How have the streaming wars impacted the film industry? What does the
increased competition from streamers mean for filmmakers? And what does it mean
for audiences? Limit: 8 responses
Max Marino There is no denying that streaming services have taken over the world as we know it in 2020. We have highlighted in class, and it is no secret how these services have impacted the TV industry. Yet, there seems to be another industry that is taking a hit due to streaming. The movie and box office industries have been down over the past couple of years, a lot of which has to due to streaming. It seems as if the days of going to the movies, buying a popcorn and a soda, and watching a premier of the movie are almost extinct. Many people are starting to take the lazy approach and wait for the streaming service to put it up, so they can watch it from the comfort of their own living room. In an article written by Beni Atoori called Impact of Streaming Services on the Film Industry, Atoori highlighted where it is going south for films. In the days of VHS, DVD’s and Blue Ray, most movies had an agreement that they would not release the film to home access until the film was out for at least 90 days. That was not good enough for consumers, as their urgency grew to see the films in their home access sooner than that. Atoori mentions how it is tough to compete with these streaming services because of the prices as well. The admission cost to see a movie in theatre is usually more money than the membership cost of a streaming service per month. “Most streaming sites now offer low rates that equate to the price of a single film at the box office, while many big movies and movie-making talent are now moving to streaming platforms,” (Atoori). Steven Zeitchik of the Washington Post wrote an article about How Netflix could disrupt the world of high-end film with ‘The Irishmen.’ Director of this film, the famous Martin Scorsese always vowed to stay within the purest form of cinema and stay just in the film industry. Yet, he has gone on his word, and sent one of his films to Netflix. “The question for this film is clearly one of stakes,” said Kent Jones, the director of the New York Film Festival and a close friend of Scorsese’s. “But stakes for whom? Netflix? Studios? Martin Scorsese?" “It could," he added, "be all of them.” It is taking some time for Scorsese to wrap his head around the idea with his work being accessed at a home device, but it could be beneficial for a movie as long as The Irishmen. Users could pause and stop this movie whenever they please, which makes ingesting a 3-and-a-half-hour movie easier. This is a change for movie directors, as well as the audience. Zeitchik also wrote an article highlighting how Disney + in its short life span has changed the movie industry thus far. Disney is doing their best to land creative minds and famous directors, even if their products are available on other streaming services. “The skirmish is so fierce, and the talent so scarce, it sometimes means that rabid streaming competitors are messily in business with the same creators. It’s a trend contrary to longstanding Hollywood tradition,” (Zeitchik). Tom Nunan, a veteran producer, is worried about the content these services will be putting on. “I worry about a sameness with all this,” Nunan said. “If everyone’s chasing the same few names, where are the original voices, where’s the space for green shoots to grow?” (Zeitchik). Film makers will not take a hit in my opinion because they will be getting money and access from streaming services, as many will compete if the movie sells. And for the audiences, they are getting what they want. Movie access in their home setting, which will continue to be an upward trend.
Atoori, Beni. “Impact of Streaming Services on the Film Industry, According to Beni Atoori.” Medium, Beni Atoori, 16 Apr. 2019, medium.com/beni-atoori/impact-of-streaming-services-on-the-film-industry-9c832ba8baa9
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
Zeitchik, Steven. “The Disney Plus Launch Ratchets up Talk of Streaming Competition. But the Same Creators Work for All of Them.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 Nov. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/12/streaming-services-are-multiplying-same-producers-directors-actors-work-all-them/
Streaming and the streaming wars have clearly taken a toll on the film industry in recent years. Disney enjoyed success in 2019 with the release of Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Frozen 2 and Captain Marvel, but they were an outlier for the industry. Overall, U.S. movie admissions slid 4.6% last year, and represented the second lowest admissions number of the current century. (McNary, 2020). In addition to this, the peak in overall ticket sales for this century came all the way back in 2002. Since less consumers are attending movies, that must mean ticket prices have gone down, right? This is incorrect, and may also represent one of the challenges facing the movie industry in 2020. In fact, the average 2019 ticket price edged up by a nickel to $9.16 with the fourth quarter average jumping to $9.37 from 2018’s $9.03. (McNary, 2020).
Why is it that less consumers are choosing to view movies in the theater itself? One reason beyond ticket prices, is the rise of streaming services, and the sheer number of new services in the mix. We’ve come to a point where consumers can access old or even brand-new, movies via streaming platforms. A great example of this today is Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. This film represents a joining of forces between the movie industry and in this case, Netflix. (Zeitchik, 2019). The Irishman became available for consumer streaming only a month into its initial release. Interestingly, the three biggest movie chains in the U.S. chose to not play the movie, because it lacks the traditional model of a three-month exclusive window (Zeitchik, 2019). Through the streaming method, consumers have more power and choice when viewing film. The consumer can choose to pause and play a long movie such as The Irishman in order to break it up. Or, they can even turn it off completely if they don’t like. (Zeitchik, 2019). On the other hand, how likely are you to walk out of a movie that you spent $9 per ticket on?
Streaming services are only getting stronger, and Casey Mendoza says that 2019 was a big year for the streaming industry. For example, Disney steered completely away from a theatrical release when it chose to debut their live-action version of Lady and the Tramp directly on their streaming service (Mendoza, 2019). As more new streamers emerge, consumers will have increased choice between at-home viewing, and viewing in theaters. This will only put more pressure on the movie industry to innovative and change as well, in order to keep up (Mendoza, 2019). In many ways, streaming at home is more comfortable and easier for the consumer. So, how is that the film industry can compete? Lately, many theaters are starting to offer consumer benefits for attending the movie in person. These include reclining seats, full-service food and drink options, and movie ticket subscription plans (Marabito, 2019). From this angle, it seems that the primary objective is to make the moviegoing experience feel as “homey” as possible for consumers. Although, one could certainly question how effective this strategy has been so far. More high-profile actors such as Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock, Eddie Murphy, and others have jumped ship by joining streaming platforms (Marabito, 2019). Between rising movie ticket prices, and the accessibility/simplicity of streaming services, the movie industry will have a steep hill to climb if they hope to reverse the current trends.
Marabito, M. (2019, October 28). Is streaming changing the face of the film industry? Retrieved February 29, 2019, from https://wcuquad.com/6015270/entertainment/is-streaming-changing-the-face-of-the-film-industry/
McNary, D. (2020, January 17). U.S. Movie Admissions Plunge 4.6% in 2019 Amid Box Office Decline. Retrieved February 29, 2020, from https://variety.com/2020/film/news/box-office-u-s-movie-admissions-decline-1203471592/
Mendoza, C. (2019, December 27). 2019 Wrap-Up: How The Streaming Wars Changed Hollywood. Retrieved February 29, 2020, from https://www.newsy.com/stories/2019-wrap-up-how-the-streaming-wars-changed-hollywood/
Zeitchik, S. (2019, September 27). How Netflix could disrupt the world of high-end film with ‘The Irishman”. Retrieved February 29, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/
The streaming wars have just started and are not going away anytime soon. Streaming is the ability for consumers to watch shows and films through a simple internet connect. Films at the theater on the other hand, requires people to get up, go in the car, and actually drive to a physical location in order to see a production.
