Online Platforms & Film Circulation
Online Platforms and Film Circulation is a research project that focuses on the role of Netflix, Amazon, MUBI and other video-on-demand services in an era of content abundance. It draws on platform research and expert interviews to examine how films are introduced and promoted to audiences on streaming platforms. Given the rapid development of the online market, there is a need for greater insight into distribution and exhibition processes that influence audience outcomes.
Different types of video-on-demand platforms
Why is it important to conduct more research?
Little is known about streaming platforms in relation to the circulation of films. To develop discussions on distribution imbalances, cultural diversification, and the cultural role of streaming services, we need to understand:
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How films become available, and to what extent they are accessible, across various types of streaming services.
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How streaming catalogues are organised and the level of visibility they can provide for films.
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What sorts of industry strategies, arrangements and practices have developed to enable online circulation, including distribution partnerships, rights management deals, marketing campaigns, and sharing of data intelligence.
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How streaming platforms are impacting the processes of circulation in the film industry, particularly affecting the theatrical cinema market.
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The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the streaming market.
Events
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“Book Launch: European Cinema in the Streaming Era”. Delivered at the Media Industries conference (London, UK), 19 April 2024.
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“The Circulation of Films on Streaming Services: Addressing Distribution Imbalances”. Delivered at the Media Industries conference (London, UK), 18 April 2024.
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“Circulating Films Online: Insights from Independent Distributors in Europe”. Delivered at the EFM Industry Sessions, Berlin International Film Festival (Berlin, Germany), 11 February 2024.
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“Streaming Platforms Taking Over? Changing Release Strategies for Films in Times of Disruption”. Delivered at the 14th Asian Conference on Media, Communication & Film, MediAsia2023 (Kyoto, Japan), 11 October 2023.
The Florida Project (2017) on the specailised platform MUBI in Germany
Project Funding
This project is undertaken by Roderik Smits and funded through the CONEX-PLUS Marie Curie programme and Postdoc Network Brandenburg .
For more information about the project or collaborations: roderik.smits@eshcc.eur.nl
