Maria Santos, writing on UpNext, asks which streaming service currently has the most original series to offer its subscribers?
The clear winner is Amazon Prime Video, with over 2,200 TV series available. Netflix is second with over 1,900. Note that about 35% of Netflix’s TV series are originals.
However, when counting high-quality (average rating of 8.0 or higher on IMDb) TV series, Netflix pulls away with over 330 shows.
My take: That’s a lot of TV to watch!
As noted by Rhian Daly on NME, Idris Elba has championed the importance of independent film to diversity in an essay in The Sunday Times.
Idris writes, liberally edited:
“Film isn’t elitist. We all express ourselves through the stories we tell, what we watch and the communities we create. One person’s film culture is watching Spider-Man at the Rio, another’s is going to a Kurosawa season at the BFI or catching the new Christopher Nolan movie at an Imax. But it’s those smaller independent and community cinemas that have been hardest hit by the lockdown… Film isn’t just entertainment. We’re looking at each other, watching what other people do and encouraging greater honesty about each other’s cultures. It’s the age of mass storytelling in which a video recorded on a phone can bring together families separated by lockdown — or inspire a powerful global movement… A nation finally acknowledging its diversity needs a diverse film culture — we have to protect it at the time we need it most… We may need the money mainstream cinema from America brings in, but to create future stars and introduce new voices, independent film is where it’s at. I wouldn’t be here without it.”
Rhian also quotes Sandra Oh as claiming UK TV is not diverse:
“The UK, I’m not afraid to say, is behind. I am not only the only Asian person on set, but the development of people behind the camera is very slow in the UK.”
My take: yes, independent film is indispensable to diversity, mainly because no one can stop you from making your film with your particular point of view. Inclusion, on the other hand, still has lots of gatekeepers, those thwarting your message from getting out and keeping you out of their club. I think the fact that we’re discussing the problem shows we’re firmly on the path to change it.
Joshua Eferighe posits on OZY that The Next Big Indie Filmmaker Might Be a TikToker.
Joshua’s key points:
- “The social media platform is shaping the future of filmmaking.
- Novice filmmakers are using the platform’s sophisticated editing tools to learn the trade and test their work.
- Unlike Instagram, TikTok’s algorithm allows users without many followers to go viral, adding to its popularity.”
What is TikTok? The Chinese app claims to be “the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.”
Why is TikTok valuable to filmmakers? The hashtag #cinematics with 3.7 billion views.
See these risks and this safety guide.
My take: Shorter is better! Remember Vine?
As reported late last week, Cineworld has cancelled its planned takeover of Cineplex.
As quoted by THR:
“Cineworld has become aware of certain breaches by Cineplex Inc. of the arrangement agreement relating to the acquisition… In addition, a material adverse effect has occurred with respect to Cineplex. As a consequence of these matters and Cineplex’s unwillingness to cure the breaches, Cineworld has notified Cineplex that it has terminated the arrangement agreement with immediate effect. The acquisition will therefore not proceed.”
Cineplex countered:
“Cineplex believes that Cineworld has no legal basis to terminate the arrangement agreement and that Cineworld has breached its contractual obligations.”
So what happened? A number of things are possible.
Perhaps with no money coming in and expenses like rent and some wages to pay, Cineplex’s balance sheet became too unbalanced for Cineworld to ignore?
Or, with the future of film exhibition in doubt, they just got cold feet?
In response, Cineplex is suing.
My take: gotta say, I’m relieved. I was not looking forward to the day when the vast majority of Canadian movie screens were controlled by a foreign company. I repeat my suggestion that Canada should buy Cineplex. Imagine if we controlled what played in Canadian cinemas? And we should be able to pick it up at a steep discount now! Can’t we add it to the corona virus relief budget somewhere? What’s another billion these days?
MovieMaker has released the second episode of Demystified:
In it, Jess Jacklin and Charles Beale continue taking meetings at AFM seeking distribution for their film Souvenirs.
They learn four mistakes that indie filmmakers do from Kristen Stanisz-Bedno of Vision Films:
“Making a passion project and expecting it to make millions; not thinking about your audience when you write the script, when you shoot the script; stills: don’t have you nephew come with his iPhone for twenty minutes on one day and expect to have gorgeous artwork; social media: start it early… [but] don’t use it all now.”
To sum up her advice: “Before you do anything, make sure you get a distributor.”
In a related post, Javier Reyna reveals just how much he’s recouped from SVOD distribution of his film Regionrat.
I won’t steal his thunder, so read his post. He concludes:
“What was my biggest mistake? I made a film for the DVD and BluRay market and Netflix, but by the time ‘Regionrat’ was done, SVOD was king and Netflix, which started this SVOD shit, had less interest in small indie films.”
My take: I think indie filmmakers need to realize their art will no longer be rewarded based on meritocracy, but increasingly only on popularity. Getting attention is your first goal.
Richard Janes makes the case that we should Prepare For The Death & Rebirth of Hollywood.
His thesis is threefold: power will pass from agents to producers, theatre screens will be bought by streamers and production will embrace 8-hour days in new centres.
