Self study research on Screenwriting

Self Study Research on Screenwriting

So as i've been looking into several different screenwriters for film and television shows, a few have taken my fancy. But what i've also been intrigued by in my research, is how screenwriting developed as a whole and bloomed, solidifying itself within the film/tv industry as having a pivotal role.

The first screenplay was to be produced by George Melies with his film 'A trip to the Moon'  (1902). The film is silent. but the screenplay contains specific descriptions and action lines that resemble a modern day script.

(A Trip to the Moon. Dir + Screenwriter - George Melies 1902)

As time went on and films became longer and complex, the need for screenplays became more significant in the industry. The arrival of movie theatres also impacted the development of screenplays, as audiences became more widespread and sophisticated, so the stories had to as well.
Once the first non-silent movie was released ' The Jazz Singer ' (1927) Dir. Alan Crosland, screenwriting became rather important, resulting in them having a crucial role in Hollywood.

 (The Jazz Singer. Dir - Alan Crosland. Screenwriter - Samson Raphaelson. 1927)

The 'Studio System' of the 1930s (used during the 'Golden Age' of Hollywood) is a method of film production and distribution dominated by a small number of major studios in Hollywood (back in that era they were known as the 'Big 5' which consisted of '20th Century Fox, RKO Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros and Metro Goldwyn-Mayer'. Their management structures and practices collectively came to be known as the 'Studio System'.) and these big five, or as it were named 'studio system' demanded vast productivity. Therefore leading to the birth of the 'Blue print' (continuity screenplay) of the film beforehand became extremely optimal. In 1933 the first spec script (A spec script, also known as a speculative screenplay, is a non-commissioned unsolicited screenplay. It is usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script optioned and eventually purchased by a producer, production company or studio.) was written by Preston Sturges 'The Power and The Glory'  an it was bought by FOX for $17,500, it it did poorly in box office - it was only until the late 60's/early 70's that spec scripts really had a major effect on the industry. A man named William Goldman sold his spec script 'Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid' Dir. George Roy Hill - 1969 - to Warner Bros for $400,000 in a studio bidding war. The script went onto win Academy Award for best screenplay. This changed the industry for writers forever. Now screenwriting for TV is considered just as difficult and competitive as writing is for feature films. 

(Other spec scripts that have went on to win Academy Awards for best screenplay include - Thelma & louise (sold by Callie Khouri to MGM for $500,000 in 1990); Good Will Hunting (sold by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to Mirimax Films for $675,000 in 1994); and American Beauty (sold by Alan Ball to Dreamworks SKG for $250,000 in 1998).

(Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. Dir - George Roy Hall. Screenwriter - William Goldman. 1969)

As I was becoming slightly more satisfied with the amount of research I had delved into, there was one noteworthy bit of information that really caught my attention, which was that RKO Pictures had seemingly fell out of the 'Big 5' bracket and became somewhat extinct. 

So I decided to do a bit of background information on RKO Pictures, originally named 'RKO Radio Pictures'. It initially was founded by RCA to promote their RCA Photophone sound system. The initials in the company name stand for 'Radio Keith Orpheum', reflecting the joint venture of RCA, The Keith Orpheum theatre circuit, and Joseph P. Kennedy's Film Booking Office. Howard Hughes would purchase the studio in 1948 and sell off the studio to the General Tire and Rubber Company in 1955. The rights to the majority of the in-house RKO Radio Pictures films are owned by the current RKO Pictures with distribution rights owned and/or licensed to Warners Bros. Pictures via Turner Entertainment Co. While Walt Disney Pictures owns the rights to their own productions and films produced by Selznick International Pictures. (the latter via ABC Motion Pictures), the Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. family trust owns the rights to Samuel Goldwyn Productions films with domestic distribution rights licensed to Warner Bros. And international rights to Mirimax Films, Paramount Pictures owns 'It's a Wonderful Life' Via Republic Pictures and Universal Studios owns the films produced by Hughes. 

So after Howard Hughes sold it in 1955, it was then eventually renamed in 1957 from RKO Teleradio to RKO General, under the general tire and rubber company. This incarnation of RKO Pictures didn't produce films, they just handled the distribution rights to RKO General TV stations. 

However, in 1981, RKO General, under the General Tire and Rubber Company, began to reenter film production by co-producing several films with other various studios (such as Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation, Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox Film Corporation and Paramount Pics). Around 1985 General Tire's media holdings were reorganised to form 'GenCorp', with RKO General remaining as a subsidiary. A hostile takeover was attempted in 1987 on GenCorp and RKO pictures was spun off and sold to Wesray Captial Corporation, who then spun off RKO Pictures in 1989. The studio was then purchased by actress Dina Merrill and her husband and film producer Ted Hartley to form RKO Pictures, LCC, who remains as the current owner of the studio. 

Finally, what i also found quite cool was the development of the logo/branding of the company after swapping over hands and ownership of its corporation. Here's just a short video of that - 

One last piece of trivia that I'd like to share is that the Morse code heard on the logo transmitted this message: VVVV AN RKO RADIO PICTURE VVVV. I Just found that quite cool if i'm honest.