Streaming has impacted the film industry for both the better and for worse. First off, streaming services have given companies such as Walt Disney the ability to not just show films in the theater but also get into streaming services like Disney+. This has given Disney the ability to not only expand their market but also generate more revenue. Many people though have had it with the streaming services because it has taken away the experience of really watching a movie. “Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren was more forthright. “I love Netflix, but fuck Netflix!” she said to cheers and applause. “There’s nothing like sitting in the cinema and the lights go down.” (Richwine, 2019) People say that this has impacted the way children are growing up, as some of their first dates might just be on their parents’ couch, instead of going to the movie theatre. It is interesting that something we might think as such small issue can really impact society in the future.
Netflix has their own opinion when it comes to movies through streaming services, rather than in the physical theater. It is nice for viewers to be able to have the option to pause, whereas they cannot do so in the theater. “Scorsese says he’s still grappling with the reality of his work being consumed largely on home devices. One wrinkle to this is that people will be able to pause or shut off his film in a way they can’t in theaters. That could be a godsend for those who wish to digest a three-plus-hour movie in smaller chunks, but also a problem for Netflix. Social-media traffic suggested that audiences turned off some earlier movies, including the recent Adam Sandler “Murder Mystery,” and didn’t turn it back on.” (Zeitchik, 2019) This is an issue that many streaming services are dealing with at the moment and have to find a solution to in the future.
The increased competition from streamers means that filmmakers might see a decrease in overall ticket sales in the future. “Streaming over theaters will likely continue for the house of mouse as it builds its new platform, and that'll likely put pressure on the movie theater industry to innovate and change as well.” (Mendoza, 2019) This competition is only going to get more intense as more companies are diving into the streaming world. Warner Media and NBC Universal are both going to be seeing what the streaming world is all about in 2020. “Streamers — and consumers — would be better served if the companies spent more of their dollars carving out niches for new talent, Nunan said. “I think that’s why people are distraught; it’s not just that there’s too much TV but that so much of it comes from the same people.” (Zeitchik, 2019) Many are saying that audiences are going to get annoyed to an extent because many of the shows through streaming are dedicated to the same niche, with the same talent.
Zeitchik, S. (2019, November 12). The Disney Plus launch ratchets up talk of streaming competition. But the same creators work for all of them. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/12/streaming-services-are-multiplying-same-producers-directors-actors-work-all-them/
Zeitchik, S. (2019, September 27). How Netflix could disrupt the world of high-end film with 'The Irishman'. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/
Mendoza, C. (2019, December 27). 2019 Wrap-Up: How The Streaming Wars Changed Hollywood. Retrieved from https://www.newsy.com/stories/2019-wrap-up-how-the-streaming-wars-changed-hollywood/
Richwine, L. (2019, April 10). Cinema vs. streaming: the battle over when and where you can see movies. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-film-theaters/cinema-vs-streaming-the-battle-over-when-and-where-you-can-see-movies-idUSKCN1RM13V
There’s no doubt that the film industry has evolved. It has changed and adapted with the times and is one of the most popular industries in the world today. One thing in particular that has kept the industry interesting is streaming. Platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and more have allowed for new, creative films to be made as well as showcased classic films for people of all ages to enjoy. While the age of “streaming wars” have helped the industry, it has also hindered it in that the percentage of people who go to the movie theaters have declined tremendously. If this trend continues, the film industry could be in danger of becoming overshadowed by streaming.
Netflix has grown from the days of mailing movies to people to now making its own films to stream to its millions of viewers. In 2019, Netflix made a deal with legendary actor and director Martin Scorsese to create “The Irishman.” The crime film set in the 1950s had a budget of $150 million and Netflix decided to pick it up. It was unique compared to other films Netflix has partnered with because it had a popular director like Scorsese and the film itself was almost four hours long. Before the film came out, many were wondering what this partnership would do to the film industry. According to a Washington Post article, “No matter how the movie is received, it either signals a fresh mode of collaboration between Hollywood’s old and new guards -- or shows how incompatible, and commercially unwise, such a partnership would be” (Zeitchik). Doing something like this was either going to change the industry for the better or go down in flames. Luckily, it worked out for all parties involved and will most likely encourage more collaboration between streaming services and big-time directors.
Newer service like Disney+ has tossed its hat in the streaming wars ring and has had immeasurable amounts of success. Fans can rewatch their Marvel and Star Wars favorites as much as they please, or check out some newer content like High School Musical the Musical the Series or The Mandalorian. However, statistics actually show that it’s not the new content many Disney+ viewers are looking for. According to an article on The Hollywood Reporter, “Roughly 22 percent of Disney+ subscribers among all age groups say they watch classics the most on the platform, topping those who cite Star Wars (21 percent), Marvel (15 percent)…” (Hayden). This should make us question whether or not these streaming services are going to advance the film industry, or hinder it when movie watchers use them for older content only.
One thing that streaming has clearly impacted is the movie theaters. The number of people that actually leave their homes and go to the movies are not what they used to be. According to a Statista graph, “During a survey in June 2019, it was found that just 14 percent of U.S. adults visited a movie theater one or more times per month, but 46 percent stated that they went to the cinema to watch a movie once or year or less” (Statista). 2019 was certainly a big year for streaming, and it definitely played a role in negatively impacting the theaters. It’s tough to argue for movie theaters when you can turn on Netflix or Disney+ from your bed and have hundreds of options. If these streaming wars don’t question the future of the film industry, then I don’t think anything will.
Works Cited
Hayden, Erik. “Disney Subscribers Say They're Watching More Classic Films Than 'Star Wars'.” The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-subscribers-say-theyre-watching-more-classic-films-star-wars-1263146?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_now_2019-12-17 07:43:35_ehayden&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Watson, Amy. “Frequency of Going to the Movies in the U.S. 2019.” Statista, 27 Aug. 2019, www.statista.com/statistics/264396/frequency-of-going-to-the-movies-in-the-us/.
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
By now, we all know that streaming has changed the way people are watching films. Audiences, however, may not realize the specifics of how the Hollywood film world is being affected. Movie theaters may be losing audiences but that doesn’t mean filmmakers should be panicking.
It is important to know that movie theaters have suffered some loss in audience due to streaming, but the numbers could be worse. In reports of 2019 box office growth and revenue, there was a 2% increase in global box office revenue (Szalai). The biggest hit for theaters came with a 4% decrease in North America’s box office profits. Theaters are starting to become the less optimal choice for film but the quality of films on streaming services seems to be improving. Bigger names among directors, actors, and producers are starting to become associated with the films released by streaming services. A great example of this was Netflix producing The Irishman by Martin Scorsese. The famous director has said that he could not find backing for the film for years until Ted Sarandos and others at Netflix decided to take on the film (Zeitchik, “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with ‘The Irishman’”). Streamers are providing more opportunity to make content that would not be greenlit for theaters. I’ve even been noticing a boost in the originality of the films Netflix has been producing. Marriage Story was an incredible film with big names like Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. Filmmakers shouldn’t be looking at streaming as the destruction of theaters but as a new outlet for creativity.
We keep hearing about how filmmakers and theaters are affected by streaming but what about the audiences. At the end of the day, people just want quality content that doesn’t feel like a carbon copy of past films, unless it’s Disney. Audiences are enjoying the on-demand access that streaming services provide so streamers just have to deliver on what is available for viewing. Some people are worried that content on streamers will end up lacking originality because certain streamers have been fighting to hire very specific talent—directors or producers like Ryan Murphy (Zeitchik, “The Disney Plus Launch Ratchets up Talk of Streaming Competition. But the Same Creators Work for All of Them”). While this had led to some similar content for audiences like certain Netflix TV shows, I think there is still hope for diversity in films. Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu have been enhancing their libraries with more independent films. All three streamers spent large amounts of money for distribution rights to some hit Sundance films in 2019 (Leprince-Ringuet). Amazon also allows filmmakers to upload their work to Prime for free. Independent films have never gained much spotlight in movie theaters, but streamers are providing opportunities for newcomers.
