Spielberg, Cannes Say No to Netflix
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I guess Netflix needs to decide what's more important to them; making money, or getting awards. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
Realistically, if they were to do that, they would still make money off of the theatrical run (like any other studio), but of course have less viewership on the back-end release (not unlike video rentals). So they would still make money, AND be eligible for an Oscar under that scenario... they just wouldn't make AS MUCH money because they would be going out-of-house, so to say. So, they have to make a decision there. What's more important? Like I said, you can't have your cake and eat it too.
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No. I don't see the problem.
If Netflix released (say) ten movies a year in theaters for a couple
of weeks (to qualify) then streamed them, you wouldn't have to
cancel your subscription. You could wait until those movies showed
up at home two/three weeks after they premiered. And you could
watch the thousands of hours of original TV shows there and the
movies they didn't premiere in theaters and all the doc's and comedy
specials.
That's the point of being a Netflix customer. You lose nothing and
miss out on nothing if they choose to seek out Oscar nominations
for some of their movies.
This article probably explains the "issue" better as far as token qualifying:
http://www.vulture.com/2018/03/why-are-academy-voters-mad-about-netflixs-oscars-prospects.html
http://www.vulture.com/2018/03/why-are-academy-voters-mad-about-netflixs-oscars-prospects.html
When is “soon” to you? 10 years? 20?
In the 1950's people said movie theaters would die because of TV.
In the 1980's people said movie theaters would die because of home
video. The big five even started legal moves to stop video rentals.
Ask a movie exec in 1955 and many would say that by 1975 all the
theaters will be dead.
Theater going changes – it doesn't die. We are social animals and
still enjoy experiencing entertainment with groups. The studios and
the exhibitors adjust to make movie going more appealing. Teens
will always want to get away from their parents home. Dating couples
will always want to leave the house. Parents need to get away from
the kids once in a while.
It's true that overall ticket sales had a slow decline from 2008 to 2015.
But we're talking 1.4 billion tickets to 1.2 billion. Ticket sales stay at
about 1.3 billion each year for the last 20 years. Yearly sales rose from
2000 to 2008.
That's ONLY in the U.S. Market.
I'm open to seeing your stats on this.
To answer your question; once the theaters all die the AMPAS will change
their criteria to qualify.
Sure you could wait til the movies come out at home, but that applies right now doesn't it?
Why does anyone go to the theatre ever if they can just wait to watch it at home?
I guess I misunderstood the original argument but I get why some people would be pissed if you released a flick in a theater for a day just to call it theatrical to be Oscar eligible. Yes the content is key, but let's look at it the other way. A theatrical movie wins an Emmy because it played on HBO. It's muddy as hell, and I say content is king, and ditch all the rules. Ha.
PS. That's been going on forever though, and he is just picking on Netflix. Indie filmmakers doe the same.
PS. That's been going on forever though, and he is just picking on Netflix. Indie filmmakers doe the same.
I think that was already explained in this thread. Date night, get away from the kids/parents night, to be social, to see it first, etc.
Are you not reading the responses?
All reasons not to wait. Okay so people don't want to wait and they see the movie in theatres.
Now I paid Netflix a monthly subscription to see the movie, and then I paid them again with a ticket?
Damn I just got charged twice to see a movie. That's a problem in my eyes.
It's not a problem in my eyes. That's no different from seeing a movie in the theater, and then buying the DVD later on. No one's forcing you to see it in the theater (and if you've already got a Netflix subscription, and you don't want to buy a ticket, and the movie will eventually be on Netflix... um, be patient?)
Also, are you suggesting that once you buy a movie ticket, you are entitled to see that movie for free, in any format, for the rest of your life? Of course not, lol... Like the other guy said, what you're getting with your Netflix subscription are the many, many hours of original programming that was never in the theater, old programming (like a video store, no one cares if you already saw it), comedy specials, etc. So, it seems like you're actually getting your money's worth with your Netflix subscription, but still you want more? I'm not sure I can empathize with you. Like I said already, you can't expect to have your cake, and eat it too.
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You misunderand me. I'm not saying it should be free for the rest of your life i'm saying there is a demographic of people that don't want to pay twice for the same movie.
Some people watch it in theatres and then never own it. Tons of people do that.
They pay for it once, not twice.
If you cant understand that Netflix might lose some customers if they did this, well there's nothing else I can do to explain my position. Maybe i'm wrong and they would lose absolutely no customers if people could see their original movie content in theatres without a subscription. And 100% of people would still subscribe anyway.
Those are all claims that film itself will die. I'm saying that the streaming experience will merge with the traditional model.
Because people have different needs than you do.
I go to the theater because sometimes I want to see the movie
opening weekend.
I go because I truly enjoy the bigger-than-life experience.
I go because I still cherish the overall experience of seeing a
movie in a theater.
I go because it's nice to get out of the house with friends and
make an evening of it.
