Research Prospectus

Mitch Barley

English 308J

Research Prospectus

Film and the Environment

In today’s society, media plays an extremely important role in the lives of millions of Americans. First, the Internet could provide an entire world of information at the touch of a button. With the revolution of the Smartphone, people now hold those connections in the palms of their hands. Literally. According to research conducted by Liliana Escobar-Chaves and her partner Craig Anderson, the average American youngster now spends one third of their day with some form of electronic media. With such an impressive outreach, it’s important to look at what messages the American media is sending. Perhaps more important, though, is to examine how we’re responding.

In the modern age of high technology and instant gratification, it seems as though we’re always being told that the film industry is weak and cinema is dying. In fact, however, quite the contrary is true.

Two thousand and nine marked a banner year for the film industry and the cinematic experience. The American Motion Picture Industry raked in a record 10.6 billion dollars. The Chinese film industry brought in 6 billion Yuan, or 882 million dollars, and Great Britain posted its most successful year at the box office since 2002. This past year also marked the evolution of the 3D Imax experience and it’s assault on Hollywood and cinema. In 2009, Imax theaters generated about 15% of the total profit accrued by American theaters yet they make up only less than 3% of totals theaters in the states.

Also in the past few years, America (and really the entire global culture) has experienced an innovative and intensive movement for the betterment of the environment. As businesses and individuals continue to “go green,” further spreads the reach of this concentrated campaign for environmental health. But where did these “green” attitudes come from? How did these ideas become such a global phenomenon? The answer likely contains two parts: 1) Environmentalists have been preaching for years many of the green tactics utilized today; and 2) It was media that finally got people to listen.

In an article published in Sierra Magazine in 2001, author Gretel Schuler explores the question “Can Hollywood Save the World?”. In the article, she examines the efforts of the Environmental Media Association (EMA) to utilize the influence of motion pictures and television broadcasting to promote environmental protection and management. Martin Kaplan, associate dean of the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California, says that it makes perfect sense to reach people through these media. According to Kaplan, using fictional vehicles tends to be extremely effective because viewers directly connect to the characters and stories. “When people are caught up in a story, they tend to pay more attention to messages like that,” Kaplan says (Schueller).

Now, nearly a decade after that article was published, is Hollywood still involved in the green movement to better our environment? Have the efforts by the EMA to reach people through media paid off or backfired? And, does “going green” really mean anything? Or is it a just catchy phrase being thrown to the public as a pawn in a game where profit is the true king?

It’s important to understand the role of media in our daily lives and to dissect and interpret the messages we receive. What is Hollywood saying to us? What is their motivation? How are we responding? In December of 2009, James Cameron and 20^th Century Fox released the highest grossing film of all time. Bringing in nearly 2 billion dollars at the box office, Avatar has made more money in the theaters than any film previously, and, not to mention, is packed with environmental themes and “green” undertones. It has the potential to reach more people than any movie ever made and it’s important to look at what’s being communicated between the lines and through the cinematic experience that has captivated a generation.