Fantasy (Routledge Film Guidebooks) by Jacqueline Furby & Claire Hines

Author:Jacqueline Furby & Claire Hines [Furby, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2011-09-02T04:00:00+00:00

Fantasy Filmmaking in the Hollywood Studio Era

The Hollywood tradition of fantasy filmmaking, which tells stories via classical narrative and special effects, developed under the studio system. From the 1930s to the 1940s the Hollywood studios possessed an unrivalled ability to make, distribute and exhibit films to domestic and international audiences. Since the economic and industrial structures of this enormously successful system have already been surveyed extensively elsewhere (see Bordwell et al. 1985; Maltby 2003), in this overview we focus our attention on some of the ways fantasy was taken up in the studio era.

One result of the organization of the studio system was that each major studio established an in-house special effects department and effects were increasingly important to the economy and style of many films made in Hollywood. During the early silent era, as for example in Méliès’s fantasy films, most ‘trick’ effects were created in the camera itself (usually by the cinematographer or camera assistants), using skilled and time-consuming procedures. By the studio era, however, effects work became increasingly specialized and the studios required film technicians with specific areas of expertise. Now familiar special effects techniques that played a key role during the studio era include rear projection, travelling mattes, and optical printing. Not only could these special effects be used to save production companies a lot of time and money (especially when the coming of sound in the early 1930s made it necessary to film mainly in the controlled conditions of an indoor studio set), when needed they also supplied spectacle and fantasy (Balio 1995: 131–5).

The RKO fantasy film King Kong (1933) is commonly cited as an example of the technical achievements made in special effects during the studio system. Mostly shot in the studio, King Kong required numerous effects techniques, including stop-motion animation, matting, miniature rear projection and optical work. For instance, the climactic scene where Kong climbs the Empire State Building uses a combination of effects, described by Kenneth Von Gunden (1989: 103–19) in his account of the film’s production process: frame-by-frame stop-motion animation makes an 18-inch model Kong appear to ascend a miniature of the New York skyscraper; close-ups of full-scale models of his head and hand are integrated to make it look like he is holding actress Fay Wray; and shots of real biplanes are intercut with models so that Kong seems to realistically interact with them (Figure 3.3). Characteristic of studio system production methods, King Kong was also worked on by regular RKO contract personnel such as co-director/producer Merian C. Cooper, music composer Max Steiner, and art director Carroll Clark.

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