The Future of Film Distribution & Netflix Streaming

In most recent years Netflix has become a major part of the film industry. It started out with original television content which have gained critical acclaim and eventually they branched out into films.

In the past 5 years Netflix Original Films have been in the Oscar conversation. Films like Beasts of No Nation, Mudbound and now Roma have all been nominated for Academy Awards.

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Roma has received the biggest accolades for the streaming service, gaining 10 Oscar nominations and plenty of other awards this Oscar season. Roma is the first Mexican foreign language film to ever be nominated for that category and Best Picture. Roma has won 3 Oscars for Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Language Film.

Netflix was first established in 1997. They were the first company to have an online streaming library which initially included DVD sales and rental by mail. Due to this structure, Netflix wanted to collaborate with Blockbuster and combine the online content with DVD sales. Unfortunately, Blockbuster soon went under, as many people were just buying DVD’s and Netflix had their own library.

In 2011 Netflix began production on their original content. Netflix funds their shows differently than regular TV stations do. When anyone signs onto a project, they must have the money up front and they order two seasons of most series. The Netflix Originals, usually have 10 to 13 episodes per season rather than TV Networks with a 23 episode order.

In July 2013, Orange is the New Black premiered on Netflix and became a global phenomenon and it brought in more subscribers. Netflix has reached out to major film studios such as Warner Brothers, Paramount and Universal in order to have as much content as they can for their library.

As Netflix continues to flourish and makes huge moves with well known filmmakers such as Alfonso Cuarón and Martin Scorsese, it will soon be accessible to so many people and deliver a wide range of films. In the following podcast, the issue of categorizing the quality of Netflix content and how it will impact the future of cinema is a rising conversation.

Netflix has been in constant battles with cinemas all over the world and with the Cannes Film Festival. Cannes banned Netflix films from ever appearing at the festival. Netflix wanted to branch out and somehow have a tandem with cinema distribution and their platform. Netflix attempted to have their original film Beasts of No Nation be shown in theatres nationwide but most companies refused it. The push for this tandem was brought forward by Alfonso Cuaron, as his film Roma was the first one to be shown in theatres nationwide and debut on the streaming service.

Netflix has turned into a global phenomenon and has changed the way films are presented. Movie theatre chains and film fans have noticed this major difference. In the following video, managers and guests alike express their views on the moviegoing experience.

The future of cinema could be in the hands of Netflix. The studio has plenty of original content lined up and considering the success of Roma it has become a major player in regards to what stories are presented to the streaming service. The next tandem distribution is Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. Scorsese and Cuaron have been in the industry for a very long time and both have them have taken risks with their filmography. Both of them have pushed the medium forward and if they have given Netflix a chance as a major player in Hollywood then it must be the right move.