Studiocanal is the film and television programme acquisition, distribution and production company of the French group Canal+. "It has changed the film and television industry, becoming the largest company at the continental level, and the continent's most important rival to Hollywood," says Christopher Meir, who conducted this research in the Department of Journalism and Audiovisual Communications, within the framework of the UC3M's CONEX (CONnecting EXcellence) programme. This talent attraction programme is supported by the European Union (FP7 Marie Curie Actions), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports and Banco Santander.
Some of the results of this line of research can be found in a book,"Mass Producing European Cinema: Studiocanal and Its Works" (Bloomsbury Academic, 2019). He adds that with films such as Lucy, The Impossible and Paddington, European studios are reaching unprecedented levels in terms of global impact.
This study, in addition to examining and documenting some of the most significant films and series that Studiocanal and its peers have made over the last thirty years, analyses the artistic and commercial dynamics of the international film industry. "This enables us to reflect on the very idea of European cinema, which has often been theorised as an artisanal industry which values art over commercial concerns," says Meir.
One of the main conclusions of Meir´s research is that European cinema increasingly resembles that of Hollywood. In fact, "it replicates American forms and has many similarities, such as the increasing use of the English language and personnel from the United States and Britain, which means that productions can be mistaken as being American even if they are directed by Spanish or other European directors," he explains.
According to Meir, this transformation of the European film industry "will mean more job opportunities in Europe in the world of film and television, as well as increasing the internal production of other films and series that can introduce viewers to other local cultures," he says.
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Bibliographic reference: Meir, C. (2019). Mass Producing European Cinema: Studiocanal and Its Works. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN-13: 978-1501327124
Interview with the researcher: https://youtu.be/j_vs_2lNH4U