I think the content we see on streaming services is only going to get better. I don’t have much fear that having the same big names on different streamers will cause less diversity of content. Filmmakers have a chance to really experiment with their work and more people will be able to see it. As an audience member, I love experiencing new films that I wouldn’t have seen in theaters.
Leprince-Ringuet, Daphne. “At Sundance, Netflix and Amazon Rewrite How Indie Films Get Made.” Wired UK, 3 Feb. 2019, www.wired.co.uk/article/sundance-festival-independent-film-streaming-platforms. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
Szalai, Georg. “Studio Profit Report 2019: Disney Reigns, Netflix Gains.” The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/studio-profit-report-2019-disney-reigns-netflix-gains-1281114.
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with ‘The Irishman.’” Washington Post, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
Zeitchik, Steven. “The Disney Plus Launch Ratchets up Talk of Streaming Competition. But the Same Creators Work for All of Them.” Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/12/streaming-services-are-multiplying-same-producers-directors-actors-work-all-them/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
The Martin Scorsese film The Irishman is the center for many conflicting parts of the ever-changing film industry wrapped up in one, three-hour film. For filmmakers, like Scorsese, streaming gave him the opportunity to make a film that the (now) “Big Five” turned down. In an article for The Washington Post, Scorsese said, “Netflix was the only company willing to pay for it. ‘We’re in an extraordinary time of change,’ he said. ‘But what it comes down to is I felt the picture had to be made’” (Zeitchik). Streaming services, like Netflix, taking on films with wildly expensive and labor-intensive end-goals should be exciting for filmmakers. It’s another avenue for filmmakers to create and distribute their art. Of course, auteurs like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, have to then grapple with the reality that streaming puts the consumer in control of when and where to watch rather than the filmmakers themselves. Scorese has come to terms with it and felt his art needed to get out regardless and was willing to work with Netflix (Zeitchik). But, directors like Tarantino have not followed Scrosese to the Netflix golden gates. Tarantino keeps with the old tradition of the industry, and chooses to still shoot on film, rather than digitally. It’s hard to predict if directors like him will ever sign-on with Netflix to create a film, but at least these artists have seemingly more options to choose from. Netflix’s Scott Stuber told the Hollywood Reporter, “We have no IP, we have no library, we can't remake things. We don't have the great cache that Alan has over there. So you have to say, what is your opportunity? And your opportunity is filmmakers. For us to get Marty [Scorsese] at Netflix…It was a big thing” (Belloni).
That being said, the audience matters in this discussion as well. Streaming services like Netflix have a rocky relationship with the big theater chains in the U.S. like Regal, AMC and more. This ultimately affects how and where the audience can see certain films. Although Netflix is putting out big-screen-worthy films, consumers may not be able to watch them on the big screen. Traditionally, theater chains, like Regal, request that studios give them a minimum 12-week exclusive run of a film in their theaters (Alexander). They are especially opposed to having a movie stream at the same time as it’s playing in theaters (Alexander). But, Netflix is unwilling to commit to such a substantial amount of time in theaters. According to the New York Times, “Netflix won’t agree to that stipulation because it doesn’t serve its audience, which is already paying for its original content and doesn’t necessarily want to pay a second time to see that content in theaters” (Sperling). Netflix would not agree to a theater-run that was any longer than 45 days, and that’s where the conversation ended (Sperling). This was most likely a motivator when Netflix bought out dates to show their big-budget films like The Irishman and Marriage Story in the Belasco Theater in New York City (Sperling). Although audiences will only be able to see these momentous films in an extremely slim number of theaters, most consumers probably won’t mind. The overall driver for streaming services like Netflix and filmmakers alike seems to be that it’s better that the film is made and seen by a wide audience. If that means Netflix is making an auteur’s film, well so be it. If that means Netflix’s can’t get their films played in bigger theater chain’s venues, well so be it. The old fixtures of Hollywood like the big studios and big chains better become flexible.
Alexander, Julia. “The Irishman Is a Perfect Example of Netflix's Big Screening Dilemma.” The Verge, The Verge, 22 Aug. 2019, www.theverge.com/2019/8/22/20826968/irishman-netflix-martin-scorsese-al-pacino-robert-deniro-streaming-wars-theater-release. Accessed 2 March 2020.
Belloni, Matthew. “Studio Chief Summit: All 7 Top Film Executives, One Room, Nothing Off-Limits (and No Easy Answers).” The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/hollywood-reporter-executive-roundtable-7-major-studio-chiefs-1250718?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Direct. Accessed 2 March 2020.
Sperling, Nicole. “Inside the Debate Between Netflix and Big Theater Chains Over 'The Irishman'.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Nov. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/business/irishman-netflix-theaters.html. Accessed 2 March 2020.
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/. Accessed 2 March 2020.
Lisa Ferrara Since the film industry began, the perfect first date was dinner and a movie. Going to the movie theater signified a lot of firsts for many generations: first date, first kiss, first time out alone. Thinking of the digital state we are in today, many of these firsts do not happen at a movie theater anymore. With the development of streaming services, dinner and a movie have changed to “Netflix and chill,” a more casual alternative style date. The streaming wars have impacted the film industry not only by the number of tickets sold but the type of content that is being produced. Netflix spends a big chunk of their budget into content producing more than any other organization, according to Pivotol Research Group founder Jeff Wlodarczak, “the problem for theaters is that they don’t carry the Netflix big-budget movie slate they are effectively pushing consumers to increasingly expect to get first-run big-budget content in their homes or on their personal devices” (Zeitchik 2019). Movie theaters are trying to adapt to this shift in movie consumption by trying to fight against Netflix by becoming Netflix according to Forbes author, Dana Feldman (2020). Regal Cinemas is the first movie theater company to adapt to the subscription-based style content that Netflix offers. Starting at $18 a month, subscribers can see any movie at their chosen Regal Cinemas location whenever and however many times they would like (Regal 2020). Included in the subscription is 10% off of all food and beverages as well as free popcorn and soft drink on your birthday. This subscription is similar to Netflix’s model because it allows Regal subscribers to have unlimited access to entertainment by paying a monthly fee. Overall, if this tactic was adopted amongst other theater companies I think they will see an increase in sales again.
As more and more networks are becoming streaming platforms the film industry is increasingly becoming threatened. With companies such as Disney and HBO spending billions of dollars to compete against sole streamer sites such as Netflix and Hulu we will start to see a shift in the content be pushed out on each site. The increase in competition from streamers means that filmmakers are going to need to be making better movies to attract a crowd to the theaters. Having an abundance of content accessible at our fingertips is allowing the movie theater audiences to become lazier and rather watch it at their leisure. According to the National Association of Theater Owners movie ticket sales in 2019, total admissions declined nearly 5% with the totals for both 2017 and 2019 ranking as the worst years for movie ticket buying since 1995 (Hayes 2020). The best way for filmmakers to stand up against streaming services is to produce award-nominated films. This past Oscars season Netflix has the most nominations (24) including The Irishman and Marriage Story (Zeitchik 2019). Acquiring The Irishman and Marriage Story gave Netflix subscribers content that the public did not have access to after a certain time frame leveraging them higher than their competition. To continue to compete against other streaming services sole streaming sites like Netflix need to continue to acquire these limited release deals.
