritative exploration of Hollywood's evolution, tracing the film industry from its nineteenth-century beginnings through the modern internet media landscape. This Oxford University Press publication examines how a handful of studios emerged from Thomas Edison's trust to dominate global screens for over a century.

Comprehensive Film Industry Analysis

This guide reveals the cultural, political, and commercial forces behind Hollywood's defining characteristics. Stars, genre-driven storytelling, and blockbuster franchises are dissected as products of deliberate industry strategies rather than natural phenomena. Professor Decherney, an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scholar and University of Pennsylvania faculty member, brings academic rigor to accessible prose.

Historical Context and Industry Evolution

The book examines Hollywood's consistent global presence while documenting transformative events that reshaped the industry. Coverage includes the studio system's response to technological disruptions—sound, home video, and computer graphics—alongside analysis of World War II's impact, independent film movements, and Washington regulations. Hollywood's cross-media storytelling tradition, from adapting plays and books to launching product tie-ins and social media campaigns, receives detailed treatment.

Risk Management and Industry Adaptation

Decherney explores how studios weathered competition and technological change through strategic risk management and assimilation. The narrative incorporates discussions of influential movies, directors, and stars while synthesizing a century of Hollywood research with original insights.