Classic Hollywood

The classic Hollywood style generally has many stereotypical features. These are the most common features:

-The style focuses on a hero-figure.

-There is usually an obvious villain.

-Films are usually action-packed,

-The story often has a moral lesson.

-Generally uses special effects, well known-actors, and a big budget with expensive sets and costumes.

There are two main Hollywood film studios: MGM and Warner Bros. These two studios have very distinctive styles.

MGM films are generally set outdoors, on a staged set and sometimes on a fantasy like backdrop, attempting to create an effective atmosphere with the aid of a big budget. This compares to the lower budget of Warner Bros. who generally use cheap, realistic and practical sets, such as streets and offices.

MGM costumes are usually imaginative, colorful and flamboyant, which relates to their set designs. This is in contrast to Warner Bros, who again used more realistic, everyday wear clothes to reflect their budget. Warner Bros. use predominantly close-ups and medium shots and focus on facial expressions to create an intimate feel to the film. While to fully capture these elaborate backgrounds and designs, MGM use a lot of long shots within their films.

An example of an MGM production is The Wizard of Oz. A big and bold production with a fantasy-like backdrop. An example of a Warner Bros. production is The Maltese Falcon, a film noir genre.