Content is king among digital streamers with the plethora of platforms all vying for eyeballs, says Rocky Shi, television and film producer and founder/CEO of Rise Entertainment. Each platform, while looking to deliver captivating content, excels in certain genres over others. It’s critical to understand the different types and sources of content for each streaming service whether you’re a filmmaker and want to know which platform is ideal for distributing your work or you’re a consumer wanting to know which streamer caters to your tastes.
Moviemaking: The Road to Oscar
Netflix, long heralded as the crown jewel of streaming services, is known for its original films and series. The platform also tends to be all things to all people – teenagers can binge on a wide range of young adult-focused stuff while sports nuts have a broad selection of documentaries at their fingertips and movie buffs can tune into Oscar-worthy films. In fact, Netflix has spent big bucks for a chance at Oscar gold. Martin Scorsese’s The Irishmen cost Netflix $160 million to make, after Paramount, the film’s original studio, dropped the project due to ballooning costs. Netflix also paid $30 million to make Jane Campion’s Power of the Dog after discussing the project at the Cannes Film Festival. Both received Oscar nominations in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
Indie Films: Straight to Streaming
It’s not only Hollywood royalty sitting at the table with streaming platforms to get financing. Independent film financiers and producers are increasingly turning to platforms like Netflix and Apple TV+ to sell their content in lieu of hoping for a box-office hit at the art cinema, Rocky Shi notes. Apple TV+, for example, paid $25 million for CODA after it was screened at the Sundance Film Festival. CODA took the Academy’s Best Picture Oscar prize this year. On the flip side, Amazon, once a champion of indie filmmakers, now accepts very few indie submissions for its Amazon Prime platform, and recently cemented its merger with MGM with a catalog of more than 4,000 film titles, making it even less likely it will continue to support indie filmmakers.
Animated Features Have a Home at Several Streaming Services
Disney+ is home to great animated features – from its classics to new releases that combine advanced technology with inspiring storytelling. However, other streaming services, such as Netflix, have increased their animated movie offerings, with a diverse selection for both adults and children. HBO Max, now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, also released a slew of animated titles for May 2022 as did Hulu and Peacock. In addition, word on the street, says Rocky Shi, is that Warner Bros. Discovery is looking at its cartoon library to see whether it would be a good fit for HBO Max in an effort to reach and attract children.
Netflix & Disney+ Have Robust Sci-Fi Libraries
While the majority of streaming platforms deliver fantasy programming and live-action science fiction content, Netflix and Disney+ take the lead. Netflix, of course, Rocky Shi explaines, has built a robust catalog of original sci-fi shows like its smash series hit, Stranger Things, and Shadow and Bones, while Disney+ has a rich sci-fi lineup with The Mandalorian and Star Wars. Between these two streaming services, you have a great home for this type of content.
Where Horror Buffs Tune In
When it comes to which streaming service is best for horror, HBO Max has a well-curated library with a focus on classics like The Shining and Poltergeist whereas Amazon Prime has a large library of horror content ranging from The Descent to The Wicker Man, The Wailing, and Hellraiser. Hulu and Peacock also offer content to horror buffs albeit both libraries are much smaller. Peacock, however, makes it difficult to find titles as you can’t readily browse the genre. Netflix, at one time among the better streaming services for classic horror movies, has shifted to original horror films but is not releasing as many as of late.
The search for content continues to heat up among the ever-growing list of streaming services. It’s expected, Rocky Shi continues, that this year we will continue to see elevated levels of content production to distinguish each platform and attract subscribers and keep them engaged. Streamers are looking for new ideas and new talent for stories that resonate.
