Prompt Cast
The History of Hollywood and the Influence of Collective Bargaining Agreements
TLDR The film industry established itself in Hollywood due to favorable conditions such as weather, cheap labor, and a variety of landscapes nearby. Collective bargaining agreements with Hollywood unions led to the establishment of a six mile zone where studios did not have to pay for transportation, resulting in films produced outside of this zone being called runaway productions. The creation of the 30 mile zone in Los Angeles discouraged runaway productions and influenced the uniformity of the film industry.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The movie industry is centered in Hollywood due to a clause in various union contracts, and the early motion picture industry was actually on the East Coast.
01:22
The Motion Picture Patents Company tried to create a monopoly on the motion picture industry, leading filmmakers to move to Los Angeles to avoid their control.
02:26
The Motion Picture Patents Company was broken up in 1915, but by then the film industry had already established itself in Hollywood due to benefits such as favorable weather, cheap labor and land, and a variety of landscapes nearby for filming, and during the Great Depression, Hollywood saw the rise of several unions.
03:32
Hollywood unions were formed to negotiate collective bargaining agreements with film studios, including rates for travel, resulting in the establishment of a six mile zone in Los Angeles where studios did not have to pay for transportation and other provisions for workers, leading to films produced outside of this zone being called runaway productions.
04:36
In the 1970s, a new 30 mile zone was established in Los Angeles to discourage runaway productions, covering most of the city and filming ranches, with exceptions for certain locations just outside the zone.
05:47
The TMZ is the reason why so many states and countries offer incentives for films to be shot in their location, and it is also the reason why the film industry stays in Los Angeles and why so many places and films all look the same.
06:50
The TMZ celebrity gossip website got its name from the 30 mile zone, where most of its news and photos come from, and the reason why movies and TV shows often feature a generic Southern California landscape is due to collective bargaining agreements and studios avoiding extra mileage costs.
