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Copyright by Hans-Martin Liebing 2012 The Dissertation Committee for Hans-Martin Liebing certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Transforming European Cinema : Transnational Filmmaking in the Era of Global Conglomerate Hollywood Committee: Thomas Schatz, Supervisor Hans-Bernhard Moeller Charles Ramírez Berg Joseph D. Straubhaar Howard Suber Transforming European Cinema : Transnational Filmmaking in the Era of Global Conglomerate Hollywood by Hans-Martin Liebing, M.A.; M.F.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2012 Dedication In loving memory of Christa Liebing-Cornely and Martha and Robert Cornely Acknowledgements I would like to thank my committee members Tom Schatz, Charles Ramírez Berg, Joe Straubhaar, Bernd Moeller and Howard Suber for their generous support and inspiring insights during the dissertation writing process. Tom encouraged me to pursue this project and has supported it every step of the way. I can not thank him enough for making this journey exciting and memorable. Howard’s classes on Film Structure and Strategic Thinking at The University of California, Los Angeles, have shaped my perception of the entertainment industry, and having him on my committee has been a great privilege. Charles’ extensive knowledge about narrative strategies and Joe’s unparalleled global media expertise were invaluable for the writing of this dissertation. Bernd served as my guiding light in the complex European cinema arena and helped me keep perspective. I consider myself very fortunate for having such an accomplished and supportive group of individuals on my doctoral committee. I would also like to thank my other amazing professors at The University of Texas at Austin, who have made my studies an incredible experience, in particular Emile McAnany, Nick Cominos, Janet Staiger, Stephen Harrigan, Alex Smith, Ellen Spiro, Sharon Strover, Andrew Garrison, Sandy Stone, Richard Lewis, Paul Stekler, Diane Zander- Mason, Karen Kocher, Karin Wilkins, Anne Lewis, Augie Grant, Neil Netanel and David Sokolow. I do not know what I would have done without the Radio- Television-Film Department’s marvelous staff, in particular Michelle Monk, Charmarie Burke, Gloria Holder, Bert Herigstad, Susan Dirks, Susanne Kraft, Jeremy Gruy, Linda Cavage and Lee Sparks, and I am tremendously thankful to all of them. I am also extremely grateful to my professors in the UCLA Film and Television Producers Program and the UCLA Screenwriting Program, especially Denise Mann, Barbara Boyle, Hal Ackerman, Richard Walter, Steven Fayne, Linda Voorhees, Laurie Hutzler, Arnold Rifkin, Joe Roth, Jerry Katzman, Tom Sherak, Peter Guber, Marina Goldovskaya, Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Ken Suddleson, Meg LeFauve, Gyula Gazdag, Gil Cates and Geoff Gilmore. Many v thanks also to Sonja Heinen and her team at the Berlinale Co-Production Market, to Tina Sørensen and Lars Hermann from the Kopenhagen Film Mentor program, and to Martin Blaney, Angus Finney and Ilann Girard for their kind support. Special thanks go to Laura Ohata and Ruth Chlebowski for their valuable feedback during the final revision stage of this dissertation. I would also like to thank producers and development executives at various production companies I had the privilege of interning and working at, especially the remarkable staff at HBO Films, and Gale Anne Hurd at Valhalla Motion Pictures for her mentorship and the opportunity to journey into the Marvel Universe. I am also very thankful to the staff at Neue Bioskop in Munich for introducing me to the European way of feature film development, and to Mitko Panov at Kamera 300 for his mentorship and the opportunity to gather first-hand producing experience on a European co- production. Many thanks also go to Nancy Schiesari for her friendship, support, and for the many opportunities to work on engaging documentaries, and to John and Janet Pierson for their friendship and mentorship. I am especially grateful to my parents: my father, who encouraged me to take the opportunity to study in the U.S. and never let me down along the way, and my mother, who strongly believed in me and who will always remain one of my greatest inspirations. Many thanks also to Sue and George Rabick, my wonderful host parents in Michigan, who, many years ago during my senior year in high school, became like a second family to me. Finally, I am particularly thankful to all of my friends who have made the last couple of years inspiring and positive. Among them: Angela Torres Camarena, Ben Harris, Guillermo Nieto, Johnny Pate, Cynthia Cook, Gail Gear, Alan Bourgeois, Joseph Rodriguez, Marion Manowsky, Linda Schrank, Makoto Sadahiro, Heather Cole, Alina