FOREIGN MOTION PICTURE: IMPACT TO THE LOCAL FILM INDUSTRY

Chapter 1

THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

What makes a good movie? From wizards to flying brooms, transforming

vehicles into robots, supernatural beings, unbelievable true to life stories, super

heroes to real life super heroes and much more. Different people, different tastes

when it comes to preferred genre of films. When it comes to foreign motion

picture or the so called foreign films, most Filipinos tend to watch them instead of

viewing local films. According to the European Audiovisual Council (2009), the

largest markets by box office are United States, China, United Kingdom, Japan,

South Korea and India; and the countries with the largest number of film

productions are India, Nigeria, and the United States. Other centers include Hong

Kong and in Europe the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany are

the countries that lead movie production.

According to Box Office Mojo, a website that provides comprehensive

performance of releases, one of the top five grossing film in the Philippines Iron

Man 3, an American film that got the highest domestic gross in 2013 with a total

of ₱625,843,853 and then followed by another American film The Avengers

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which earned ₱601,105,508 in 2015, and then followed by a Filipino film entitled

A Second Chance with a total domestic gross of ₱445,968,028 which occupied

the third place with two other American film included in the list. Although one of

our local film got into the top five highest grossing films in the Philippines, it is

obvious that majority of the Filipino citizen viewed foreign films the most.

We are all familiar of the cinema of the United States, often generally

referred to as Hollywood that has had a profound effect on cinema across the

world since the early 20th century. According to Los Angeles Film Studies,

Hollywood is the oldest film industry in the world which originated more than 121

years ago and also the largest film industry in terms of revenue. The Philippines,

as a country that has been under the American colonialism, we adapted most of

the characteristics of the Americans including the English language and Filipinos

are known as its secondary language. Maybe that’s why most of Filipinos like to

watch most of American films.

The purpose of this study is to find out why most of Filipinos prefer to

watch foreign films instead of viewing locally made films, see the advantage and

disadvantages and its impact to the Filipino film industry.

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BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The end of the nineteenth century saw the rise of the American imperialist dream

that sought to expand the industrialized nation’s markets, sources of raw

materials and investment opportunities. It went to war with Spain which was

politically ailing but still owned the colonies coveted by America. In particular, it

targeted Spain’s outpost in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, which could be used

as a stepping stone to China and its teeming millions. From 1901 when the

American civil government was established in the country to1946 when the

Philippines was granted political independence, the U.S. pacified the islands and

then proceeded to Americanize its new colony.

This was effected through the colonial government and economy, through the

educational system which reached out to the remotest barrios and through the

print and broadcast media which spread the sounds and shapes of popular

American culture. By the 1950s, many Filipinos had become avid consumers of

American products and defenders of the American way of life. Throughout the

American colonial era and the period of the Philippine Republic, Hollywood

exercised the strongest influence and pressure on the Filipino film. Having

pioneered the development of film technology, America was responsible for

introducing into the country the equipment for shooting films, the use of black and

white or color film stock, the sound and editing technology, as well as the general

techniques of preproduction, production, and the systems of distribution and

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exhibition. Before the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Filipinos had already

adapted the American techniques of filmmaking, and had even adopted the

Hollywood-type studio system. But the Philippines did not only import film

technology from America. Throughout the last century, the islands were

inundated by the products of Hollywood and its giant multinational companies –

MGM, Universal, Columbia, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers,

Walt Disney Pictures. With a worldwide market, these companies sank huge

investments into commercial films, which naturally turned out to be more

technologically advanced or polished than local products and easily outnumbered

Filipino films, FOUR TO ONE.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The conceptual framework of the study was depicted in a paradigm as shown

below. Framework 1 Consist of independent variables which includes the factors

affecting the local film such as government support, advance technology and

knowledge and experience.

Framework 2 Dependent variables consists of pressumed results such as

quality, numbers of viewers and success of the industry. The framework shows

that if the government supports the local film industry, together with advanced

technology and education with experience then the industry will meet the

pressumed results such as better output quality, more supporters and success in

the local film industry.

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Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Factors Affecting Local Film Pressumed Result

Industry
 Better Film Quality
 Government Support  More Local Viewers
 Advanced Technology  Successful Film Industry
 Knowledge and Experience

Frame 1 Frame 2

Figure 1: Research of Paradigm of the Study

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The purpose of this study is to determine how to improve the local

film industry in terms of these following characteristics:

1. Quality

1.1 cinematic effects

1.2 story

1.3 production

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2. Film promotion

2.1 advertising

2.2 marketing

2.3 campaigns

3. Knowledge

3.1 experience

3.2 education

Research Hypothesis

It is hypothesized that if the government supports the local film industry, together

with advanced technology and education with experience then the industry will

meet the pressumed results such as better output quality, more supporters and

success in the local film industry.

Significance of the Study

This study will benefit the following

Artists- the talent and passion will improve more for their specific role.

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Directors- will bring more inspiration in directing films.

Producers- most of them will be encouraged to produce more films due to

demand and profit.

Film makers- more jobs for enthusiasts and passionate individuals who focuses

on film making.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This research study focused on studies to determine on how to improve local film

industry as percieved by 50 people residing in the philippines during the year

2017-2018. The aspects looked into where the foreign film industry affects the

local industry.

Definition of Terms

For the respondents to understand what the study is, the re-researchers provide

the operational definition of term used:

Foreign Belonging or connected to a country that is not your own.

Local Belonging or relating to a particular area or neighborhood.

Motion Picture Another term of movie.

Film Industry or motion picture industry Comprises the technological and

commercial institutions of filmmaking.

Impact Have a strong effect on someone or something.

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