Seeing a movie in a theater rather than waiting to watch it at
home makes a fun date-night with my girl.
Here in Los Angeles we have several theaters that show old
movies - movies I have seen dozens of times, movies in my
library, movies available on Netflix - and I STILL pay to see
them in a theater with an audience. I own a VHS copy of
"2001: A Space Odyssey". I own it on DVD and Blu-Ray and
about twice a year it is shown in the famous Cinerama Dome
here in Los Angeles. I pay to see it again and again. I think
20 times in the past 10 years alone. I've been charged way
more than twice - not a problem for me.
Hope that helps you understand a little. Not that you need to
agree or change your opinion, just that there are many different
ways to watch a movie and many different people out here who
still enjoy seeing a movie in a theater.
Can you elaborate?
I don't understand that film itself will die because
statics show that people are still going to movie theaters.
Also, when is "soon". When will theaters die do you think?
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Not a scientific method, but...
Let's just take the two of us and expand that data to 20,000 people.
One to one; your representative group (10,000 people) subscribes
but doesn't buy theater tickets. My representative group (10,000
people) buys theater tickets and keeps their subscription.
How does Netflix lose money? Do you believe that most of the
people in my representative group will drop their subscription if
most of the movies they produce are released in a theater in Los
Angeles for two week in order to qualify for an Oscar?
I admit that I might not watch the movie streaming if I have seen
it in the theater – but I keep my subscription for all the content
they do not release to theaters – series for example and direct to
streaming movies.
I don't see anything that says you have to pay twice. It's a choice you make.
They might. They're not directly doing this for the customer. They're doing it so they don't lose the talent who *ARE* interested in those awards. The customer indirectly benefits by getting great academy award level talent in their original material.
I think it's pretty well understood that if you watch a movie twice (in two different viewing media), you're going to pay for it twice pretty much regardless. Just like if you choose to go buy the DVD, you will pay for that too. And nobody is forcing anyone to do that, or buy a theater ticket, or get a Netflix subscription. It's all up to you.
Some movies I'm upset that I paid to see it once 
I don't believe most of the people in your group would drop subscription, but I think the busy ones that only watch a movie once or twice a week could drop subscription.
If Netflix is sending movies to the theatres one could assume they are putting their best foot forward.
You woudlnt' send your crappy movies to the theatres you'd send your best ones.
So all the best original content could be seen with a theatre ticket and no subscription is needed.
Hence that person might cancel their subscription.
personally I have the moviepass thing so I don't pay for individual movie tickets and I'm speaking theoretically about how this could impact Netflix's business model.
You guys are right it probably wouldn't have a huge impact, especially since people can share Netflix account logins with their family at different locations, etc
I don't believe most of the people in your group would drop subscription, but I think the busy ones that only watch a movie once or twice a week could drop subscription.
If Netflix is sending movies to the theatres one could assume they are putting their best foot forward.
You woudlnt' send your crappy movies to the theatres you'd send your best ones.
So all the best original content could be seen with a theatre ticket and no subscription is needed.
Hence that person might cancel their subscription.
personally I have the moviepass thing so I don't pay for individual movie tickets and I'm speaking theoretically about how this could impact Netflix's business model.
You guys are right it probably wouldn't have a huge impact, especially since people can share Netflix account logins with their family at different locations, etc
Maybe. But I'm thinking that all the people in my theoretical group are
like me (and those in your group are like you) and we subscribe to Netflix
for far more than the couple of films per year they migh put in a theater
for Oscar consideration. And I'm as busy as you can get typically working
10 to 12 hour days.
There is a pretty wide range of movies put out by studios between best
foot forward and crappy. All the studios have their “Oscar-bait” films and
then dozens of good movies they do not promote as Oscar worthy between
the crappy ones. As that person, I have a broad taste in movies. That's
why I subscribe to Netflix and Amazon and I see movies in festivals. I'm
not focused on only on a few movies Netflix might see as Oscar bait.
You and I are good test subjects for this theoretical discussion because
we are so far apart in how we pay for and watch movies. A streaming
service that drops a few a year into a Los Angeles theater to qualify for
an Oscar reaches both of us. I pay to see it in a theater – you don't.
We both pay for the subscription.
To me Netflix's business model is great especially if they someday choose
a few films each year to show in theaters.
And for the record Netflix has yet to produce a movie and run it in a theater
before streaming. Their Oscar nominated films were purchased at film festivals.
An a side note: Have you never purchased a movie that you paid to see in a
theater? Do you not own even one?
Yeah its just a shame that theatres block films from releasing on streaming at the same time.
That would be really great if Netflix could do something like that. Maybe one day it will happen.
I haven't purchased an individual movie in a long time. Maybe since 2010s The Man From Nowhere bluray.
I saw that on Netflix originally and then purchased it afterward.
These days I have moviepass and three streaming services... there is more content than I can consume.
The concept of owning media seems antiquated