DESCRIBING THE CLASSICAL HOLLYWOOD STYLE 1

Describing the Classical Hollywood Style

Vincent S. Switzer
Thomas Edison State College


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Describing the Classical Hollywood Style
Im finding the classical Hollywood style somewhat difficult to define. Television and
movies were an integral part of my household growing up. In fact Ive seen so many movies and
T.V. programs that I believe my mind has begun to purge the films shortly after seeing them. The
Hollywood style is something most Americans, myself included, wouldnt know existed unless it
was brought to their attention. Its been the basis for most of American Cinema for nearly a
century and thus accepted as a way of life.
At the turn of the twentieth century, technology began to catch up with the ambitions of
filmmakers. Projection devices led to large scale viewing and large scale viewing led to an
increased desire to expand upon the format. In just a few short years cinema had evolved in such
a way that peering into a small hole inside a device inside a dark room by your lonesome became
sharing an experience in a cathedral with your friends, family and masses of total strangers.
Along with this change in venue came an expansion on the length of films being presented.
Edisons Kinetoscope was used in specially designed Kinetoscope parlors to allow the
consumer to see a short film, sometimes expanded upon by the use multiple Kinetoscopes. With
the age of projection came the age of the extended film. This first real standard for a roll of film
came in 1908 with the 1,000-foot reel that allowed for about fifteen minutes of viewing. That
format was again expanded upon with the introduction of multi-reel films and thus came the
birth of the feature film. With the restriction of running time essentially abolished, filmmakers
began exploring the depths of the relatively new medium of storytelling. And from that
exploration came somewhat of a fluctuating singularity: the classical Hollywood style.
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The introduction of the feature film sparked a new age in cinema. No longer was a trip to
the movies just about the spectacle of the moving picture. This was now the age in which the
story conveyed onscreen was the reason for the journey to the movies. Filmmakers in Hollywood
quickly realized this shift in mindset and began capitalizing on it immediately. They were no
longer just selling the picture itself, but with it the story that unfolded onscreen. As with any new
product being introduced into a market, there was a scramble to best the competition and a desire
to constantly improve upon the last product released. While every studio wanted to add their own
stamp, their own flair to separate themselves from the competition, there grew a standard
amongst filmmakers.
Each director, each studio wanted to add their signature to their respective films being
produced, however there was a very basic, very deliberate format that was almost always
followed. The Hollywood style was all about immersing the viewer into the world being
presented in front of them. The way the movie was shot, the way it was edited, the dialog, the
mannerisms of the actors, the complexity of the scenery; it was all, every last bit, designed and
executed in a way that meant for the viewer to be able to place themselves into the movie. The
intent was for the viewer to forget where he or she was, to forget his or her life and become one
with the characters on screen.
In order to achieve such abandonment of reality, certain basic rules had to be followed:
there had to be a narrative, a beginning, middle and end; the shooting of the film had to feel
natural, as if the viewer was either on location with the characters or the characters themselves;
the editing of the film had to bring the first two notions together harmoniously. Simply stated,
the classical Hollywood style of filmmaking involves creating a film whose sole purpose is to
create an escape from everyday life.
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References
Belton, John (2008). American Cinema/American Culture. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Sikov, Ed (2009). Study Guide to Accompany American Cinema/American Culture. New York,
NY: McGraw-Hill
Pitkethly, Lawrence (Writer) (Director). (1995). The Hollywood Style [Television series
episode]. Ornatti, Molly (Producer), American Cinema. New York, NY: New York
Center for Visual History.