Unfortunately for the film industry, streaming services are only going to become more powerful and gain a bigger audience. For audiences, we are going to start being bombarded by promoted content for top films as well as new original content to maximize a consumer's number of subscribed services. The number of streaming services debuting however may end up turning consumers away since it will become a bigger investment than they originally thought. I think if Netflix continues to award-nominated films they will ultimately gain a better reputation and increase their subscriber rate faster than the other emerging sites.
Lisa Ferrara Work Cited: Feldman, Dana. “How Netflix Is Changing The Future Of Movie Theaters.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 29 July 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/danafeldman/2019/07/28/how-netflix-is-changing-the-future-of-movie-theaters/#520c34be5f46.
Hayes, Dade. “U.S. Movie Ticket Sales Dip Nearly 5% In 2019, Reflecting Competition.” Deadline, 18 Jan. 2020, deadline.com/2020/01/movie-ticket-sales-2019-decline-domestic-box-office-1202834469/.
Regal. “Regal Unlimited™ Movie Subscription Pass.” Regal Unlimited™ - The Unlimited Movie Subscription Pass | Regal, 2020, www.regmovies.com/static/en/us/unlimited.
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
In the past few years, the streaming wars have had a huge impact on the film industry. “2019 was a big year for the streaming industry, and that’s putting it lightly” (Mendoza). Since being launched on November 10th Disney+ has gained ten million sign-ups through a combination of promotional partners (Hayden). This is a perfect example of streaming services taking over the world. The reason streaming services have had such a big impact on multiple industries is because of convenience. It is much easier to sit down on your own couch to watch a movie than pay money for the movies. These streaming services have so much to offer which makes people prefer it over film. “For most of its existence, Netflix has sworn devotion to a model that puts content on the devices of million subscribers as quickly and conveniently as possible” (Zeitchik). Netflix is one of the biggest competitors in the streaming industry which makes it hard for other industries to keep up. The increased competition from streamers is a big threat to filmmakers. With so many different companies and options to choose from film isn’t a thought anymore. The Netflix original films "The Irishman" and "Marriage Story were both movies debuted theatrically to build hype and qualify for award shows. The issue was they were only in theater for weeks. A spokesperson from the National Association of Theatre Owners told Newsy they were just "token releases." This means that filmmakers are going to have to try a lot harder to keep the film industry running. This means in order to be successful the film industry needs to start exploring new partnerships as they did with Netflix. Netflix took a risk diving into the film industry, but in the end, it worked out. “At a time when Netflix has become the wizened veteran in a digital-content landscape soon to be beset by Apple, Disney and others, “The Irishman” is proving a surprisingly new and unknown experiment” (Zeitchik). Although Netflix was the first one to try something different the rest won’t be far behind. In order to keep up in the streaming wars its important to keep up with what works and what doesn’t. If the film industry continues to partner with streaming services that could be the next big move. For audiences, this could mean a few different things. The biggest thing it will impact is movie theaters. If the film industry doesn’t figure out a way to get customers in the door soon there will be no movie theaters. I think it will become even more uncommon for people to leave their house to see a movie. “The problem for the theaters is that if they don’t carry the Netflix big-budget movie slate they are effectively pushing consumers to increasingly expect to get first-run big-budget content in their homes or on their personal devices,” said Pivotal Research Group founder Jeff Wlodarczak (Zeitchik). I think it won’t have as much effect on audiences since people have already started watching from home. Overall, the film industry needs to come up with a tactic to compete with the streaming wars.
Hayden, Erik. “Disney Subscribers Say They're Watching More Classic Films Than 'Star Wars'.” The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-subscribers-say-theyre-watching-more-classic-films-star-wars-1263146?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_now_2019-12-17 07:43:35_ehayden&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Mendoza, C. (2019, December 27). 2019 Wrap-Up: How The Streaming Wars Changed Hollywood. Retrieved from https://www.newsy.com/stories/2019-wrap-up-how-the-streaming-wars-changed-hollywood/
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
Hayden, Erik. “Disney Subscribers Say They're Watching More Classic Films Than 'Star Wars'.” The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-subscribers-say-theyre-watching-more-classic-films-star-wars-1263146?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_now_2019-12-17 07:43:35_ehayden&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Mendoza, C. (2019, December 27). 2019 Wrap-Up: How The Streaming Wars Changed Hollywood. Retrieved from https://www.newsy.com/stories/2019-wrap-up-how-the-streaming-wars-changed-hollywood/
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
Streaming services have created a new way to consume media and some might say it’s for the better. However, these services are beginning to dominate the tv and film industry. For the first time, Hollywood has a major competitor. Although it seems that the film industry is in trouble, some have found ways to use streaming services to their advantage. Martin Scorsese made the bold move to create an epic mob movie with big names such as Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino and stream it through Netflix. This classic mob movie in the making was called “The Irishman” and there was a lot riding on it being a success. This was a defining moment where we see an iconic filmmaker and one of the top streaming services come together to create something major. This was also a major step for Netflix as well. If “The Irishman” could be a success, this could mean big things for Netflix in the future. The Washington Post explained how the idea of this movie has been talked about for many years, but Scorsese could never get the funds to support the film until Netflix stepped up. Another compromise that Scorsese had to make when collaborating with Netflix was streaming the film a month into its release rather than the typical three-month rule. With the push of a streaming service world, Filmmakers such as Scorsese and other big-name directors have to start making some of this big change to fit into the streaming world and stay relevant to consumers.
Hollywood has had a major push to produce original content and boost their box office sales in order to compete with the streaming wars. The Hollywood Reporter discussed in their article that the release of movies such as Frozen 2, Knives Out, Ford v Ferrari, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and Queen & Slim. Frozen 2 brought in roughly $123.7 million which just shows us how Hollywood is still putting up a solid fight against streaming services. The article mentions how Scorsese’s’ “The Irishman” could have had a different outcome had he released it to theaters rather than Netflix. An article from Forbes Magazine brings up a major threat for movie theaters during the streaming wars. The fight to convince consumers to leave their homes and come out to the movie theater has become increasingly difficult. Movie theaters have had to make adjustments to make the theater more desirable. They’ve made theaters basically replicate the comfort of our own homes and recline our seats. Some cinemas have made even bigger changes. For example, Regal Cinemas announced their own subscription that allows members to view unlimited movies every month from $18-23.50 a month. Other theaters have similar subscriptions that have actually been very successful so far. When these major cinema chains discovered the craze for subscription-based services, these chains were smart to make the necessary adjustments to please the consumers. Another advantage to moving to subscription services is the ability to collect data on their audience. These major chains can learn their customers and create a perfect marketing opportunity.
Works Cited
Feldman, Dana. “How Netflix Is Changing The Future Of Movie Theaters.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 29 July 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/danafeldman/2019/07/28/how-netflix-is-changing-the-future-of-movie-theaters/#3d86b3725f46. McClintock, Pamela. “How Original Films Saved the Thanksgiving Box Office.” The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-knives-original-films-saved-thanksgiving-box-office-1258569?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%2BToday%2Bin%2BEntertainment_2019-12-02%2B07%3A03%3A00_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie. Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
Max Marino
ReplyDeleteThere is no denying that streaming services have taken over the world as we know it in 2020. We have highlighted in class, and it is no secret how these services have impacted the TV industry. Yet, there seems to be another industry that is taking a hit due to streaming. The movie and box office industries have been down over the past couple of years, a lot of which has to due to streaming. It seems as if the days of going to the movies, buying a popcorn and a soda, and watching a premier of the movie are almost extinct. Many people are starting to take the lazy approach and wait for the streaming service to put it up, so they can watch it from the comfort of their own living room.
