Film Studios: Histories, Evolution, Innovation, Futures

Film Studios: Histories, Evolution, Innovation, Futures is an in-person, three-day conference organised by the University of Bristol, UK, and held at the Watershed, Bristol, 5-7 June 2023.

Academic interest in the spaces and places of film production has grown in recent years, and this conference will take stock of recent and current research into film studios around the world. While ideas of the Hollywood studio system have tended to dominate the collective imaginary, recent research has made clear that different film studios have evolved in distinct ways in response to varying local contexts. It is this diversity that the conference wishes to emphasise, exploring commonalities between film production infrastructure in different parts of the world while noting the specific factors that have shaped the development of film studios in different geographical, temporal, political and economic circumstances.

Intended to demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of studio studies, Film Studios: Histories, Evolution, Innovation, Futures will explore film studios as a global phenomenon, considering their material as well as economic and socio-cultural dimensions and the links they have established with the various environments within which they operate. The conference aims to highlight the diverse range of practices and labour types that contribute to the successful operation of a film studio, the key role that studios have played in film production and technical innovation, and how studios have shaped the professional and social lives of film industry employees.

Attendance at the conference is free of charge but prior registration via Eventbrite is essential.

Host or Publisher STUDIOTEC, University of Bristol