Printed Page 203

Once the Hollywood studio system was established as a profitable business model, studios had the luxury of developing a distinctive moviemaking style that ultimately marked Hollywood’s Golden Age. This style began taking shape in 1915—characterized by the use of new narrative techniques (such as close-up camera shots and multiple story lines) in the silent era, the later introduction of sound, and the rise of movie genres. Hollywood’s monopolization of this style produced numerous films that have since become treasured classics. Yet during Hollywood’s Golden Age, other moviemaking models—including foreign films, documentaries, and independent films—provided alternatives to the classic style and shaped the medium just as powerfully.