The key to the future of cinema that Apple’s victory at the Oscars teaches us

Date:

This edition of the Oscars was more important than it seemed, though everything was overshadowed by Will Smith’s testosterone attack on Chris Rock. Victory Code Against Dog power It was read on the keyboard of the “authorial movie” of the “popular movie” and although this is also true, this duel hides many boundaries that speak to the future of cinema. It was a win over Apple’s Netflix. Or, to put it another way, Netflix’s tenth failure. But there was another loser, the cinemas. For them the technical prizes were thank you Dunes, A blockbuster that worked at the box office and that has been proven once again thanks to these awards. However, there was no trace of the mediocre cinema that was taking over everything years ago, and that too covered the box office. This situation makes many wonder where the future of adult cinema goes, what do these Oscars mean for theaters and platforms?

The defeat of Netflix can only be considered the tenth consecutive session of the academy. This is the only explanation for such a film Dog powerWith 12 nominations, critical acclaim, a well-known director and a fierce advertising campaign, he lost to the film that saw the least number of nominees (by the deadline). Code I had only three candidates and I was not a candidate in directing and editing, in two key categories.

For Elena Neira, Bachelor of Laws and Audiovisual Communication, specializing in new models of audiovisual dissemination and author of the book Streaming Wars: New TV (Dome), the message is clear: “In Hollywood they are ready for a hybrid release, but not for a simultaneous release. This award sends a message that we must acknowledge that platforms are a reality, but all of them, Apple. “It’s not a big threat. It has no commitment to cinema as ambitious as Netflix, which is gradually breaking with the traditional consumption model.

The move was not free for Apple, with rumors saying it was an advertising campaign Code It cost $ 25 million, but they still managed to erect the statue, which their competitors oppose. Netflix has always had a commitment to well-known directors and more authoritative films. Now a less pretentious film has defeated them. Could this lead to a change in the prize production line? For Elena Neira it’s not so easy because Code He’s not even an Apple original, he bought it from Lionsgate in the middle of a pandemic. “I would say in advance that they paid a lot for it (more than 20 million euros). It was not Slumdog Millionaire Which he bought for two dollars. My feeling is that they all want a copyrighted movie game, and Apple probably wants to be a platform for sophisticated content and even take the baton from HBO, so no roles have been assigned yet. , Which was already on Netflix and which did not win an Oscar The Irish.

Previously, Oscar-nominated films were hits at the box office. The simple announcement of the candidates forced the public to go to the room to see them. Except this year Dunes, Exceeding 100 million (and that blockbuster), the rest failed at the box office. West side story Did not even reach 40 million. Licorice pizza Added 17. Alley of Lost Souls Barely passed 11 and Belfast Neither reached 10. Compared to the years before the pandemic, Green Book Reached 85 million and more ParasitesWith Korean language and subtitles, more than 50 million added. Was even one of the most independent winners, Moon, Managed to multiply its box office and reach 27 million, this figure now looks successful for almost all the nominees this year.

The victory of the film, which is seen on the platform, is a severe blow to the theaters. As Elena Neira explains, this type of film needs “recognition”. “There are no campaigns. Awareness-raising requires big campaigns and the films that competed this year did not have them. In addition, many are available on platforms,” ​​he notes. An Oscar doesn’t mean much to a movie on Netflix or Amazon, but it does mean to a theatrical movie because it makes this little title a must-see movie instead of the superhero blockbuster of that moment.

Against this background, it seems that adult cinema intends to climb platforms, in addition to the critical or verbal phenomena that manage to highlight a niche among the big blockbusters. “The movies that will be released in cinemas will be the ones that have validation and give you an Oscar. If we do not have awards, cinemas will be left with only small subtitles for Renoir and blockbusters,” said Neira, who believes no one now “dares to release a film like The word of the king, Because it no longer fills the room. “Proof that the Oscars suggest this confirmation is that Apple itself re-released its film in 600 U.S. theaters (with subtitles for the deaf community) and that it became a title after its victory. With a 300% increase over TV +.