In an article written by Beni Atoori called Impact of Streaming Services on the Film Industry, Atoori highlighted where it is going south for films. In the days of VHS, DVD’s and Blue Ray, most movies had an agreement that they would not release the film to home access until the film was out for at least 90 days. That was not good enough for consumers, as their urgency grew to see the films in their home access sooner than that. Atoori mentions how it is tough to compete with these streaming services because of the prices as well. The admission cost to see a movie in theatre is usually more money than the membership cost of a streaming service per month. “Most streaming sites now offer low rates that equate to the price of a single film at the box office, while many big movies and movie-making talent are now moving to streaming platforms,” (Atoori).
Steven Zeitchik of the Washington Post wrote an article about How Netflix could disrupt the world of high-end film with ‘The Irishmen.’ Director of this film, the famous Martin Scorsese always vowed to stay within the purest form of cinema and stay just in the film industry. Yet, he has gone on his word, and sent one of his films to Netflix. “The question for this film is clearly one of stakes,” said Kent Jones, the director of the New York Film Festival and a close friend of Scorsese’s. “But stakes for whom? Netflix? Studios? Martin Scorsese?" “It could," he added, "be all of them.” It is taking some time for Scorsese to wrap his head around the idea with his work being accessed at a home device, but it could be beneficial for a movie as long as The Irishmen. Users could pause and stop this movie whenever they please, which makes ingesting a 3-and-a-half-hour movie easier.
This is a change for movie directors, as well as the audience. Zeitchik also wrote an article highlighting how Disney + in its short life span has changed the movie industry thus far. Disney is doing their best to land creative minds and famous directors, even if their products are available on other streaming services. “The skirmish is so fierce, and the talent so scarce, it sometimes means that rabid streaming competitors are messily in business with the same creators. It’s a trend contrary to longstanding Hollywood tradition,” (Zeitchik). Tom Nunan, a veteran producer, is worried about the content these services will be putting on. “I worry about a sameness with all this,” Nunan said. “If everyone’s chasing the same few names, where are the original voices, where’s the space for green shoots to grow?” (Zeitchik). Film makers will not take a hit in my opinion because they will be getting money and access from streaming services, as many will compete if the movie sells. And for the audiences, they are getting what they want. Movie access in their home setting, which will continue to be an upward trend.
Max Marino Works Cited
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Atoori, Beni. “Impact of Streaming Services on the Film Industry, According to Beni Atoori.” Medium, Beni Atoori, 16 Apr. 2019, medium.com/beni-atoori/impact-of-streaming-services-on-the-film-industry-9c832ba8baa9
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
Zeitchik, Steven. “The Disney Plus Launch Ratchets up Talk of Streaming Competition. But the Same Creators Work for All of Them.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 Nov. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/12/streaming-services-are-multiplying-same-producers-directors-actors-work-all-them/
Anthony Galler
ReplyDeleteStreaming and the streaming wars have clearly taken a toll on the film industry in recent years. Disney enjoyed success in 2019 with the release of Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Frozen 2 and Captain Marvel, but they were an outlier for the industry. Overall, U.S. movie admissions slid 4.6% last year, and represented the second lowest admissions number of the current century. (McNary, 2020). In addition to this, the peak in overall ticket sales for this century came all the way back in 2002. Since less consumers are attending movies, that must mean ticket prices have gone down, right? This is incorrect, and may also represent one of the challenges facing the movie industry in 2020. In fact, the average 2019 ticket price edged up by a nickel to $9.16 with the fourth quarter average jumping to $9.37 from 2018’s $9.03. (McNary, 2020).
Why is it that less consumers are choosing to view movies in the theater itself? One reason beyond ticket prices, is the rise of streaming services, and the sheer number of new services in the mix. We’ve come to a point where consumers can access old or even brand-new, movies via streaming platforms. A great example of this today is Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. This film represents a joining of forces between the movie industry and in this case, Netflix. (Zeitchik, 2019). The Irishman became available for consumer streaming only a month into its initial release. Interestingly, the three biggest movie chains in the U.S. chose to not play the movie, because it lacks the traditional model of a three-month exclusive window (Zeitchik, 2019). Through the streaming method, consumers have more power and choice when viewing film. The consumer can choose to pause and play a long movie such as The Irishman in order to break it up. Or, they can even turn it off completely if they don’t like. (Zeitchik, 2019). On the other hand, how likely are you to walk out of a movie that you spent $9 per ticket on?
Streaming services are only getting stronger, and Casey Mendoza says that 2019 was a big year for the streaming industry. For example, Disney steered completely away from a theatrical release when it chose to debut their live-action version of Lady and the Tramp directly on their streaming service (Mendoza, 2019). As more new streamers emerge, consumers will have increased choice between at-home viewing, and viewing in theaters. This will only put more pressure on the movie industry to innovative and change as well, in order to keep up (Mendoza, 2019). In many ways, streaming at home is more comfortable and easier for the consumer. So, how is that the film industry can compete? Lately, many theaters are starting to offer consumer benefits for attending the movie in person. These include reclining seats, full-service food and drink options, and movie ticket subscription plans (Marabito, 2019). From this angle, it seems that the primary objective is to make the moviegoing experience feel as “homey” as possible for consumers. Although, one could certainly question how effective this strategy has been so far. More high-profile actors such as Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock, Eddie Murphy, and others have jumped ship by joining streaming platforms (Marabito, 2019). Between rising movie ticket prices, and the accessibility/simplicity of streaming services, the movie industry will have a steep hill to climb if they hope to reverse the current trends.
Anthony Galler contd.
DeleteWorks Cited
Marabito, M. (2019, October 28). Is streaming changing the face of the film industry? Retrieved February 29, 2019, from https://wcuquad.com/6015270/entertainment/is-streaming-changing-the-face-of-the-film-industry/
McNary, D. (2020, January 17). U.S. Movie Admissions Plunge 4.6% in 2019 Amid Box Office Decline. Retrieved February 29, 2020, from https://variety.com/2020/film/news/box-office-u-s-movie-admissions-decline-1203471592/
Mendoza, C. (2019, December 27). 2019 Wrap-Up: How The Streaming Wars Changed Hollywood. Retrieved February 29, 2020, from https://www.newsy.com/stories/2019-wrap-up-how-the-streaming-wars-changed-hollywood/
Zeitchik, S. (2019, September 27). How Netflix could disrupt the world of high-end film with ‘The Irishman”. Retrieved February 29, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/
The streaming wars have just started and are not going away anytime soon. Streaming is the ability for consumers to watch shows and films through a simple internet connect. Films at the theater on the other hand, requires people to get up, go in the car, and actually drive to a physical location in order to see a production.
ReplyDeleteStreaming has impacted the film industry for both the better and for worse. First off, streaming services have given companies such as Walt Disney the ability to not just show films in the theater but also get into streaming services like Disney+. This has given Disney the ability to not only expand their market but also generate more revenue. Many people though have had it with the streaming services because it has taken away the experience of really watching a movie. “Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren was more forthright. “I love Netflix, but fuck Netflix!” she said to cheers and applause. “There’s nothing like sitting in the cinema and the lights go down.” (Richwine, 2019) People say that this has impacted the way children are growing up, as some of their first dates might just be on their parents’ couch, instead of going to the movie theatre. It is interesting that something we might think as such small issue can really impact society in the future.
