Today?s film industry is spread all over the world, with some countries relying heavily on the industry, where others are less dependent on it. The major countries involved in the production of films are mainly the United States, India and China.

Hollywood is where the majority of movie productions in the United States are based. Comprising of a huge network of movie studios, stars and personnel, the business is spread all across Los Angeles and the surrounding area.

Hollywood is actually a district situated in the north-west of downtown Los Angeles. Because of its fame and the cultural individuality of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metaphor for the cinema of the United States, and is commonly known as Hollywood film industry all around the world.

Hollywood started off when D.W. Griffith first came to the area in 1910 with a film crew to shoot some footage of the area. Before long they had adopted a vacant lot in the downtown area of Los Angeles. Then they began exploring the areas around Los Angeles and found that the area was very quick to adapt to their needs. The temperate weather and endless hours of sunshine were a great incentive to shoot there also.

After shooting the movie ?Old California?, which is widely regarded as the very first movie shot there, the film company decided to stay on in the area and produce more movies from there.

In 1913, many more moviemakers started heading into California to take advantage of the ideal filming conditions the area had to offer. It was at this time that the Hollywood film industry began and is regarded as its birth.

The first ever movie studio in Hollywood was the Nestor Studios that were founded in 1911. The movie ?The Squaw Man? was produced around this time also. More movie studios moved to the area and in no time, Los Angeles and particularly Hollywood grew at a dramatic page. Eventually this area became very strongly associated with the movies and epitomes the movie industry as a whole.

It was during the First World War however that Hollywood really came into it?s own and was seen as the movie capital of the world. By the 50?s, much of the country?s movie industry had moved to Hollywood, and the music industry was beginning to follow suite.

The famous Hollywood sign originally read Hollywoodland, was constructed in 1923, originally intended as an advertisement for a new housing development in the area. It was left to rot away, until in 1949 the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce repaired the sign, removing the last four letters. The sign, now located at Mount Lee, is a now registered trademark.

Hollywood is now seen through the world as the centre of the movie industry. All eyes turn to Hollywood for it?s stars, big blockbuster movies, and particularly high profile events like the Oscars.