An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn

The events take place in the modern era of the 1990s Hollywood film industry, an age of blockbuster culture and heavy media attention. Studio politics, writer retakes, and star-driven demands drive the chaos on and off set. The setting mixes glamorous production locations with behind-the-scenes pressure, highlighting a period when branding often trumped artistic considerations.

Set in contemporary Hollywood, the story unfolds across film studios and public spaces in Los Angeles. The La Brea Tar Pits provide a symbolic location for the director’s burnout, offering a surreal counterpoint to the industry’s gloss. The city’s studio lots, production offices, and media hubs anchor the narrative in a real-world entertainment capital.

🎭 Integrity

The film centers on a director wrestling with control over his vision as producers and stars impose changes. Smithee’s struggle highlights the fragility of artistic integrity within a profit-driven system. It critiques how market pressures can erode creative autonomy and personal responsibility. The climactic act of burning the master serves as a stark stand for artistic integrity.

🎬 Power

Producers pursue dominance over the film's narrative and the director's legacy, revealing how credit, profits, and deals steer decisions. The dynamics among Glover, Edmunds, and industry players expose the economics of fame. The meta-narrative uses contracts and negotiations to demonstrate how power shapes storytelling. The pursuit of final cut becomes a weapon in the battle over creative control.

🎤 Media

Media attention frames the audience’s perception of the film and its creator. The Larry King interview becomes a catalyst for public opinion, illustrating sensationalism in Hollywood. The story shows how fame can be manufactured, amplified, or destroyed by the press. The film critiques the way media cycles can turn a director’s crisis into a spectacle.