Is entertainment an art or a business?

[JACK-2]

Something I've been thinking about lately. Is entertainment: movies, television, Video Games, whatever. "Art" or is it a business where profit is what drives production?

[The Big Daddy C-Master]

Jun 30, 2015 13:52:57 GMT -5 JACK-2 said:

Something I've been thinking about lately. Is entertainment: movies, television, Video Games, whatever. "Art" or is it a business where profit is what drives production?

As a person on both ends I can say there's both elements. There's the creative aspect and the business aspect. I enjoy making things and the work it takes to go behind it, but I also like being productive and making profits and I understand businesses need to make money. One thing about me is I can be a huge perfectionist when it comes to stuff I do in my own time or for myself, but when it comes to business that approach just isn't time productive so you learn to speed up so you can get more done. If you have a tv show you're doing art for you'll have deadlines and other things like that. Without them you end up like Duke Nukem Forever which almost didn't get made because they kept tinkering with it. I have a drawing I've been working on for months now and I haven't finished it.

So if you're producing something for a profit it becomes a business, but it still has the art element to it. Watching these in depth reviews gives me more appreciation for the creative process, though remember without the business side we wouldn't be able to enjoy any of the entertainment. I was reading about Eastman and Laird (TMNT co creators), Laird was the art guy and Eastman was the business guy, one was conservative and one was outgoing but they created something amazing nonetheless.

[JACK-2]

Yeah, I get that creating something is fun and you can enjoy a work for what it is. But, it often bothers me when people think media is "art" or has some "message" and other pretentious things like that. I think customer base and profits fit in a big way.

[The Big Daddy C-Master]

Jun 30, 2015 15:13:40 GMT -5 JACK-2 said:

Yeah, I get that creating something is fun and you can enjoy a work for what it is. But, it often bothers me when people think media is "art" or has some "message" and other pretentious things like that. I think customer base and profits fit in a big way.

I think it's art and it *can* have a message, but these gushy liberal types who try to make everything touchy feely are annoying. They have to make a profit like everyone else. Capitalism is rampant in the production aspect of Hollywood, even if the actors ignore it.

[JACK-2]

Yeah, I'm not saying they're soulless products. But, there's an economic side to things, and I find pretentious people tend to ignore that.

[The Big Daddy C-Master]

Jun 30, 2015 18:14:37 GMT -5 JACK-2 said:

Yeah, I'm not saying they're soulless products. But, there's an economic side to things, and I find pretentious people tend to ignore that.

The same people who claim they're above money and then take the fat paycheck? Lol they just want approval.