Spielberg and Lucas Talk About the Future of Movies

[OldMaid 2,130]

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg think the film industry is heading towards a cliff. The pair behind some of the most successful franchises in movie history think that conservative programming choices and rapidly evolving distribution schemes have set the stage for a massive upheaval and internet-based services may become the dominant medium when moviegoing as we know it crashes and burns.

 

The duo were joined during a panel at the University of Southern California by Microsoft's president of interactive entertainment Don Mattrick, who played backup with the occasional Xbox reference as Lucas and Spielberg took center stage. While the focus was ostensibly on the future of the entertainment medium USC just opened a new building for the school's Interactive Media department the topic quickly pivoted to the state of film distribution in a world where everything from games to television are competing for consumers' attention.

 

"A STUDIO WOULD RATHER INVEST $250 MILLION IN ONE FILM FOR A REAL SHOT AT THE BRASS RING."

 

People simply have a limited amount of time, said Spielberg. "We can't expand the week. We can't expand the 24-hour cycle. So we're stuck with so many choices." The enormous amount of available content has pushed movie studios to be more conservative, banking on the power of event films to break through the white noise of a crowded marketplace. "You're at the point right now where a studio would rather invest $250 million in one film for a real shot at the brass ring," he said, "than make a whole bunch of really interesting, deeply personal and even maybe historical projects that may get lost in the shuffle because there's only 24 hours."

 

"There's going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even half a dozen of these mega-budgeted movies are going to go crashing into the ground," Spielberg said, "and that's going to change the paradigm again."

 

MOVIEGOING WILL BE MORE LIKE A SPORTING EVENT

 

Barreling from opinion to opinion throughout the discussion, Lucas presented a clear vision of this post-crash entertainment landscape: a world where going to the movies is no longer a casual outing, but a high-end experience more in line with Broadway. "What you're going to end up with is fewer theaters," he said. "Bigger theaters, with a lot of nice things. Going to the movies is going to cost you 50 bucks, maybe 100. Maybe 150." It will be more in line with sporting events, with films playing in these high-end cinemas for as long as a year. "And that's going to be what we call the movie business.' But everything else is going to look more like cable television on TiVo."

 

"It's not going to have cable or broadcast," Lucas said. "It's going to be the internet television."

 

As Lucas painted it, the shift will present new opportunities both for consumers and filmmakers. Viewers will have access to a wide variety of programming, "usually more interesting than what you're going to see in the movie theater. And you can get it whenever you want, and it's going to be niche-marketed, which means you can really take chances and do things if you can figure out there's a small group of people that will kind of react to it."

 

CABLE NETWORKS ARE LEADING THE WAY

 

That kind of niche focus has already paid dividends for cable networks like HBO, he said, which have lower thresholds for success than a movie studio or traditional network and are able to produce less-conventional programming as a result. "All you need is a million people," Lucas said. "Which in the aggregate of the world is not very many people. And you can actually make a living at this. Where before you couldn't."

 

Spielberg offered a softer touch even turning wistful when discussing the increasingly narrow theatrical window movies have to deal with today. "It used to be, when I first started making movies it was really cool, my movies stayed in theaters for one year," he said. "If it was a hit, it was a year long. Raiders [of the Lost Ark] was in theaters for a year. E.T. was in a theater for a year and four months... That was an amazing situation, back then."

 

Today's movies are in hotels two weeks after they hit theaters, he said. "There's going to be eventually day and date with movies" when films are available on demand at home the same day they hit theaters "and eventually there's going to be a price variance. You're going to have to pay $25 to see the next Iron Man. And you're probably only going to have to pay $7 to see Lincoln."

 

"YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY $25 TO SEE THE NEXT 'IRON MAN.'"

 

Lucas jumped in: "I think eventually the Lincolns are going to go away and they're going to be on television."

 

Spielberg smiled, saying, "And mine almost was! This close. Ask HBO this close!"

 

Despite the chaos, both men see the changes as something the industry will overcome, with Lucas taking particular relish in the opportunities the disruption is providing adamantly stating that "now is the best time we can possibly have."

 

Comparing the industry's panic over fleeting DVD sales and crumbling business models to the 2008 economic crash, he stressed that now is the time to look forward. "It's a mess. It's total chaos," Lucas said. "But out of that chaos will come some really amazing things. And right now there are amazing opportunities for young people coming into the industry to say, Hey, I think I'm going to do this and there's nobody to stop me.'"

 

http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/13/4425486/steven-spielberg-george-lucas-usc-film-industry-massive-implosion

[MDC 7,177]

Lucas is a hack who is probably as responsible as anyone else for the decline of Hollywood big budget pictures.

[The Pope 10]

Lucas is a hack who is probably as responsible as anyone else for the decline of Hollywood big budget pictures.

Obushma!

[The Moz 69]

Lucas is a hack who is probably as responsible as anyone else for the decline of Hollywood big budget pictures.

A total hack who had 2 of the biggest movie franchises in history with Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Not to mention the cult classic American Graffiti. Tell me if he was such a hack how did his movies become such blockbusters? Enough to make him easily one of the richest men in Hollywood if not the richest.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

A total hack who had 2 of the biggest movie franchises in history with Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Not to mention the cult classic American Graffiti. Tell me if he was such a hack how did his movies become such blockbusters? Enough to make him easily one of the richest men in Hollywood if not the richest.