Netflix has their own opinion when it comes to movies through streaming services, rather than in the physical theater. It is nice for viewers to be able to have the option to pause, whereas they cannot do so in the theater. “Scorsese says he’s still grappling with the reality of his work being consumed largely on home devices. One wrinkle to this is that people will be able to pause or shut off his film in a way they can’t in theaters. That could be a godsend for those who wish to digest a three-plus-hour movie in smaller chunks, but also a problem for Netflix. Social-media traffic suggested that audiences turned off some earlier movies, including the recent Adam Sandler “Murder Mystery,” and didn’t turn it back on.” (Zeitchik, 2019) This is an issue that many streaming services are dealing with at the moment and have to find a solution to in the future.
The increased competition from streamers means that filmmakers might see a decrease in overall ticket sales in the future. “Streaming over theaters will likely continue for the house of mouse as it builds its new platform, and that'll likely put pressure on the movie theater industry to innovate and change as well.” (Mendoza, 2019) This competition is only going to get more intense as more companies are diving into the streaming world. Warner Media and NBC Universal are both going to be seeing what the streaming world is all about in 2020. “Streamers — and consumers — would be better served if the companies spent more of their dollars carving out niches for new talent, Nunan said. “I think that’s why people are distraught; it’s not just that there’s too much TV but that so much of it comes from the same people.” (Zeitchik, 2019) Many are saying that audiences are going to get annoyed to an extent because many of the shows through streaming are dedicated to the same niche, with the same talent.
References:
ReplyDeleteZeitchik, S. (2019, November 12). The Disney Plus launch ratchets up talk of streaming competition. But the same creators work for all of them. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/12/streaming-services-are-multiplying-same-producers-directors-actors-work-all-them/
Zeitchik, S. (2019, September 27). How Netflix could disrupt the world of high-end film with 'The Irishman'. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/
Mendoza, C. (2019, December 27). 2019 Wrap-Up: How The Streaming Wars Changed Hollywood. Retrieved from https://www.newsy.com/stories/2019-wrap-up-how-the-streaming-wars-changed-hollywood/
Richwine, L. (2019, April 10). Cinema vs. streaming: the battle over when and where you can see movies. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-film-theaters/cinema-vs-streaming-the-battle-over-when-and-where-you-can-see-movies-idUSKCN1RM13V
There’s no doubt that the film industry has evolved. It has changed and adapted with the times and is one of the most popular industries in the world today. One thing in particular that has kept the industry interesting is streaming. Platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and more have allowed for new, creative films to be made as well as showcased classic films for people of all ages to enjoy. While the age of “streaming wars” have helped the industry, it has also hindered it in that the percentage of people who go to the movie theaters have declined tremendously. If this trend continues, the film industry could be in danger of becoming overshadowed by streaming.
ReplyDeleteNetflix has grown from the days of mailing movies to people to now making its own films to stream to its millions of viewers. In 2019, Netflix made a deal with legendary actor and director Martin Scorsese to create “The Irishman.” The crime film set in the 1950s had a budget of $150 million and Netflix decided to pick it up. It was unique compared to other films Netflix has partnered with because it had a popular director like Scorsese and the film itself was almost four hours long. Before the film came out, many were wondering what this partnership would do to the film industry. According to a Washington Post article, “No matter how the movie is received, it either signals a fresh mode of collaboration between Hollywood’s old and new guards -- or shows how incompatible, and commercially unwise, such a partnership would be” (Zeitchik). Doing something like this was either going to change the industry for the better or go down in flames. Luckily, it worked out for all parties involved and will most likely encourage more collaboration between streaming services and big-time directors.
Newer service like Disney+ has tossed its hat in the streaming wars ring and has had immeasurable amounts of success. Fans can rewatch their Marvel and Star Wars favorites as much as they please, or check out some newer content like High School Musical the Musical the Series or The Mandalorian. However, statistics actually show that it’s not the new content many Disney+ viewers are looking for. According to an article on The Hollywood Reporter, “Roughly 22 percent of Disney+ subscribers among all age groups say they watch classics the most on the platform, topping those who cite Star Wars (21 percent), Marvel (15 percent)…” (Hayden). This should make us question whether or not these streaming services are going to advance the film industry, or hinder it when movie watchers use them for older content only.
One thing that streaming has clearly impacted is the movie theaters. The number of people that actually leave their homes and go to the movies are not what they used to be. According to a Statista graph, “During a survey in June 2019, it was found that just 14 percent of U.S. adults visited a movie theater one or more times per month, but 46 percent stated that they went to the cinema to watch a movie once or year or less” (Statista). 2019 was certainly a big year for streaming, and it definitely played a role in negatively impacting the theaters. It’s tough to argue for movie theaters when you can turn on Netflix or Disney+ from your bed and have hundreds of options. If these streaming wars don’t question the future of the film industry, then I don’t think anything will.
DeleteWorks Cited
Hayden, Erik. “Disney Subscribers Say They're Watching More Classic Films Than 'Star Wars'.” The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-subscribers-say-theyre-watching-more-classic-films-star-wars-1263146?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_now_2019-12-17 07:43:35_ehayden&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Watson, Amy. “Frequency of Going to the Movies in the U.S. 2019.” Statista, 27 Aug. 2019, www.statista.com/statistics/264396/frequency-of-going-to-the-movies-in-the-us/.
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
By now, we all know that streaming has changed the way people are watching films. Audiences, however, may not realize the specifics of how the Hollywood film world is being affected. Movie theaters may be losing audiences but that doesn’t mean filmmakers should be panicking.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to know that movie theaters have suffered some loss in audience due to streaming, but the numbers could be worse. In reports of 2019 box office growth and revenue, there was a 2% increase in global box office revenue (Szalai). The biggest hit for theaters came with a 4% decrease in North America’s box office profits. Theaters are starting to become the less optimal choice for film but the quality of films on streaming services seems to be improving. Bigger names among directors, actors, and producers are starting to become associated with the films released by streaming services. A great example of this was Netflix producing The Irishman by Martin Scorsese. The famous director has said that he could not find backing for the film for years until Ted Sarandos and others at Netflix decided to take on the film (Zeitchik, “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with ‘The Irishman’”). Streamers are providing more opportunity to make content that would not be greenlit for theaters. I’ve even been noticing a boost in the originality of the films Netflix has been producing. Marriage Story was an incredible film with big names like Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. Filmmakers shouldn’t be looking at streaming as the destruction of theaters but as a new outlet for creativity.
We keep hearing about how filmmakers and theaters are affected by streaming but what about the audiences. At the end of the day, people just want quality content that doesn’t feel like a carbon copy of past films, unless it’s Disney. Audiences are enjoying the on-demand access that streaming services provide so streamers just have to deliver on what is available for viewing. Some people are worried that content on streamers will end up lacking originality because certain streamers have been fighting to hire very specific talent—directors or producers like Ryan Murphy (Zeitchik, “The Disney Plus Launch Ratchets up Talk of Streaming Competition. But the Same Creators Work for All of Them”). While this had led to some similar content for audiences like certain Netflix TV shows, I think there is still hope for diversity in films. Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu have been enhancing their libraries with more independent films. All three streamers spent large amounts of money for distribution rights to some hit Sundance films in 2019 (Leprince-Ringuet). Amazon also allows filmmakers to upload their work to Prime for free. Independent films have never gained much spotlight in movie theaters, but streamers are providing opportunities for newcomers.
