Chill, Netflix!
John Carroll ‘20
The exposure and high production values that Netflix has given independent filmmakers is revolutionizing the film industry.
There are more than one-billion twenty-somethings living in the 21st century, all of who have been exposed to more than their fair share of content in the last decade — which (although includes other demographics) is the prime target audience for streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu — who each offer their own competitive edge. Along with the rise in popularity of social media, similar platforms, such as these streaming services, have been able to develop their media niches and come to dominate the content streaming industry. Netflix does not fall short of this coveted expectation.
The company has slowly beefed up its content during these last two years, cycling out premium titles, and nearly doubling their current collection. Their content is curated based on their subscriber trends. It’s easy for people from most age groups to find any number of television shows or movies that appeal to them. From those binge-worthy sit-coms like Friends and The Office, to raunchy romantic comedies like American Pie, Netflix has fought its way out of the dog ring and prevailed — for now. In the last year alone, they have added 8.8 million subscriptions to their service.
They have taken their company one step further and branched their services out from a streaming, content provider to a full on mass-film production house — producing hundreds, if not, thousands of hours of original content, written by independent filmmakers. This content ranges from series (and film) reboots, to sci-fi, drama, and horror genres’, to documentaries, reality-shows, and competitions — all coming under the Netflix Original canon.
This recent innovation (and recognition) has been life changing for these unknown, independent filmmakers who might have not had a platform — or budget — to fully engage with their vision in these films. In fact, Netflix’s encouragement of independent filmmakers has earned the powerhouse several film nominations and an Oscar already with their 2018 film, “Roma”. Hollywood has been abuzz with rants from Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan about the future of the influential conglomerate.
With their current influx of staff and available equity, Netflix has showed no sign of slowing down its content production, either. This “influx” that Netflix exhibits has drawn in a slew of salvation-seeking filmmakers, actors, production and other vital staff. The recent Oscar nominations received by the company have been challenged by several Hollywood producers. Producer Steven Spielberg is among those claim that, because of the company’s large investment portfolio, they are slowly “killing” traditional Hollywood filmmaking. In addition, these men andwomen have called upon the academy to disqualify all future Netflix productions. Without this rule, they believe that the art of genuine film production could be lost to cheap-budgeted films.
During a recent interview, Speilberg told reporters “’Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie. You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar. I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination’”. His views are shared by many who believe that art of traditional Hollywood filmmaking is dying in the age of Snapchat and YouTube. Since his 2018 rant, he has received push-back from other directors and actors who encourage Netflix’s rapid production of content — and its continued success. Spielberg’s main concern is the loss of the experience of watching a film and that shared experience among audiences — watching large-scale films on small screens, rather than in theaters where they were meant to be watched.
Today’s impatient climate around media leaves many independent films, whether they’re short films or feature length, unrecognized in the overwhelming amount of content that the average adult consumes. Netflix is now giving aspiring filmmakers a real chance at success, possibly more than they would have ever been able to achieve independently. These filmmakers come to the table with different techniques and motivations, allowing more progressive content to be produced. Some believe that soon enough, the traditional Hollywood filming format will be as old-fashioned as cellulose nitrate film.
Netflix supporters have been quick to defend the seemingly gentle giant, however, while it has been feverously debated. John Bailey, the newly appointed president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ambiguously sided with Spielberg and told reporters “We support the theatrical experience as integral to the art of motion pictures, and this weighed heavily in our discussions. We plan to further study the profound changes occurring in our industry and continue discussions with our members about these issues”. The question that surfaces is: will there be future restrictions on nominations for Academy Awards, Oscars, or any other awards produced by streaming services?
Hopefully, these filmmakers can create a solution that satisfies the constantly adapting needs of both industries. After all, the purpose of the film industry is to share, inspire, and create a community which can enjoy the art it produces. There are deep meanings within all films across all mediums. Netflix is an industry-changer in the fact that it brings to forefront so many unknown films to a mainstream platform. The opportunities that this company has provided to these artists are unprecedented for some and gives them an edge over their competition in doing so.
Film author Anthony D’Alessandro explains that “With Netflix, or any other streaming service, you can truncate your time in theaters, avoid any potential sour headlines about box office grosses, target the film’s publicity toward awards voters, and voila — you’ve got Golden Globe wins and Oscar nominations”. While this strategy might frighten the marketing and advertising associates of the traditional film industry, this has not stifled Netflix’s subscription rates. The experience of watching a film or television show on Netflix and Hulu is sub-par to the large, 50-foot movie screens that these films were meant to be seen on. These sites forego the large picture format and allow their content to be accessed on mediums such as television and even some smart phones, these tiny screens do not compare to the experience of watching a movie in a public theater.
In fact, research suggests that “Movie-ticket revenue in the United States has risen 8 percent in 2018. That puts the American film industry on track for the largest year-to-year increase of the box office in nearly a decade — and suggests that — unsurprisingly — theaters can more than hold their own in the age of widespread at-home entertainment”. People come to experience the theater more than the film they chose. Horror fanatics enjoy the screams of those around them in the theatre. Just as all audiences enjoy the tension and reactions of their other audience members. Whatever the case may be, the movie theatre industry is far from dying, although its competition is rising to the occasion. This generation has integrated both, at-home content and theatrical viewing. The atmosphere of a movie theater is undoubtedly the difference that many people prefer to when debating their opposition of streaming platforms, invalidating the luxury of on-demand viewing, and praising social, public viewing.
We live in a time where we as a humanity are on the brink of a new generation. Cars, homes, and even some of our bodies depend upon some sort of technology. If the world is going to thrive in the years to come and be fully utilized, we must hone our highest innovative potential and integrate it into our society. The possibility of expanding “4-D Theaters” (incorporating interactive elements to the movie theater to fully immerse the audience by using shaking seats, changing temperatures, and even dropping water on them) has been thrown around in recent years — the most notable examples in America are in Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Although the manner in which the audience views a film may minimize its impact, does not change its meaning, or place as art in society. Some may believe that the extraneous amount of content that these streaming services produce, in a way, diminishes the concept of film as an exclusive industry — others believe it contributes to our society’s rapid productivity and individual interpretation of film as an art. No matter which medium film is viewed on, it resonates differently with everyone: its intimate nature allows future generations to get a glimpse of our current time, as we have looked back to films of those that precede ours. Whether traditional theaters continue to thrive in the years to come will be revealed with time.
The future of Netflix, however, seems solidified for the timebeing — its’ subscription rates continue to increase and provide a promising future for content streaming services. This mega-company has pioneered on-demand streaming services and has managed to lead in integrating new media formats throughout its company. Whether Netflix entertains the masses or intimidates its competing industries, society will not progress unless we learn to incorporate our traditional ways with new, innovative ideas for the future.