MDC is more of a Beaches or Ya Ya Sisterhood type.

[MDC 7,177]

A total hack who had 2 of the biggest movie franchises in history with Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Not to mention the cult classic American Graffiti. Tell me if he was such a hack how did his movies become such blockbusters? Enough to make him easily one of the richest men in Hollywood if not the richest.

Lucas didn't direct Indiana Jones. I said he IS a hack. At one time he had some artistic merit, now he sits around trying to figure out ways to bilk Star Wars fans out of more $$$. Michael Bay is also very rich, that must mean he's awesome.

[The Moz 69]

Lucas didn't direct Indiana Jones. I said he IS a hack. At one time he had some artistic merit, now he sits around trying to figure out ways to bilk Star Wars fans out of more $$$. Michael Bay is also very rich, that must mean he's awesome.

Michael Bay never created 2 of the top 5 movie franchises ever in Star Wars and Indiana Jones (granted Spielberg directed it). Was he a goof director NO - was/is he the most successful Producer ever - definitely one of them.

[Mike Honcho 5,151]

Michael Bay never created 2 of the top 5 movie franchises ever in Star Wars and Indiana Jones (granted Spielberg directed it). Was he a goof director NO - was/is he the most successful Producer ever - definitely one of them.

 

Lucas thought Jar Jar Binks was a good idea.

[TD Ryan2 316]

the Bell Curve is collapsing - we've already seen it in the music industry.

 

in the past, Record Companies and Movie Companies held all the power and decided what to produce - they did not pay attention to the fringes or outliers -the focused on the top of the Bell Curve to appeal to the widest market.

The internet and the connection economy that has been created is destroying that model - the edges of the bell curve are where things are interesting and real - it's where the trends start and new ideas grow. Want to play traditional Hungarian music? You can today - you can find and connect and sell to those who want and like it - and if you're truly any good, you can probably make a living with and maybe even broaden your audience outside of the fringes where you started.

 

We have access to more music than ever today - genres, styles, etc - and when you look at music sales, the volume is spread out - there are not just a handful of records that make up the majority of the sales anymore - and IMO, this is a good thing.

It gives more freedom to the consumer and the artist/creators.

The people who "make" the stuff no longer have to wait to be "picked" by some record or movie company - they have the ability to tell their own story now and broadcast/share/sell their own material - they can essentially "pick" themselves.

 

And this disruption is going to continue thru many (most?) industries.

The printing industry.

The book industry.

The record industry.

The movie industry.

and more, more, more

 

will all change dramatically b/c of the connected economy. People have limited time and almost unlimited choices - they will focus on exactly what they want and not some watered-down, "fits-the-masses", top of the bell curve product.

[The Moz 69]

 

Lucas thought Jar Jar Binks was a good idea.

I will agree it is no secret that best Star Wars is the one that he didn't direct -- ESB

[BunnysBastatrds 2,326]

I will never pay $50.00 or more per person to go to the movies. They are dreaming if they believe this is the future of movies. I don't go to the movies now because of how bad the product has become. If they think more comfortable seats and better picture-sound quality trumps what's on the screen, they're delusional and in denial.

[MDC 7,177]

Michael Bay never created 2 of the top 5 movie franchises ever in Star Wars and Indiana Jones (granted Spielberg directed it). Was he a goof director NO - was/is he the most successful Producer ever - definitely one of them.

My point is that of every director out there Lucas is probably most responsible for turning movies into grossly overfunded monstrosities with all sorts of cross marketing and promotions.

[The Moz 69]

2 early 80's Lucas films -- Raiders and ESB are still nice to watch 30 years later.

[IGotWorms 4,057]

I'm just tired of these stupid focking bullsh!t sequels. But that's what the idiot public wants. Fast & Furios 23 and Iron Man 7

[TimmySmith 2,782]

Howard the Duck - nuff said.

 

Lucas is a hack director, he can take a possibly great film and make it unwatchable. He saw the future of Hollywood and led the frontier of special effects, that is his legacy.

 

Spielberg can take a boring movie and put you on the edge of your seat . The consummate filmmaker, Hitchcock meets Lean.

[parrot 789]

I will never pay $50.00 or more per person to go to the movies. They are dreaming if they believe this is the future of movies. I don't go to the movies now because of how bad the product has become. If they think more comfortable seats and better picture-sound quality trumps what's on the screen, they're delusional and in denial.

 

I am lucky enough to have a home-town theatre where I can get the whole family in for a 20 spot. And they don't even totally rape you on the snacks... more of just a light one or two digit, thru the panties, molestation. When our theatre was closed for several years due to fire, we went to the movies about twice a year.

 

And yes, Lucas is a hack.

[frank 2,278]

In the last 10 years, I have probably been to about 5 movies. Inception was the last one.

[shorepatrol 1,870]

I'm just tired of these stupid focking bullsh!t sequels. But that's what the idiot public wants. Fast & Furios 23 and Iron Man 7

The fast & furious franchise is pure mind numbing entertainment.

[Mookz 1,338]

For my money, this is the future of movies right here:

 

 

[GobbleDog 987]

The future of movies is pure computer graphics that look idential to real footage. Tom Cruise types will be portrayed by fictional actors, becoming fake movie stars.

[MDC 7,177]

In the last 10 years, I have probably been to about 5 movies. Inception was the last one.

Same here. Before Evil Dead it had been at least 2-3 years since I went to the movies.