Made-for-Television Movies

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses made-for-television movies and the impact they have had or not had on the cinema, and home-viewing market. The paper further examines the role of the producer, and discusses the differences between theatrical release producing and television producing. The paper also takes a look at the success of the telemovie on pay-TV as opposed to free-to-air broadcasts.

From the Paper:

"In terms of the budget, there are large differences between a feature film and a made-for-television film. The cost of "blockbuster" feature films keeps spiraling upwards - at last count, the most expensive films are hovering around the 200 million dollar mark just to produce. Made-for-television productions (depending on quality) will rarely breach the three million-dollar mark, with some coming in as low as 750,000 USD. These costs are kept low by short shooting times, with the average shooting time for a 2-hour Movie of the Week a mere three to four weeks in length with a 30-day preproduction time. A high-profile undertaking, such as HBO's Angels In America, or a film shot overseas, may touch the six million mark, but such cases are the exception rather than the rule. Considering that the major networks who finance these undertakings are reporting combined revenue of up to twenty billion dollars a year, it is easy to see why made-for-television movies are a cheap, attractive option for them. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Abramson, A. The History of Television, 1942 to 2000. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2003.
• Hilmes, M. The Television History Book. London: British Film Institute, 2004.

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• Essay # 3924 : "The Impact of Movies on Juries"

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