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In the first half of the 1900's, there were "race films" from Black-owned studios that were actually financed like this. The studio would create a trailer that
by drfuchs 6y ago
In the first half of the 1900's, there were "race films" from Black-owned studios that were actually financed like this. The studio would create a trailer that they'd then show to theater-owners. Exhibitors who liked the trailer would pay an advance against the box office, and if enough signed on, the film would get made and distributed to them. Kind of like authors getting an advance on a book they're writing.
- flir 6y agoDo any of them (films or trailers) survive? I've never heard of black-owned studios and I'd like to know more.
- drfuchs 6y agoSome do, but not many. Wikipedia has a good entry for “race film”, and http://dhbasecamp.humanities.ucla.edu/afamfilm/ http://dhbasecamp.humanities.ucla.edu/afamfilm/ looks like a great resource. Also check out https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6845-black-cinema-at-its-birth https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6845-black-cinema-at... and https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/short-history-black-us-indie-cinema https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/short-... and other Google hits on “black cinema”.
- flir 6y agoThanks, I appreciate the links.