Industry


The making and showing  of motion pictures became  a source of profit almost as soon as the process was invente.
The Oberammergau Passsion Play of 1898 was the first commercial  motion picture ever produced.
Other pictures soon followed, and motion pictures became a separate industry that overshadowed the vaudeville world. Dedicated  theathers  and companies formed specifically to produce  and distribute film, while motion picture actors became major celebrities and  commanded huge fees for their performances. By 1917 Charlie Chaplin had a contract  that called for an annual    salary of one million dollars.

In the United States today, much of the film industry is centered  around  Hollywood, California.
Other regional centers exist in many parts of the world, such as Mumbai-centered Bollywood and the Indian film industry's  Hindi cinema which produces the largest number of films in the world.  Profit is a key force in the industry, due to the costly and risky nature of filmmaking; many films have large cost overruns.
The Academy Awards( also known  as "the Oscars") are the most prominent film awards in the United States, providing recognition each year to films, ostensibly  based on their artistic merits.