ABSTRACT

In the last section of his famous essay, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin (2008/1936, p. 228) describes how film uniquely combines a range of creative disciplines such as painting, music, performance, and science. He didn’t mention, however, that film production and media creation also significantly embraces commerce. A filmmaker, unlike other artists, must raise a substantial amount of money before commencing production of a film-in other words, before practicing his or her craft.