I think the content we see on streaming services is only going to get better. I don’t have much fear that having the same big names on different streamers will cause less diversity of content. Filmmakers have a chance to really experiment with their work and more people will be able to see it. As an audience member, I love experiencing new films that I wouldn’t have seen in theaters.
DeleteWorks Cited
Leprince-Ringuet, Daphne. “At Sundance, Netflix and Amazon Rewrite How Indie Films Get Made.” Wired UK, 3 Feb. 2019, www.wired.co.uk/article/sundance-festival-independent-film-streaming-platforms. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
Szalai, Georg. “Studio Profit Report 2019: Disney Reigns, Netflix Gains.” The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/studio-profit-report-2019-disney-reigns-netflix-gains-1281114.
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with ‘The Irishman.’” Washington Post, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
Zeitchik, Steven. “The Disney Plus Launch Ratchets up Talk of Streaming Competition. But the Same Creators Work for All of Them.” Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/12/streaming-services-are-multiplying-same-producers-directors-actors-work-all-them/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
The Martin Scorsese film The Irishman is the center for many conflicting parts of the ever-changing film industry wrapped up in one, three-hour film. For filmmakers, like Scorsese, streaming gave him the opportunity to make a film that the (now) “Big Five” turned down. In an article for The Washington Post, Scorsese said, “Netflix was the only company willing to pay for it. ‘We’re in an extraordinary time of change,’ he said. ‘But what it comes down to is I felt the picture had to be made’” (Zeitchik). Streaming services, like Netflix, taking on films with wildly expensive and labor-intensive end-goals should be exciting for filmmakers. It’s another avenue for filmmakers to create and distribute their art. Of course, auteurs like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, have to then grapple with the reality that streaming puts the consumer in control of when and where to watch rather than the filmmakers themselves. Scorese has come to terms with it and felt his art needed to get out regardless and was willing to work with Netflix (Zeitchik). But, directors like Tarantino have not followed Scrosese to the Netflix golden gates. Tarantino keeps with the old tradition of the industry, and chooses to still shoot on film, rather than digitally. It’s hard to predict if directors like him will ever sign-on with Netflix to create a film, but at least these artists have seemingly more options to choose from. Netflix’s Scott Stuber told the Hollywood Reporter, “We have no IP, we have no library, we can't remake things. We don't have the great cache that Alan has over there. So you have to say, what is your opportunity? And your opportunity is filmmakers. For us to get Marty [Scorsese] at Netflix…It was a big thing” (Belloni).
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the audience matters in this discussion as well. Streaming services like Netflix have a rocky relationship with the big theater chains in the U.S. like Regal, AMC and more. This ultimately affects how and where the audience can see certain films. Although Netflix is putting out big-screen-worthy films, consumers may not be able to watch them on the big screen. Traditionally, theater chains, like Regal, request that studios give them a minimum 12-week exclusive run of a film in their theaters (Alexander). They are especially opposed to having a movie stream at the same time as it’s playing in theaters (Alexander). But, Netflix is unwilling to commit to such a substantial amount of time in theaters. According to the New York Times, “Netflix won’t agree to that stipulation because it doesn’t serve its audience, which is already paying for its original content and doesn’t necessarily want to pay a second time to see that content in theaters” (Sperling). Netflix would not agree to a theater-run that was any longer than 45 days, and that’s where the conversation ended (Sperling). This was most likely a motivator when Netflix bought out dates to show their big-budget films like The Irishman and Marriage Story in the Belasco Theater in New York City (Sperling). Although audiences will only be able to see these momentous films in an extremely slim number of theaters, most consumers probably won’t mind. The overall driver for streaming services like Netflix and filmmakers alike seems to be that it’s better that the film is made and seen by a wide audience. If that means Netflix is making an auteur’s film, well so be it. If that means Netflix’s can’t get their films played in bigger theater chain’s venues, well so be it. The old fixtures of Hollywood like the big studios and big chains better become flexible.
Cat Donmoyer
Alexander, Julia. “The Irishman Is a Perfect Example of Netflix's Big Screening Dilemma.” The Verge, The Verge, 22 Aug. 2019, www.theverge.com/2019/8/22/20826968/irishman-netflix-martin-scorsese-al-pacino-robert-deniro-streaming-wars-theater-release. Accessed 2 March 2020.
DeleteBelloni, Matthew. “Studio Chief Summit: All 7 Top Film Executives, One Room, Nothing Off-Limits (and No Easy Answers).” The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/hollywood-reporter-executive-roundtable-7-major-studio-chiefs-1250718?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Direct. Accessed 2 March 2020.
Sperling, Nicole. “Inside the Debate Between Netflix and Big Theater Chains Over 'The Irishman'.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Nov. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/business/irishman-netflix-theaters.html. Accessed 2 March 2020.
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/. Accessed 2 March 2020.
Lisa Ferrara
ReplyDeleteSince the film industry began, the perfect first date was dinner and a movie. Going to the movie theater signified a lot of firsts for many generations: first date, first kiss, first time out alone. Thinking of the digital state we are in today, many of these firsts do not happen at a movie theater anymore. With the development of streaming services, dinner and a movie have changed to “Netflix and chill,” a more casual alternative style date. The streaming wars have impacted the film industry not only by the number of tickets sold but the type of content that is being produced. Netflix spends a big chunk of their budget into content producing more than any other organization, according to Pivotol Research Group founder Jeff Wlodarczak, “the problem for theaters is that they don’t carry the Netflix big-budget movie slate they are effectively pushing consumers to increasingly expect to get first-run big-budget content in their homes or on their personal devices” (Zeitchik 2019). Movie theaters are trying to adapt to this shift in movie consumption by trying to fight against Netflix by becoming Netflix according to Forbes author, Dana Feldman (2020). Regal Cinemas is the first movie theater company to adapt to the subscription-based style content that Netflix offers. Starting at $18 a month, subscribers can see any movie at their chosen Regal Cinemas location whenever and however many times they would like (Regal 2020). Included in the subscription is 10% off of all food and beverages as well as free popcorn and soft drink on your birthday. This subscription is similar to Netflix’s model because it allows Regal subscribers to have unlimited access to entertainment by paying a monthly fee. Overall, if this tactic was adopted amongst other theater companies I think they will see an increase in sales again.
As more and more networks are becoming streaming platforms the film industry is increasingly becoming threatened. With companies such as Disney and HBO spending billions of dollars to compete against sole streamer sites such as Netflix and Hulu we will start to see a shift in the content be pushed out on each site. The increase in competition from streamers means that filmmakers are going to need to be making better movies to attract a crowd to the theaters. Having an abundance of content accessible at our fingertips is allowing the movie theater audiences to become lazier and rather watch it at their leisure. According to the National Association of Theater Owners movie ticket sales in 2019, total admissions declined nearly 5% with the totals for both 2017 and 2019 ranking as the worst years for movie ticket buying since 1995 (Hayes 2020). The best way for filmmakers to stand up against streaming services is to produce award-nominated films. This past Oscars season Netflix has the most nominations (24) including The Irishman and Marriage Story (Zeitchik 2019). Acquiring The Irishman and Marriage Story gave Netflix subscribers content that the public did not have access to after a certain time frame leveraging them higher than their competition. To continue to compete against other streaming services sole streaming sites like Netflix need to continue to acquire these limited release deals.
