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- May 22, 2024
Data scientist and journalist Daniel Parris describes the economics of streaming, proposing that as streaming libraries grow, the content value diminishes, and therefore streamers are left with the options of producing less or cheaper content or going under.
- May 23, 2024
Strategic brand consultant and independent film producer Brian Newman conveys his current rules for distribution, including details about the decreasing role of streamers in acquiring documentaries and in output deals with distributors, declining transactional revenue and theatrical engagement with documentaries (aside from event screenings), and more ideas for reaching a targeted audience.
- April 15, 2024
Jacobin contributing editor Daniel Bessner reports on the current risk-averse state of the screenwriting business in Hollywood—discussing compensation trends and tracing the history of its value in the film and television industries through company consolidations, labor movements, streamers' strategies, executives' predisposition toward intellectual property-driven content, and more.
- April 9, 2024
Writers Jesse Whittock and Sara Merican delve into the competitive landscape of the streaming industry in Southeast Asia, where Prime Video and Disney+ are retracting much of their presence in original productions, leaving Netflix as the main American streamer commissioning projects there.
- March 1, 2024
Hollywood faces challenges in 2024 with disruptions from strikes and pandemic-related issues, prompting a shift to producing quick, self-contained films and a call for the industry to reconnect with an entrepreneurial spirit amid uncertainties about streaming services and declining movie genres.
- February 9, 2024
Independent filmmakers and distributors report content restrictions and algorithmic filtering of online marketing material interfering in film campaigns and streaming releases.
- February 4, 2024
Writer Anthony Kaufman reflects on Netflix's unprecedented acquisitions of documentaries at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, raising questions about the impact on theatrical distribution, the role of celebrity endorsements, and the evolving dynamics of the documentary market.
- February 3, 2024
The 2024 Oscar documentary nominations, dominated by international filmmakers and with little major streamer-backed films, have sparked discourse on potential resentment in the documentary branch, a preference for social-issue documentaries, and considerations for altering the voting system.
- January 31, 2024
Hosted by producer, filmmaker, and Distribution Advocates co-founder Avril Speaks, this episode of the Distribution Advocates Presents podcast features conversations with industry leaders Pat Murphy, Orly Ravid, Alece Oxendine, Set Hernandez, Abby Sun, Efuru Flowers, and Kaila Sarah Hier, on the role of sales agents in rights deals.
- January 31, 2024
Hosted by producer, filmmaker, and Distribution Advocates co-founder Avril Speaks, this episode of the Distribution Advocates Presents podcast features conversations with industry leaders Abby Sun, Matt Stoller, Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh, and Kaila Sarah Hier, on the issues surrounding documentary awards, including what it takes to campaign and questioning the purpose of awards in the field.
- January 24, 2024
Founder, CEO, and Editor in Chief of TheWrap, Sharon Waxman reports on perceptions of the faltering independent film business model at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. *Please note: This article is behind a paywall.
- January 18, 2024
Walter Shorenstein fellow Keri Putnam explores the risks and challenges associated with the streaming media age, discussing implications for content creators, platforms, and consumers in an evolving digital landscape.
- December 29, 2023
A Hollywood Reporter editor assesses streamers' profitability from the recent earnings season, highlighting the positions of Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney.
- December 22, 2023
In 2023, streaming platforms prioritized profitability, introduced advertising, and formed unique partnerships, facing challenges in content buzz, user interface, and pricing adjustments.
- December 20, 2023
Reports of discussions centered on a possible merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global reveal considerations of potential strategy behind such a move.
- December 20, 2023
Writer Anthony Kaufman reports on filmmakers alleging that nonfiction entertainment studio XTR has not followed through on significant grant offers, including one to South African filmmaker Milisuthando Bongela, casting doubt on its reliability and integrity within the industry.
- December 20, 2023
Writer Addie Morfoot reports on Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and film distributor 1091 Pictures facing legal disputes centered on missing revenue-sharing payments to filmmakers, who are also trying to reclaim their distribution rights should 1091 Pictures' parent company go bankrupt.
- December 19, 2023
Evaluating the landscape of the documentary field in 2023, Anthony Kaufman reports on the types of stories that are gaining prominence and filmmakers' attitudes toward a seemingly contracting industry.
- December 12, 2023
Netflix released a comprehensive report of what people watched on the streaming platform, indicating hours viewed and more data, over a six-month period.
- December 7, 2023
Writers Lacey Rose and Lesley Goldberg describe theories surrounding the anticipated flood of television pitches following the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike that failed to materialize, leading to concerns in the industry.
