Netflix Archives - Documentary Business

Today’s discovery+ launch spotlights David Attenborough’s 10 years of ratings dominance

2021 January 3 2021 January 4 / Africa, discovery+, Internet Economy, Netflix, Public Television, Ratings, Streaming Video, UK

David Attenborough is a promotional hook for Monday’s long-awaited launch of discovery+. The 94-year old legend narrates A Perfect Planet, a blue chip series that stands out among the new streamer’s higher quality programs. I am in awe of Attenborough’s lifetime contribution to documentary filmmaking. I earned a credit on one of his hit series. …

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Africa, discovery+, Internet Economy, Netflix, Public Television, Ratings, Streaming Video, UK

Sundance Film Festival Selections 2019: What are the Odds for Documentaries?

2019 January 13 2019 January 14 / Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Distribution, Documentary Budget, Foundation Funding, Funding a Documentary, Netflix, Producers' Tool Kit, Public Television, Theatrical Documentary

A Sundance Film Festival award lags only behind an Oscar nomination as a measure of success for documentarians. But what are the odds that a U.S. or international documentary will earn a slot on the program? Submissions 2,649 Documentary Features were submitted to the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, which opens on January 24: 767 were from the …

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Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Distribution, Documentary Budget, Foundation Funding, Funding a Documentary, Netflix, Producers' Tool Kit, Public Television, Theatrical Documentary

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The Rise of Netflix Increases Pressures on Producers. My Big Takeaways for 2018

2018 December 27 2019 January 7 / Amazon, Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Digital Video, Distribution, Documentary Production, Facebook, Internet Economy, Netflix, Pitching

Here are my key Takeaways for 2018. It was the year in which Netflix accelerated its challenge to the entire film and television eco-system, with the Amazon behemoth adding to the disruptive force of online video. 1.Channels Under Threat. Factual commissions boomed since the mid-Eighties. A tiny documentary market exploded into the global Unscripted industry …

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Amazon, Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Digital Video, Distribution, Documentary Production, Facebook, Internet Economy, Netflix, Pitching

Netflix, Prime & Hulu Audience Data: Comparing “The Grand Tour” with Their Hit, Binge-watched Scripted Series

2018 November 25 2018 November 27 / Amazon, Commissioning Process, Distribution, Documentary TV, Internet Economy, Netflix, Ratings, Reality Television, Unscripted TV, VOD

Netflix and Amazon Prime famously don’t disclose their viewing data. We don’t know how many subscribers are watching documentary and unscripted programs. Or how their audience breaks down, for example by gender, age, education and income. And how do the hit, binge-watched scripted series compare with the unscripted audience on the OTT/Netflix platforms? The lack of …

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Amazon, Commissioning Process, Distribution, Documentary TV, Internet Economy, Netflix, Ratings, Reality Television, Unscripted TV, VOD

THE CLEANERS An Anti-Case Study from Berlin: A $1.3 Mn Investigative Documentary Premieres at Sundance. Faces Deep Deficit

2018 June 19 2018 July 3 / Amazon, Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Distribution, Documentary Budget, Documentary Production, Funding a Documentary, Internet Economy, Netflix, Panels, Pitching, Producers' Tool Kit, Public Television, Theatrical Documentary

THE CLEANERS ticked all the boxes. Despite Sundance selection and sales to prestigious broadcasters worldwide, the producers are digging out from a deep deficit. The business model for investigative documentaries has always been risky. It is now under siege… and needs new solutions. That’s the message presented by Christian Beetz, co-CEO of Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion …

THE CLEANERS An Anti-Case Study from Berlin: A $1.3 Mn Investigative Documentary Premieres at Sundance. Faces Deep Deficit Read More »

Amazon, Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Distribution, Documentary Budget, Documentary Production, Funding a Documentary, Internet Economy, Netflix, Panels, Pitching, Producers' Tool Kit, Public Television, Theatrical Documentary

Facebook’s Video Strategy: “Throw Lots Of Video Against The Wall. See What Sticks!”

2017 November 6 2017 November 16 / Amazon, Commissioning Process, Documentary Budget, Documentary Production, Documentary TV, Facebook, Funding a Documentary, Internet Economy, Netflix, Unscripted TV, VOD

Wall Street to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: “You have 2 billion monthly users and immense monetization capability. “Your move into video will have big knock-on impacts on producers, channels and others in the video ecosystem.” “So tell us: What is Facebook’s video strategy?” Zuckerberg: “Well, I think the answer to that is we don’t know …

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Amazon, Commissioning Process, Documentary Budget, Documentary Production, Documentary TV, Facebook, Funding a Documentary, Internet Economy, Netflix, Unscripted TV, VOD