Chapter I

Introduction

Background of the Study

The influence of foreign films has not been in question, however, the effect of this

influence on how the audiences view real life, that is whether it is negative or positive has been

the question in the front burner of recent studies in that area.

In almost any Philippine cinema, the majority of films being shown would be Hollywood

films, with locally-made films often taking a backseat. Due to this, Hollywood has a stronger and

more mainstream influence on Filipino moviegoers. In fact, in an interview for the Inquirer,

government statistical coordination officer Gerald Clarino attributes this to the gradual decline of

the Philippine film industry alongside film piracy. According to him, the top-grossing films were

almost always US-made films with multimillion dollar budgets that the local film industry

cannot afford.

Historically, film is the youngest of the Philippine arts, having only been introduced in

the late 19th century. According to a timeline of Filipino cinema history in aenet.org, the

Philippine film industry reached what critics considered to be its Golden Age of artistic creativity

during the 1950’s, with the rise of the “Big Four” film studios: Sampaguita, Lebran, LVN, and

Premiere. It was during this time that films such as Gerardo de Leon’s Ifugao (1954) and

Lamberto Avellana’s Anak Dalita were made.

In the decades that follow however, the local film industry suffered a gradual decline, due

to the growing labor movement which resulted in labor-management conflicts. The first studio to

close was Lebran followed by Premiere Productions. Next came Sampaguita and LVN. The “Big
Four” studios were replaced by new and independent producers who soon made up the rest of the

film industry.

The report by Clarino and other officers of the National Statistical Coordination Board

found that from 1960 to 1999, the Philippines produced an average of about 140 movies each

year. This gave local films at least 20 percent of the domestic market, the report said. At the

time, the industry boasted of being one of the most prolific movie producers in the world after

Hollywood and India’s “Bollywood.”

But from 2000 to 2009, local film output fell to an average of 73 annually with only 11

percent of the market, the report said, with only 78 local films made in 2011.

In fact, of the top ten highest grossing films in the Philippines of all time, only four are

locally made films, with the top two spots being taken by Hollywood films. In 2015 alone, no

local films have made the Top Ten list. In 2014, out of 26 films, only three of those were made

in the Philippines, two were made in Japan, and the rest were Hollywood films.

Recent examples of people favoring Hollywood films, over locally made ones are from

critically-acclaimed films Heneral Luna (2015) and Ma’ Rosa (2016). The former of which was

pulled out of movie theaters after a few days of showing due to it not being able to garner

enough money, and for it to be replaced by more popular Hollywood films. However due to

protests, the movie was returned to cinemas. The latter, while critically acclaimed at Cannes

Film Festival, and even earning a standing ovation, did not fare well with Filipino audiences and

it did not have a lot of box office success.

This has brought about this research work, to study why Filipinos overlook locally

produced films in favor of Hollywood films.

1
Statement of the Problem

Why do audiences prefer Hollywood films over Filipino films?

Objectives of the Study

General Objective:

The objective of this study is to identify why the Filipino film industry is

suffering a gradual decline in favor of Hollywood productions.

Specific Objective:

1. To test Filipino students’ familiarity with recent local film productions compared

with Hollywood productions

2. To compare Filipino films with Hollywood films

3. To find out which factors in Hollywood films appeal to audiences better than

Filipino films

4. To identify the factors in Filipino films that need to be improved in order to better

appeal to audiences

5. To identify factors in Filipino films that do appeal to audiences

Significance of the Study

The study’s main purpose is to provide an insight as to why the Filipino film industry is

suffering a slow death. At the same time, it also aims to find a way to resuscitate the dying

industry and encourage younger moviegoers to watch more local productions as support.

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Scope and Limitation

The study will only focus on Filipino and Hollywood films of recent years, from 2014 to

early 2016. Also, the study will also focus solely on the mainstream movies and ignore the indie

films. This is because although Filipino indie films garner a lot of praise internationally, they do

not get a lot of traction or even publicity in their home country. Meanwhile, mainstream Filipino

films gain a lot at the box-office but cause a lot of controversy among film critics and enthusiasts

due to their “mababaw” storylines.

The study’s participants will also comprise mainly of 3rd and 4th year BA college students

from Miriam College. This is so due to the study mainly focusing on whether younger

generations are familiar with local films.