I think it’s always been a fight by producers to reign in the power. Right now there’s a huge shakeup to the industry and almost no one has figured it out so the industry falls back on “safe” money tied up in producers and companies. If anything this shift should be better for independent creators as the Internet allows for more of a democratization of resources so it will probably swing back.
Also, I think this is probably a classic problem of confirmation bias, cause we have plenty of studios producing cheaper movies, A24 comes to mind. A lot of great directors and writers are taking risks on high-budget streaming series, people like Apple, Amazon, and HBO are throwing wads of cash at 1/2 season flops that are cool ideas, some of which hit big.
On top of that, we look back with rose-tinted glasses at the “glory days” of film when directors had more power than studios etc, but I would bet a lot that pound for pound the industry wasn’t nearly as proportionately experimental as it is today. Maybe we’re in a lull compared to recent years (maybe) but overall the trajectory is pretty steadily upwards.
maegul@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Another factor I’ve heard is that investment types and thinking have taken root in the film industry and established a baseline gross profit margin as an expectation compared to the past that was more happy to break even.
It makes sense because it’s also the story of the times I suspect, and there’s likely a lesson to be learnt that how we useful market dynamics can be some aspects of civilised life may be best left effectively non-profit.
cmbabul@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It wouldn’t surprise me at all, that thinking has infected everything.
maegul@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Yea. A basic heuristic I picked up a while ago was “was this better before the accountants got involved”. I got it from someone telling me their profession was clearly better before accountants ruined it.