Is this what we should be comparing when comparing film production regimes? A systematic typological scheme and application

Abstract

This article develops and applies a ten parameter typological scheme for comparative analysis of film production regimes. The ten parameters are applied to three ideal typical models — an ‘auteur’ model, a High Concept (Hollywood) model and a model derived from contemporary Danish film production. This application facilitates the elaboration and illustration of the ten parameters and displays the capacity of the typological scheme in structuring comparison and leading inductive enquiry into film production regimes. Thus, in contrast to many typological schemes that are taxonomical, this scheme is intended to direct empirical research. In plying the middle ground between detailed, single case studies on the one hand, and mono or bi-dimensional comparisons on the other, we capture the virtues of comparative research — discerning the origins of and factors impacting variation, divergence and convergence between regimes — while also facilitating the construction of models detailed enough to track changes within regimes over time.