Ever since Netflix's meteoric rise, questions have been raised about the future of cinema. Some are wondering what the point of going to theaters is when the ever-multiplying amount of streaming services have almost everything there is to watch. --Declan McMahon, 9th Grade
Ever since Netflix's meteoric rise, questions have been raised about the future of cinema. Some are wondering what the point of going to theaters is when the ever-multiplying amount of streaming services have almost everything there is to watch. Many creators are asking what the point is of indie development anymore when there’s a much better chance of it getting recognized as a Netflix Original, an HBO Max Original, or even a Paramount+ Original?
Going to the theater is a classic activity, and for good reason. It’s hard to argue with the immersive, almost warm feeling that comes from sitting down for the hot ticket movie of the month with a bucket of popcorn. But now, given the right tools, anyone can create a similar experience at home.
Regardless of your opinion on streaming services, their impact on how, and at what rate, we consume TV and movies is undeniable. Netflix has 221.8 million users, as of the streaming giant’s 2021 fourth quarter report. This is in stark contrast to the 6.7 million users that it had in quarter two of its first year as a streaming service. Media is now more easily accessible and (for the most part) cheaper than it would’ve been fifteen or more years ago. For $15.49 a month, you can get a standard subscription to Netflix. For comparison, the average U.S. movie ticket cost in 2021 was $9.16 (however, most prices at commercial cinemas such as AMC or Regal can reach twenty dollars or more). Netflix users watch on average 3.2 hours of content a day. If you break that down into two one hour and 40 minute movies, you get two movies a day. Two movies a day at an AMC could rack up a $1200 per month price tag. $15.49 a month might seem like a lot, but for that price, you can get access to more than 15,000 movies and TV shows.
Let’s do some quick math: if you were to see one movie a day every weekend for a month (that’s four Saturdays and four Sundays), you would be paying seventy-three dollars a month. And if you were to see these at a non independently-owned theater, you could quickly rack up a price tag of around $160.00. Sure you’d get the full cinematic experience, but when you can have Netflix for slightly more than a quarter of that price (or a tenth, depending on the theater you go to), and have access to more movies per day, it seems like a no brainer.
Of course, people don’t go to the movies eight times a day, mostly because of the unhealthy food and the cost. But if you could go to the movies once a day for a month, with each movie costing fifty-seven cents, perhaps cinemagoers would be more inclined. Well, maybe you wouldn’t, but a lot of people would. A survey taken at the Oakland School for the Arts (grades 6-12) shows that more students prefer going to the movies at the theater.
Of course, there are a lot of different components of the film industry. From a creative standpoint, streaming can be incredibly helpful for new voices just breaking into the industry. TV and film writer Josh Reddick, who had two projects in the works with Netflix, (as of May 9th 2021) says “Before streaming services came along, you'd have to shoot a pilot, test the pilot, try to sell the pilot, then hope it became a hit. And sometimes if it wasn’t a hit within two to three weeks they would just drop it. A streaming service like Netflix trusts its creative instincts enough to know that sometimes it takes an audience a bit to catch on and you have to rely on word of mouth in a way that you couldn't do in the good old network days.”
And for the writers, script doctor Saurav Dutt had something to say: “"The streaming format amplifies the importance of the writer as the backbone of a show. The episodic format means you're at the head of the table in terms of creative vision because you're given far more tools to work with, such as having your writer's room better staffed.” This is of course a bonus for writers, who often don’t get the credit, funding, or help they deserve.
Despite all the positives, streaming services can also be quite flawed. Film executive and founder of the Black List, Franklin Leonard, pointed out that once streaming services have cemented their user base, they often shift their attention towards content that caters to middle aged, middle class white people. This is evident, Franklin notes, in Netflix’s Oscar journey. Netflix’s first four original films to be nominated for Academy Awards were created by filmmakers of color but in 2019, the campaign focused mainly on Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, and in 2021 it was Old Hollywood epic, Mank, directed by David Fincher and starring Gary Oldman.
And of course there’s one more factor: Netflix was the original, it’s the mold for streaming services. But now, with so many services popping up (especially during the pandemic when the demand for new television and film skyrocketed), Netflix’s library is starting to dwindle. The rate is slow, with it’s collection clocking in at 15,000 titles (as of February 2021), as opposed to January 2018’s 15,400 titles, but it’s there. They claim it’s to focus on developing original content. Of course, to some extent that may be true, but it is undeniable that many Netflix titles are migrating to other streaming platforms. The competition between streaming services grows fiercer everytime a new one launches, with fan favorites being bought and sold, stretching the content library across a multitude of platforms.
