Like an air of deja vu. Netflix subscribers are sometimes assailed by this feeling in front of the platform’s series. And it’s clearly not just an impression if we are to believe the specialists of the streaming giant.
It is indeed on purpose that the service tends to standardize its productions at the scriptwriting and photographic level. The idea is of course to retain an audience and to constitute a comfortable cocoon for its subscribers to keep them awake. But doesn’t that risk killing creativity?
When Netflix knows how to be bold
There is a paradox in talking about formatting and calibration on Netflix as the latter was able to show originality in its beginnings. One thinks in particular of these little jewels that are The OAWhere Sense8 of the Wachowski sisters.
As researcher Virginie Martin explains in an article published on the website The Conversation, Netflix was first distinguished by the audacity of its original creations. Careful writing of House of Cards Passing by Orange is the new Black which addresses feminist and gender issues, Netflix relies on quality in-house productions. Very quickly, the quantity of productions becomes mind-blowing: “Between 2017 and 2018, they increased by 88% and represented more than 5,000 programs. »
The streaming platform also has the intelligence to bet on regional creations that know how to be critical of the established order. We think of the recent SQuid Gamebut also to Leilathe Indian series which consists of a political dystopia on India in 2047, and strikes very hard against the regime of Narendra Modi.
In 2020, Netflix will produce 18% of its original creations in Europe, 12% in Asia, 5% in Latin America, and 2% in Oceania. The service is therefore not exclusively focused on the United States, even if it does not forget its homeland and has built a large studio in Albuquerque where the series Stranger Things is turned.
Series formatting on Netflix
But betting on regional productions does not in any way prevent a standardization of series according to the will of its leaders. This is precisely the point of view defended by the film producer Romain Blondeau in his book Netflix, serial alienation. According to him, a tipping point occurred in 2017, following the success of the Spanish production The casa de papel.
“When this Spanish series was a real hit, I think it validated the model he was aiming for, namely series put online in full and calibrated in a certain way”, does he think.
From then on, Netflix tries to cast a wide net and becomes a mass medium. We then witness a formatting of the writing and the aesthetics of the productions. Besides, Romain Blondeau recalls that the creators receive specifications from the streaming platform. Thus, the scenes must move the narrative forward.
There is no longer any place for contemplation or reflection, each action or plan must have a specific goal. In this little game, the viewer doesn’t even have time to think about what is happening and everything has to be clear and clearly stated.
JD Connor, associate professor in cinematographic and media studies at the University of California returned to this technical imperative imposed on directors. If we have the impression that the Netflix series are alike, it is simply because the streaming platform asks them to use certain types of cameras, and to adopt an image resolution in order to stick to its expectations.
According to him, another aspect must be taken into account: the remuneration of the actors. The traditional model of cinema and series was based on a percentage paid on the receipts recovered at the box office, or via DVD sales. This aspect disappears on Netflix, and therefore the talents are asking for large sums from the start. This is very expensive and reduces filming and post-production budgets.
Quoted by Vicethe teacher adds: “With the pandemic hitting us, the capture technology, grading and post-production suffered, the reduced budget forced them to scale down the whole visual side, and it hurt”. This could therefore explain the sometimes “cheap” rendering of certain creations.
Netflix wants to capture our available brain time
A final element to note is competition in the streaming market and the Internet in general. Netflix indeed faces rivals such as Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, but also traditional television players. Social networks also take up our time, so you have to stand out by using strong and calibrated methods.
This is also the point of view of Virginie Martin, who reminds us that the streaming platform must “capturing our available brain time, including when it cuts down on our sleep, is the basis of its profitability”.
To do this, the entertainment giant relies on its increasingly powerful and sophisticated algorithms. They know us by heart and learn more about us during each visit. The AI therefore knows how to perfectly meet our expectations and this reinforces the addictive side of the service.
The stories are also cleverly constructed, and after the soft belly observed in certain episodes, the famous cliffhangers of the finale make us want to launch the next episode. And too bad if the suspense is defused in five seconds, or even completely ignored, because we are always in front of our screen and Netflix has held its bet.