The pandemic hastened what everyone had predicted, but no one dared to do it: cut down on distribution windows. After several experiments (each Major I tried one thing) it seems 45 day windows will be the norm. This is a purely commercial issue, each major distributor has its own platform and wants its titles to be there as soon as possible. Apart from Sony, there is no studio that does not have its own platform and everyone has an interest FlowIn which their titles are as soon as possible and the client will appreciate it.

This led the studios to renegotiate contracts with the stars. No one wants a case like Scarlett Johansson threatening to go to court over the damage to her cache at the Disney + premiere. Შavi window, Something that was not in your contract. “Contracts with the stars already state that companies have a final decision on their distribution. 45 days of exclusivity in an increasingly automated market is a reality,” Neira said.

In this context, the Oscars should also take a step back. The pandemic forced them to change their bases in order to compete with the films released directly on the platforms. “Exception” remained this course, which meant that several films were released without going to the cinemas. Two years ago, he had to appear in a number of theaters in New York and Los Angeles. After what happened CodeThe academy has to make a decision to still follow the theaters or leave everything as it was before, which will lead the platforms to bet on the Oscars in cinemas for a few weeks in order to obey the bases.

“If the Oscars decide to put their bets back on the theatrical circle, we could still have a situation where ‘Prize-winning’ films hit theaters sooner. If they can go straight to the platform, the Oscars will be something else. In fact, they already have to become something else. “Cancaneo”, but the prestige they once had does not seem like a winner like Code As accompanied by films such as Silence of the lambs”– Says Elena Neira.

Although Apple won the first Oscar for the platform, the real war is between Netflix and Disney. Netflix is, at the moment, the largest volume in the catalog, but Disney has added everything that Fox had and what is on Hulu, and its catalog “is going to grow even more.” “Disney intends to produce a lot more, but we do not know what the solution will be. In my opinion, it’s going to bet a lot on movie platforms, which is another result of the pandemic. Which was the most consumed, but during the pandemic the saturation of the series and the consumption of the home theater increased that Home entertainment That looked sad. I started making a lot of movies and consuming a lot of movies and I think that this demand will be answered by the studios because, in addition, it is faster to make an average movie with normal actors and that it will also have a bigger output.

Although Netflix has been an Oscar favorite in Hollywood for four years, Spain has not yet nominated Goya for Best Picture. Neither has another company. Flow. This situation shows the reluctance towards platforms as producers, but also shows that the production line in our country serves not the copyright and adult cinema, but the phenomena of rapid consumption. Most of the premieres were adaptations of adolescent phenomena such as From my window Or Thriller Რa Practitioner And Ნuls down (A purchase that worked very well for them all over the world). The titles that came out in the cinemas did not even choose an award. It was the closest time to them Hole, Which was not an original production but a purchase and which was released in Spanish cinemas. He achieved three nominations (original script, new direction and special effects) and won for visual effects.

Elena Neira believes that everything will come and that at the moment the level of production in our country, although it has increased from 7 to 32 films a year, but it is far from Hollywood and “with different aspirations.” This is influenced by the fact that in the US the rules are beginning to be clarified, for theaters with a 45-day exclusivity, while in Spain nothing is defined and “whoever conducts Status Quo These are TV networks that make comedies with incredible advertising campaigns. ”

The transposition of the new audiovisual law will not help much either, while in France they managed to produce a Netflix copyright film, in Spain “they do not intend to change the situation because they do not impose such a requirement. “They only make a commitment to have a European catalog.” He believes that Netflix is ​​a matter of time before he comes to Goya and prestigious cinema. “I have this very clearly,” he said confidently, explaining that “Netflix’s abuse is local.” “In the US they have used leverage. They are consolidated and growing less. Where they are well is in Europe and it is only a matter of time before they decide to create Spanish content for rewards and use this strategy to strengthen them. Position in our territory.” The first will be Bayonne, who is already entering Snow Society The premiere will be in 2023, but no doubt what will change everything will be an Almodვარvar-like signature that goes against Netflix’s blank check honey for the time being.

Source: El Diario

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related