British international pictures and the influence of German cinematographers (1927-1936)
British international pictures and the influence of German cinematographers (1927-1936)
This thesis assesses the influence of German-speaking cinematographers on British cinema during the 1920s and 1930s. After many years struggling to compete with America’s hegemony on both the indigenous and world market British cinema in the late 1920s finally emerged as a fully-fledged industry. It is my contention that German cinematographers were in part responsible for the British film industry’s revival and the increasingly positive critical reception and market penetration of British films worldwide.
So as to allow for an in-depth examination of their contribution I have made British International Pictures (BIP) the subject of a case study. BIP was one of the first major companies to establish itself on the indigenous and international market. The studio’s make-up was both British and international and it employed renowned German directors and cinematographers on over a quarter of its product.
To establish the nature of their influence I examine both the output of the studio; their contribution to the aesthetics of the films – and its internal infrastructure; their influence on production organisations, the implementation of new technologies and the training of British cinematographers so as to demonstrate the extensive contribution of the German cinematographers to this studio.
The contribution of the German cinematographers highlights the interdependence of cultures and this thesis emphasises the positive effects of such cross-fertilisations. These transnational cross-currents and outside influences helped to rejuvenate the film industry. The legacy of the German cinematographers demonstrates that British cinema was and still is as much British as international.
University of Southampton
Robinson, Kelly
2b1727aa-6747-4be3-86d8-c5588b9e371b
2007
Robinson, Kelly
2b1727aa-6747-4be3-86d8-c5588b9e371b
Robinson, Kelly
(2007)
British international pictures and the influence of German cinematographers (1927-1936).
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
This thesis assesses the influence of German-speaking cinematographers on British cinema during the 1920s and 1930s. After many years struggling to compete with America’s hegemony on both the indigenous and world market British cinema in the late 1920s finally emerged as a fully-fledged industry. It is my contention that German cinematographers were in part responsible for the British film industry’s revival and the increasingly positive critical reception and market penetration of British films worldwide.
So as to allow for an in-depth examination of their contribution I have made British International Pictures (BIP) the subject of a case study. BIP was one of the first major companies to establish itself on the indigenous and international market. The studio’s make-up was both British and international and it employed renowned German directors and cinematographers on over a quarter of its product.
To establish the nature of their influence I examine both the output of the studio; their contribution to the aesthetics of the films – and its internal infrastructure; their influence on production organisations, the implementation of new technologies and the training of British cinematographers so as to demonstrate the extensive contribution of the German cinematographers to this studio.
The contribution of the German cinematographers highlights the interdependence of cultures and this thesis emphasises the positive effects of such cross-fertilisations. These transnational cross-currents and outside influences helped to rejuvenate the film industry. The legacy of the German cinematographers demonstrates that British cinema was and still is as much British as international.
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Published date: 2007
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Local EPrints ID: 466421
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/466421
PURE UUID: 22aedc12-b7f0-4700-9745-d880f0d7cf33
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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 05:15
Last modified: 05 Jul 2022 05:15
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Author:
Kelly Robinson
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