and Christopher Morse, Cara Lacy, Linda Brown, Shay Nichols, Carsten Brodbeck, Nicole May, Christian Hennerkes, Kara Revel, Sandra Hastenteufel, Raquel Cecilia, Mitchell Johnson, Marcus Trumpp, Ilse Vlamynck, Moni Damevski, Jason Klein, Armin Schroth, Louise Rosager, Jennifer Wu, Margit Henrich, Sue and Alton Watson, Ramesh Santanam, Curt Bajak, Naiti Gámez, Catherine McCabe, Waltraud Stauch, Anne Marie Jennings, William Willoya, Kyle Franke, Nadine Leonova, Henry Puente, Alison Macor, vi Kathryin and Rainer Gombos, Mina Jesik, the Cansino and Hayworth families, Simone Oram, Mary Beltrán, Mark Miller, Thilo Streit, Cindy Chan, Luca Matrundola, Debbie La Torre Matrundola, Mary Martin, Miguel Alvarez, Frank Suffert, Lorenz Weber, Diana Taylor, Jennifer Wu, Brad Roszell, Anthony Hernandez, Lupe Valdez, Marco Fargnoli, Joel Heller, Valerie Wee, Debbie Carney, Heidi Carabine, Frances Nichols, Dan Stuyck, James Birren, Myron Murakami, Sabine Werk, Tammy Duffy, Megan Gilbride, Bryan Sebok, Christian Tullius, Bryan Poyser, Pamela Hartman, Sami Vainio, Adina Dürrwald, Dirk and Torsten Brundelius, Peg Milligan TenHoopen, Richard Sowders, Shawnee Isaac Smith, Naiti Gámez, Tracy Mercer, Jackie Cruz, Jeremy Coon, Eva Schone, Sandra Adair, Torben Lundig, Michael Bucklin, Susan Rocha Bays, Kyle Henry, Agata and Pjotr Jaxa, Hammad Zaidi, Peggy Chiao, Mike Simpson, David Modigliani, Bernd Mader, Valerie Risner, Lorelei Armstrong, Ulrike Rose, Nicolas Siegenthaler, Tore Schmidt, Mike Dolan, Christopher McQuarie, Maria Lourdes De Hoyos, Javier Bonafont, Geoff Marslett, Lucas Millard, Gayla Nethercott, Mariella Harpelunde Jensen, Jessie Lee, Jayne Belliveau, Samuel Jørgensen, Magnus Gustafsson, Werner Herzog, Niloofar Badie, Kristina Mann, Håvard Lilleheie, Jason Eitelbach, Lisa McWilliams, Milcho Manchevski, Michael and Peter Mülbert, Jörg Thierer, Venus Victoria Pineyro, Martina Schomburg, Dagmar Spira, Ursel Liebing, Ulrike Herb, Kai Salim, Cheyenne Rushing, Jane Fröhlich, Bear Eagle, Courtney Brannon Donoghue, Megan Steinbeck, Eilis Mernagh, Joan Jerkovich, Gary Walker, Benny Klain, David Zepeda, John O’Neal, Ralf Kröner, Katharina Nimmervoll, Debra Caruthers, Elissa Nelson, Katja Straub, Marieke Oudejans, Helle Jensen, SunHee Cho, Linden Dalecki, Jennnifer Hill Robenalt and Fritz Robenalt, Jaime Cano, Alfred Cervantes, Ralph Voncken, Maru Buendia-Senties, Echo Uribe, Tilo Wütherich, Achim and Tine Mayer, Steffen Grünling, Gaby Yepes, Emily McDowell, Julien Favre, Maria Hardisty and Cathy Rescher. vii Transforming European Cinema : Transnational Filmmaking in the Era of Global Conglomerate Hollywood Hans-Martin Liebing, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2011 Supervisor: Thomas Schatz The film industries in Europe have undergone a series of fundamental structural and strategic changes during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. This study looks at the nature of some of these changes, focusing on the Big Five film producing countries in Europe: the U.K., France, West Germany and the reunified Germany, Italy and Spain. It examines how the transformation of the U.S. film industry from “The New Hollywood” of the 1960s and 1970s into “Conglomerate Hollywood” in the 1980s, and into “Global Conglomerate Hollywood” in the 1990s affected the Big Five film industries in Europe. In this context, the question is raised: How have these changes influenced European development strategies and practices, leading to the creation of an increasing number of transnational motion pictures originating in, and produced in collaboration with, these film industries. The study finds that conglomeration and globalization trends within the U.S. entertainment industry have gone hand in hand with the changes observable in the Big Five European film industries in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. These changes include, but are not limited to, an altered definition of talent and the creative process, as well as notions of authorship, in European cinema. They also encompass an increased emphasis on an often neglected phase of film production: the development process, which is typically comprised of the conception of an idea or viii the acquisition of an existing fiction or non-fiction property to adapt, the research of potential markets and audiences, the writing and rewriting of a script, the casting of a movie’s lead characters, and the raising of production financing. To examine the nature and extent of the perceived changes, the study relies primarily on academic literature on the U.S. and European film industries; European and U.S. trade publications; as well as observations from several years of attending the Berlinale Co-Production Market and the European Film Market (both part