What You Think: OK, so Hollywood is pretty much dominated by money, we get that. But at the end of the day they're still a movie business. Even if it's aimed at the lowest possible demographic the focus is still on making something that will appeal to that target audience. Please don't ruin this for us... The Truth: Deep down we all know this, but with enough good product coming from it we don't really like to admit it. It's really all about money and movies are just the way Hollywood is set up to get it; if movies suddenly became unprofitable you can bet production would stop tomorrow. That picture above is the office of John Lasseter, Pixar creator and head of Disney animation. He has directed some of the latter's best movies and was behind the likes of Frozen and Wreck-It-Ralph. Even when he makes something of a lower quality (he directed Cars 2) it's clear from interviews his heart is totally in the creative place. To him that wall of Toy Story merchandise is just fuelling his own love of toys and his characters. But what it represents, how movies are to big studios just the tip of a massive merchandising empire, is less well intentioned. Blockbuster movies are all about building a new or expanding an existing franchise; kids movies have a toy line ready to go the moment the credits finish; even Oscar-bait is product to be sold to the Academy. If some good films come out of it we're lucky. Got something to say about the movie industry? Vent down in the comments.
