HOLLYWOOD'S UNORIGINALITY

The phrase “Hollywood is out of ideas” is a common sentiment in the movie-making zeitgeist. Sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, and spin-offs inundate the public by the entertainment industry in both film and television. This project defines originality, asks why Hollywood continually chooses to make movies that are unoriginal, and presents some solutions to this unoriginality problem. I interviewed five Cinema and Television Arts professors to hear their insight on if they feel a pervasive originality problem in Hollywood is present and potential solutions they have. The feedback I received ranged from those that have experience in the industry, strictly study the industry from afar, and even worked on the business side of the industry rather than the creative side. The last portion of the project is an original script I wrote that lacks the pitfalls Hollywood falls privy to. Because my script was motivated by a story I wanted to tell instead of Hollywood’s standard of writing about what will make the most money, I tell a young girl’s coming-of-age story of her overcoming the loss of her mother.