Overview:
A new Presence News short video explores how a small West Coast town grew into the global center of filmmaking. From escaping East Coast lawsuits to building a culture of red carpets and celebrity glamour, this quick dive reveals why Hollywood, not New York, became the world’s movie powerhouse.
From New Jersey to Hollywood: The Great Filmmaker Migration
In the early 1900s, America’s biggest film creators weren’t on the West Coast at all. They were working in New York and New Jersey, battling freezing winters and restrictive patent laws that made filmmaking expensive, difficult, and legally risky.
But everything changed when studios began looking for a place where they could film freely — and affordably.
A Sunny Escape Turns Into a Film Empire
Seeking better weather, cheaper land, and distance from aggressive patent enforcers, filmmakers traveled west and arrived in Los Angeles, then just a small, dusty town with big potential.
Its bright, consistent sunshine made year-round filming possible. Land was cheap. And most importantly, Hollywood was far from the legal pressures of the Northeast.
Within just a few years, major studios like Universal and Paramount were born. Silent films flourished, creativity exploded across the region, and Hollywood transformed from a quiet town into the beating heart of entertainment.
The Golden Age Begins
By the 1920s, Hollywood had become a symbol recognized around the world — a place of fame, fortune, red carpets, groundbreaking films, and the rapid expansion of the media business. The Golden Age of Hollywood officially arrived, defining cinema for generations to come.
Today, Hollywood remains the epicenter of filmmaking, but not by accident. It took a cross-country move, visionary talent, and the perfect environment to create the movie capital we know today.
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