I’m not going to be able to do his history lesson and argument justice but the gist is:
“…why do producers now get passed the mantle of power? Content demand. Today there is so much content needed to be made that it’s becoming harder and harder for TV networks and studio development teams to have such a hands-on approach to developing projects. Netflix is going through a massive commissioning spree as traditional broadcasters and studios pull their content from the Netflix catalogue to launch their own services. …[hence] a new (or old) breed of Hollywood producer comes into play. Producers who can find content, fully develop it quickly, and earn the trust of financiers who simply look at the budget and a new rich data set behind cast, genre, and other key talent that validates potential audience numbers (data that has only really been available for the last 5 years), and send them off to make the project, delivering it with a big fat bow ready for consumption.”
As to exhibition:
“…movie theaters are going to turn into entertainment centers with big money pumped into them, creating premium experiences in a way that the current owners never could. Amazon will buy AMC or one of the big three. They’ll do special screening deals for Prime members. They’ll program content based on the viewing data of Amazon Prime members around each of their theaters and they’ll market directly to audiences on their own platform to create hype before bigger roll outs both in theaters and via streaming.”
In order to return to film production in these COVID times, safety will be paramount:
“The hours can be brutal. That’s got to change. No sleep equals lower immune systems, tired crew means opening yourself up to basic health and safety mistakes that could allow a virus to run rife. The alternative is longer shooting schedules, 8 hour days, 5 day weeks — the French model.”
He also predicts a crew shortage and lots of ‘runaway’ production.
Richard concludes:
“The death and rebirth of Hollywood is upon us. There are opportunities in every sector of the industry. There really is no greater time — wherever you live in the world — to be in film and television. BUT it’s time to innovate and hustle.”
My take: this is a long and fascinating read, one I highly recommend. Some might think Richard Janes doesn’t know what he’s talking about but his experience in Hollywood guides his prognostications. He’s the first in a long time that I think have it bang on.
Tim Molloy of MovieMaker alerts us to a new podcast/vlog all about selling your independent film called Demystified.
It’s produced by StudioFest, an annual competition to pair one writer with one director and $50,000 to make a feature film.
The first episode follows founders Jess Jacklin and Charles Beale to the American Film Market (AFM) and their meeting with Glass House Distribution about their first feature Souvenirs.
Here are the highlights, according to Tim:
It’s a very entertaining and enlightening podcast.
You can enter this year’s StudioFest at FilmFreeway.
My take: Of course you need a sales agent. There’s no way you can connect with all the outlets for your film across the world. However, please realize you may never see anything beyond your advance. Expenses will always dilute revenue until there’s nothing left to split. See Hollywood accounting.
Mitigation strategies to flatten the curve and thwart the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that the film industry has for the most part ground to a halt.
No work typically means no money, and that’s a problem.
Luckily, help is available.
Film Independent has published a list of over two dozen organizations that will help filmmakers who find themselves impacted.
Canada has a plethora of relief programs (over three dozen, and many more in each province) for filmmakers and almost everyone else who might find themselves impacted.
My take: I’ll say it again, let’s just have a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for everyone. Wouldn’t it be great if this was one of the legacies from The Great Pause?
The Wrap has reported that draft Lionsgate production safety guidelines have been leaked.
Lionsgate has said the draft has seen numerous revisions since. It promotes four main steps to success: distance, sanitation, enforcement and change, and also specifies:
Read the new safety guidelines at Scribd.
My take: film production, like all businesses, needs to find the tricky balance between profit and people. No one wants to infect, and potentially kill, someone, but most people are obliged to work to pay their bills, and corporations want to provide their services to society. I just wish we had a Universal Basic Income so only those folks that truly want to work would have to, and perhaps at reduced hours. A ten-hour shooting day sounds ideal!
Last month’s lockdown may have forever challenged the sacrosanct theatrical film exhibition 90-day window.
The film that led the charge? Trolls: World Tour!
Scott Mendelson writes in Forbes that Universal is reporting that Trolls: World Tour has earned around $100 million in the first three weeks of domestic “premium VOD” or PVOD (which costs $20 for 48 hours.)
After further analysis, he concludes:
“I think that the coronavirus-related closures and unease will hasten an inevitable process whereby movie theaters become the place where only the biggest would-be mega-budget blockbusters (or genre-specific tentpole releases) play on the big screen while almost everything else goes to VOD, DVD and/or streaming.”
Indie Wire quotes the WSJ that Universal Studios CEO Jeff Shell says: “As soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats.”
In protest, the AP reports that AMC (the world’s largest theatre chain) counters:
“Going forward, AMC will not license any Universal movies in any of our 1,000 theatres globally on these terms. Accordingly, we want to be absolutely clear, so that there is no ambiguity of any kind. AMC believes that with this proposed action to go to the home and theatres simultaneously, Universal is breaking the business model and dealings between our two companies.”
Stay tuned.
My take: in the current environment, this is inevitable. How else can the audience see new movies? However, as things relax, will the traditional window prevail? The studios may be quite content to continue releasing on PVOD, especially if a sizable chunk of viewers prefer to stay in the comfort of their homes and avoid sticky theatres. If the DOJ rescinds the Paramount Consent Degrees, I wonder how long it will be before theatre chains either buy studios or go into production for themselves?