So, the big question is, is streaming killing cinema, and the classic moviegoing experience as we know it? The short answer is no. The long answer? Not really, at least certainly not to the extent it may appear. Riverside Cinema’s project manager doesn’t see streaming platforms as a threat, at least not to his independent UK theater, saying streaming has had “little to no effect on [the Riverside’s] audience numbers.” Don’t worry folks, as far as the eye can see, cinema is here to stay.
Going to the theater is a classic activity, and for good reason. It’s hard to argue with the immersive, almost warm feeling that comes from sitting down for the hot ticket movie of the month with a bucket of popcorn. But now, given the right tools, anyone can create a similar experience at home.
Regardless of your opinion on streaming services, their impact on how, and at what rate, we consume TV and movies is undeniable. Netflix has 221.8 million users, as of the streaming giant’s 2021 fourth quarter report. This is in stark contrast to the 6.7 million users that it had in quarter two of its first year as a streaming service. Media is now more easily accessible and (for the most part) cheaper than it would’ve been fifteen or more years ago. For $15.49 a month, you can get a standard subscription to Netflix. For comparison, the average U.S. movie ticket cost in 2021 was $9.16 (however, most prices at commercial cinemas such as AMC or Regal can reach twenty dollars or more). Netflix users watch on average 3.2 hours of content a day. If you break that down into two one hour and 40 minute movies, you get two movies a day. Two movies a day at an AMC could rack up a $1200 per month price tag. $15.49 a month might seem like a lot, but for that price, you can get access to more than 15,000 movies and TV shows.
Let’s do some quick math: if you were to see one movie a day every weekend for a month (that’s four Saturdays and four Sundays), you would be paying seventy-three dollars a month. And if you were to see these at a non independently-owned theater, you could quickly rack up a price tag of around $160.00. Sure you’d get the full cinematic experience, but when you can have Netflix for slightly more than a quarter of that price (or a tenth, depending on the theater you go to), and have access to more movies per day, it seems like a no brainer.
Of course, people don’t go to the movies eight times a day, mostly because of the unhealthy food and the cost. But if you could go to the movies once a day for a month, with each movie costing fifty-seven cents, perhaps cinemagoers would be more inclined. Well, maybe you wouldn’t, but a lot of people would. A survey taken at the Oakland School for the Arts (grades 6-12) shows that more students prefer going to the movies at the theater.
Of course, there are a lot of different components of the film industry. From a creative standpoint, streaming can be incredibly helpful for new voices just breaking into the industry. TV and film writer Josh Reddick, who had two projects in the works with Netflix, (as of May 9th 2021) says “Before streaming services came along, you'd have to shoot a pilot, test the pilot, try to sell the pilot, then hope it became a hit. And sometimes if it wasn’t a hit within two to three weeks they would just drop it. A streaming service like Netflix trusts its creative instincts enough to know that sometimes it takes an audience a bit to catch on and you have to rely on word of mouth in a way that you couldn't do in the good old network days.”
And for the writers, script doctor Saurav Dutt had something to say: “"The streaming format amplifies the importance of the writer as the backbone of a show. The episodic format means you're at the head of the table in terms of creative vision because you're given far more tools to work with, such as having your writer's room better staffed.” This is of course a bonus for writers, who often don’t get the credit, funding, or help they deserve.
Despite all the positives, streaming services can also be quite flawed. Film executive and founder of the Black List, Franklin Leonard, pointed out that once streaming services have cemented their user base, they often shift their attention towards content that caters to middle aged, middle class white people. This is evident, Franklin notes, in Netflix’s Oscar journey. Netflix’s first four original films to be nominated for Academy Awards were created by filmmakers of color but in 2019, the campaign focused mainly on Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, and in 2021 it was Old Hollywood epic, Mank, directed by David Fincher and starring Gary Oldman.
And of course there’s one more factor: Netflix was the original, it’s the mold for streaming services. But now, with so many services popping up (especially during the pandemic when the demand for new television and film skyrocketed), Netflix’s library is starting to dwindle. The rate is slow, with it’s collection clocking in at 15,000 titles (as of February 2021), as opposed to January 2018’s 15,400 titles, but it’s there. They claim it’s to focus on developing original content. Of course, to some extent that may be true, but it is undeniable that many Netflix titles are migrating to other streaming platforms. The competition between streaming services grows fiercer everytime a new one launches, with fan favorites being bought and sold, stretching the content library across a multitude of platforms.
So, the big question is, is streaming killing cinema, and the classic moviegoing experience as we know it? The short answer is no. The long answer? Not really, at least certainly not to the extent it may appear. Riverside Cinema’s project manager doesn’t see streaming platforms as a threat, at least not to his independent UK theater, saying streaming has had “little to no effect on [the Riverside’s] audience numbers.” Don’t worry folks, as far as the eye can see, cinema is here to stay.