The Netflix Original documentary, explained: global investment patterns in documentary films and series

IF 0.5 0 FILM, RADIO, TELEVISION

Studies in Documentary Film Pub Date : 2022-08-08 DOI:10.1080/17503280.2022.2109099

Catalina Iordache, T. Raats, Sam Mombaerts

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引用次数: 3

Abstract

ABSTRACT Subscription video-on-demand services have been increasingly moving away from licencing content to producing their own content. The ‘original’ label is applied to different types of productions for which streaming platforms own exclusive rights, usually worldwide and for specific periods. This has also been part of Netflix’s global strategy to attract new and existing subscribers. Research into the Netflix Original has become particularly relevant, due to its impact on audiovisual markets and the label’s opacity. This article focuses on Netflix investments in original documentaries, due to the genre’s growing popularity and the platform’s notable interest in documentary films and series. The analysis focuses on the company’s strategies and investment patterns in specific regions, languages and genres over time by mapping all documentary titles produced between 2012–2021 labelled as ‘Netflix Original’, resulting in a database of 479 titles. We found that investments in original documentaries have been growing over the years, and the large majority of these are commissions or exclusive titles. The transnational production and distribution of Netflix Original documentaries reflect wider changes in cultural trade brought on by the streaming model. However, the company’s investment strategy is also influenced by established market dynamics and financing practices in documentary production.

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Netflix原创纪录片解释道：纪录片和连续剧的全球投资模式

摘要订阅视频点播服务越来越多地从许可内容转向制作自己的内容。“原创”标签适用于流媒体平台拥有独家版权的不同类型的制作，通常是在全球范围内和特定时期。这也是Netflix吸引新用户和现有用户的全球战略的一部分。由于其对视听市场的影响和该品牌的不透明性，对Netflix原创电影的研究变得尤为重要。本文关注的是Netflix对原创纪录片的投资，因为这一类型的纪录片越来越受欢迎，而且该平台对纪录片和连续剧的兴趣也越来越大。该分析通过映射2012-2011年间制作的所有被标记为“Netflix原创”的纪录片，重点关注该公司在特定地区、语言和流派的战略和投资模式，从而建立了一个479部纪录片的数据库。我们发现，多年来，对原创纪录片的投资一直在增长，其中绝大多数是佣金或独家作品。Netflix原创纪录片的跨国制作和发行反映了流媒体模式带来的文化贸易的更广泛变化。然而，该公司的投资策略也受到既定市场动态和纪录片制作融资实践的影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Studies in Documentary Film FILM, RADIO, TELEVISION-

CiteScore

1.00

自引率

16.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： Studies in Documentary Film is the first refereed scholarly journal devoted to the history, theory, criticism and practice of documentary film. In recent years we have witnessed an increased visibility for documentary film through conferences, the success of general theatrical releases and the re-emergence of scholarship in documentary film studies. Studies in Documentary Film is a peer-reviewed journal.