Who Influences Film and Television Content?
There are few of us who don’t watch television regularly, or attend a movie at least a few times a year. Certainly we have our ideas about what we like and don’t like, what’s tasteful or displeasing, what’s acceptable or offensive. But no matter what our opinions and tastes, we’re all on the viewing end of the process. This month we get a glimpse of someone who helps create the movies we see: Steve McEveety, a Catholic who tries to bring his personal values to movie production. Movies and television are first and foremost business ventures. Production companies and independent filmmakers compete for a chance to win development money, and then for the backing of national film distributors. As McEveety says, developers are not thinking much about values, only about what will sell. Do you know who controls the film production process? Do you know who is responsible for the content of television programming? The process starts with a compelling story. See the November 1999 Links for Learne
