Skip to content
CAU > Seminars and Study Tours > Hollywood Inside and Out: Perspectives on the Entertainment Business in 2009

Hollywood Inside and Out: Perspectives on the Entertainment Business in 2009

November 8-12, 2009

The registration period for this program has passed.
Please contact us if you have any questions.

It's not what you are in Hollywood; it's what people think you are.
-- Robert Stack

Overview

Hollywood is at a crossroads. Digital technology is wreaking havoc on the decades-old distribution processes of the entertainment business. Netflix, iTunes, and other services are responsible for keeping millions of viewers at home rather than in theater seats. And yet, despite these and other such challenges, Tinseltown remains the ultimate destination of the imagination for many attracted to a particular strain of the American Dream. The power of this fast-paced, glittering, magical, egotistical, and sometimes cruel town relies--just as it does for the actors who flock to it--on a delicate balance of reality and illusion. Our study tour provides those of us who don't live in Hollywood the exhilaration of interpreting up close and personal its larger-than-life version of America.

Faculty

Glenn Altschuler, the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell, dean of the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, and one of CAU's most beloved and respected teachers, will lend his knowledge, talents, and director's eye to our project. In daily lectures and discussions, he will talk about the rise of the motion-picture industry and its history and cultural significance. Glenn will be joined by Cornellian and Hollywood insider Kevin Morris, founder of the entertainment law firm of Morris Yorn Barnes and Levine. Representative for a number of celebrities, Kevin was recently profiled by The New York Times, which cited the "landmark deal that set Hollywood buzzing" that he negotiated for South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Kevin will talk about the Internet and the digital revolution in television and the movies, adding contemporary color to the historical perspective Glenn provides. The course will also include site visits to major studio lots, talks by leaders in the film and television industry, and other surprises.

Program Cost and Travel Arrangements

We'll stay at a very comfortable and convenient hotel, from which you'll have some free time to stroll around and take in the sights of California in the late fall. The program fee of $2,850 (per person, double occupancy) includes all lodging, most meals, all day trips and site visits, taxes and gratuities, managerial services, and the full educational program. The supplement for single occupancy is $950.

Program Notes

This is not a strenuous program, but you will need to climb steps, board buses, and stay on your feet for an hour or more during studio tours.

Map

How to use the map:

  • Click one of the map markers to see details of the location.
  • Click the "+" and "–" buttons to zoom in and out.
  • Click the arrow buttons, or click and drag the map to move different markers to the center.