Indian cinema, with its history of influencing global film, encompasses various regional industries including the dominant Hindi film sector, known as Bollywood. The landscape of Indian film is rich and diverse, with notable production hubs in cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Historically the largest producer of films in the world, Indian cinema's financial impact continues to grow, as evidenced by a significant box office revenue of ₹15,000 crore ($1.7955 billion) in 2022 alone.
Each linguistic and cultural group contributes to this cinematic mosaic, with recent data indicating that Hindi films bring in 33% of box office revenue, while Telugu cinema has ascended to the forefront, outshining Bollywood's contribution. Other important film industries include Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Bhojpuri cinemas, with South Indian film collectively surpassing Bollywood in earnings.
Indian films, which date back to their genesis in 1913, have traditionally seen Bollywood in the lead, but now face competitive vibrancy from other regional industries. The international diaspora remains a significant source of income, accounting for 12% of revenue. Prominent production companies like Arka Media Works, UV Creations, and Dharma Productions, among others, standout in this expansive and dynamic industry. Indian cinema's global reach is apparent, with its artistry continuing to garner attention and accolades, especially throughout South Asia.
List of American independent films
American independent films, known for their unique and diverse narratives, have carved out a distinct niche in the landscape of American cinema. These films, often referred to as indie or alternative, operate outside the confines of the traditional Hollywood studio system or the classical arthouse scene. Nevertheless, they have achieved varying levels of production, financing, and distribution success, often being recognized for their contributions to the film industry.
Historically, independent films in America before the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s were typified by low-budget productions, exploitation films, and avant-garde underground cinema, also known as the New American Cinema movement. This era also saw an emphasis on documentaries focused on social and political subjects, innovative animated shorts, and dramas resonant with social realism.
The evolution of the concept became more pronounced by the mid-1990s with the term "Indiewood" emerging to describe a movement where the lines between Hollywood's mainstream output and independent filmmaking began to blur. This term ascribed to films that, while presenting some connection to the mainstream industry, favored an independent approach to storytelling and production.
Independent films often have a substantially smaller budget than those made in Hollywood. Makers of these films, such as Robert Townsend with "Hollywood Shuffle," Richard Linklater with "Slacker," and Kevin Smith with "Clerks," frequently resort to unconventional means, including personal credit cards, to secure funding. The production process is generally less monitored with shorter oversight by committees, allowing filmmakers more creative control and flexibility. In contrast to Hollywood's tightly regulated timelines, independent filmmakers can afford to spend more time on post-production processes.
When a Hollywood film is ready for viewing, it usually undergoes focus group screenings within studio perimeters. In contrast, within the Indiewood framework, filmmakers retain the autonomy to decide the future course for their films after they are complete. Additionally, contemporary independent films often reflect a similar spirit to the so-called "proto-indies" of
A film, also known as a movie, represents a piece of visual art designed to convey experiences, narratives, emotions, and aesthetic qualities by employing moving pictures. These visuals are typically enhanced with sound, and occasionally with other types of sensory feedback. The term cinema, which derives from the word cinematography, encapsulates both the process of making films and the broader film industry, as well as the artistic expression derived from it.
In order to produce the illusion of motion, films capture real or created scenes. Historically, this involved taking consecutive still photographs on a light-sensitive material known as celluloid film stock at a standard rate of 24 frames per second. Later, these images are projected back at the same speed they were recorded to give the appearance of continuous motion. An intricate mechanism ensures each frame is stationary as it's shown, while a shutter intermits the light, crafting sequences of darkness that go unnoticed due to the brain's ability to merge the images, creating the perception of fluid movement. Synchronized with the images, an auditory track records the dialogue, music, and other sounds.
Today's filmmaking has largely transitioned to digital methods, spanning from the initial capture of images to the final exhibition of the film. This shift to digital applies to all stages, including production, distribution, and presentation of movies.