Unfortunately for the film industry, streaming services are only going to become more powerful and gain a bigger audience. For audiences, we are going to start being bombarded by promoted content for top films as well as new original content to maximize a consumer's number of subscribed services. The number of streaming services debuting however may end up turning consumers away since it will become a bigger investment than they originally thought. I think if Netflix continues to award-nominated films they will ultimately gain a better reputation and increase their subscriber rate faster than the other emerging sites.
Lisa Ferrara
DeleteWork Cited:
Feldman, Dana. “How Netflix Is Changing The Future Of Movie Theaters.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 29 July 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/danafeldman/2019/07/28/how-netflix-is-changing-the-future-of-movie-theaters/#520c34be5f46.
Hayes, Dade. “U.S. Movie Ticket Sales Dip Nearly 5% In 2019, Reflecting Competition.” Deadline, 18 Jan. 2020, deadline.com/2020/01/movie-ticket-sales-2019-decline-domestic-box-office-1202834469/.
Regal. “Regal Unlimited™ Movie Subscription Pass.” Regal Unlimited™ - The Unlimited Movie Subscription Pass | Regal, 2020, www.regmovies.com/static/en/us/unlimited.
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
Alexis Tinney
ReplyDeleteIn the past few years, the streaming wars have had a huge impact on the film industry. “2019 was a big year for the streaming industry, and that’s putting it lightly” (Mendoza). Since being launched on November 10th Disney+ has gained ten million sign-ups through a combination of promotional partners (Hayden). This is a perfect example of streaming services taking over the world. The reason streaming services have had such a big impact on multiple industries is because of convenience. It is much easier to sit down on your own couch to watch a movie than pay money for the movies. These streaming services have so much to offer which makes people prefer it over film. “For most of its existence, Netflix has sworn devotion to a model that puts content on the devices of million subscribers as quickly and conveniently as possible” (Zeitchik). Netflix is one of the biggest competitors in the streaming industry which makes it hard for other industries to keep up.
The increased competition from streamers is a big threat to filmmakers. With so many different companies and options to choose from film isn’t a thought anymore. The Netflix original films "The Irishman" and "Marriage Story were both movies debuted theatrically to build hype and qualify for award shows. The issue was they were only in theater for weeks. A spokesperson from the National Association of Theatre Owners told Newsy they were just "token releases." This means that filmmakers are going to have to try a lot harder to keep the film industry running. This means in order to be successful the film industry needs to start exploring new partnerships as they did with Netflix. Netflix took a risk diving into the film industry, but in the end, it worked out. “At a time when Netflix has become the wizened veteran in a digital-content landscape soon to be beset by Apple, Disney and others, “The Irishman” is proving a surprisingly new and unknown experiment” (Zeitchik). Although Netflix was the first one to try something different the rest won’t be far behind. In order to keep up in the streaming wars its important to keep up with what works and what doesn’t. If the film industry continues to partner with streaming services that could be the next big move.
For audiences, this could mean a few different things. The biggest thing it will impact is movie theaters. If the film industry doesn’t figure out a way to get customers in the door soon there will be no movie theaters. I think it will become even more uncommon for people to leave their house to see a movie. “The problem for the theaters is that if they don’t carry the Netflix big-budget movie slate they are effectively pushing consumers to increasingly expect to get first-run big-budget content in their homes or on their personal devices,” said Pivotal Research Group founder Jeff Wlodarczak (Zeitchik). I think it won’t have as much effect on audiences since people have already started watching from home. Overall, the film industry needs to come up with a tactic to compete with the streaming wars.
Works Cited
ReplyDeleteHayden, Erik. “Disney Subscribers Say They're Watching More Classic Films Than 'Star Wars'.” The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-subscribers-say-theyre-watching-more-classic-films-star-wars-1263146?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_now_2019-12-17 07:43:35_ehayden&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Mendoza, C. (2019, December 27). 2019 Wrap-Up: How The Streaming Wars Changed Hollywood. Retrieved from https://www.newsy.com/stories/2019-wrap-up-how-the-streaming-wars-changed-hollywood/
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
Alexis Tinney
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Hayden, Erik. “Disney Subscribers Say They're Watching More Classic Films Than 'Star Wars'.” The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-subscribers-say-theyre-watching-more-classic-films-star-wars-1263146?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_now_2019-12-17 07:43:35_ehayden&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Mendoza, C. (2019, December 27). 2019 Wrap-Up: How The Streaming Wars Changed Hollywood. Retrieved from https://www.newsy.com/stories/2019-wrap-up-how-the-streaming-wars-changed-hollywood/
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.
Kayla Gaudet
ReplyDeleteStreaming services have created a new way to consume media and some might say it’s for the better. However, these services are beginning to dominate the tv and film industry. For the first time, Hollywood has a major competitor. Although it seems that the film industry is in trouble, some have found ways to use streaming services to their advantage. Martin Scorsese made the bold move to create an epic mob movie with big names such as Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino and stream it through Netflix. This classic mob movie in the making was called “The Irishman” and there was a lot riding on it being a success. This was a defining moment where we see an iconic filmmaker and one of the top streaming services come together to create something major. This was also a major step for Netflix as well. If “The Irishman” could be a success, this could mean big things for Netflix in the future. The Washington Post explained how the idea of this movie has been talked about for many years, but Scorsese could never get the funds to support the film until Netflix stepped up. Another compromise that Scorsese had to make when collaborating with Netflix was streaming the film a month into its release rather than the typical three-month rule. With the push of a streaming service world, Filmmakers such as Scorsese and other big-name directors have to start making some of this big change to fit into the streaming world and stay relevant to consumers.
Hollywood has had a major push to produce original content and boost their box office sales in order to compete with the streaming wars. The Hollywood Reporter discussed in their article that the release of movies such as Frozen 2, Knives Out, Ford v Ferrari, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and Queen & Slim. Frozen 2 brought in roughly $123.7 million which just shows us how Hollywood is still putting up a solid fight against streaming services. The article mentions how Scorsese’s’ “The Irishman” could have had a different outcome had he released it to theaters rather than Netflix. An article from Forbes Magazine brings up a major threat for movie theaters during the streaming wars. The fight to convince consumers to leave their homes and come out to the movie theater has become increasingly difficult. Movie theaters have had to make adjustments to make the theater more desirable. They’ve made theaters basically replicate the comfort of our own homes and recline our seats. Some cinemas have made even bigger changes. For example, Regal Cinemas announced their own subscription that allows members to view unlimited movies every month from $18-23.50 a month. Other theaters have similar subscriptions that have actually been very successful so far. When these major cinema chains discovered the craze for subscription-based services, these chains were smart to make the necessary adjustments to please the consumers. Another advantage to moving to subscription services is the ability to collect data on their audience. These major chains can learn their customers and create a perfect marketing opportunity.
Works Cited
Feldman, Dana. “How Netflix Is Changing The Future Of Movie Theaters.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 29 July 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/danafeldman/2019/07/28/how-netflix-is-changing-the-future-of-movie-theaters/#3d86b3725f46.
McClintock, Pamela. “How Original Films Saved the Thanksgiving Box Office.” The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-knives-original-films-saved-thanksgiving-box-office-1258569?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%2BToday%2Bin%2BEntertainment_2019-12-02%2B07%3A03%3A00_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Zeitchik, Steven. “How Netflix Could Disrupt the World of High-End Film with 'The Irishman'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 27 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/27/netflix-seeks-disrupt-world-high-end-film-with-irishman/.