Peter Jackson's epic trilogy, the biggest film event of the 21st century, turned the best-selling book of the 20th century into a popular, critical and financial success all over again. This comprehensive collection draws together twenty-five essays on the making, the meaning and the reception of The Lord of the Rings. There is a section on the business of the 'event film', critical chapters on techniques and meanings ranging from music to spirituality, essays on the multimedia products associated with the films, observations on the trilogy's global audience, and an informative dossier of reviews, interviews, production details and box-office returns. More closely integrated, and more attuned to the global marketplace than the older blockbusters, the event film, with its attention-grabbing pitch for the status of news, will be one of the most influential media forms of the coming years. These meticulous essays combine with Peter Jackson's remarkable trilogy to form a unique entry to the study of 21st century media. -- .

Jane Campion's The Piano is one of the most unusual love stories in the history of cinema. The film swept the world upon its release, winning awards for its performances, script, and direction, including prestigious Cannes and Academy Award prizes. Rejecting virtually every stereotype of the romance genre, it poses a wholly new set of questions about relationships between men and women, and marriage in particular, as well as issues related to colonialism and property ownership. This volume examines The Piano from a variety of critical perspectives. In six essays, specially commissioned for this project, an international team of scholars examine topics such as the controversial representation of the Maori, the use of music in the film, the portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship, and the significance of the film in terms of international cinema, the culture of New Zealand, and the work of Jane Campion.

Shooting Women takes readers around the world to explore the lives of camerawomen working in features, TV news, and documentaries. From pioneers like African American camerawoman Jessie Maple Patton who got her job only after suing the union - to China's first camerawomen - who travelled with Mao - to rural India where women in poverty have learned camerawork as a means of empowerment, Shooting Women reveals a world of women working with courage and skill in what has long been seen as a male field.

In an increasingly global market, the Hollywood film industry is evolving rapidly. Once a stand-alone entity, the Hollywood blockbuster is now integrated more closely than ever with the internet, computer games and news media. This growing synergy has given rise to a new phenomenon: the event film. As a work that transcends the boundaries and expectations of conventional film, Peter Jackson's epic trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" makes a perfect case study for this emerging phenomenon. In a carefully-structured collection of essays, the authors cover every aspect of the event film from its inception through to marketing of the finished product. The financial implications of planning and producing an event film are examined, with clear analyses of tax breaks and marketing strategies. Consideration is also given to the philosophical and social impact of event films, including effects on national identity and tourism in an age of globalization. The twenty-five contributors to this volume come from an eclectic range of backgrounds, but share a perspective grounded in Aotearoa, New Zealand, the land of Middle-earth. Their expertise in fields as diverse as business, communications, geography, music, film and media studies combines to provide a clear understanding of how 'creative industries' will figure in future economics. Studying the event film offers a unique entry point for studying twenty-first century media, and is essential reading for fans of The Lord of the Rings and for anyone interested in contemporary Hollywood as a global industrial and cultural phenomenon.

Jane Campion's The Piano is one of the most unusual love stories in the history of cinema. The film swept the world upon its release, winning awards for its performances, script, and direction, including prestigious Cannes and Academy Award prizes. Rejecting virtually every stereotype of the romance genre, it poses a wholly new set of questions about relationships between men and women, and marriage in particular, as well as issues related to colonialism and property ownership. This volume examines The Piano from a variety of critical perspectives. In six essays, specially commissioned for this project, an international team of scholars examine topics such as the controversial representation of the Maori, the use of music in the film, the portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship, and the significance of the film in terms of international cinema, the culture of New Zealand, and the work of Jane Campion.