News: Between Record-Breaking Subscribers and Price Hikes, What Does the Future Hold for Netflix?

It’s been a year full of milestones for leading worldwide streaming company Netflix, now one of the world’s biggest content producers.

After hitting 100 million subscribers during the second quarter of 2017, of which more than 50 million are in the US, the streaming service also outmatched the USA’s leading cable TV networks by more than 2 million subscribers for the first time in history.

Last month, Netflix took over the Emmy Awards ceremony with a staggering 20 wins out of 91 nominations, second only to Time Warner owned TV giant, HBO (29 wins/110 nominations).

The results for Q3, released on 16th October, exceeded even the most optimistic predictions, with the company earning close to $3 billion dollars, and adding 5.3 millions subscribers, most of whom are outside the US.

Film Recommendations From The 2017 BFI Film Festival

Our pick of the highlights from the BFI Film Festival, which took place earlier this month:

Good Time
Director: Josh & Benny Safdie
Release date: 17 November 2017
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh

After blowing a bank heist, Constantine Nikas’ (Robert Pattinson) younger brother is arrested. In an adrenaline-fuelled rush to collect $10,000 and save his brother and himself, Constantine risks his life through New York City’s underworld, in a spiral of chaos and violence that puts his own life on the line.

“By now, Robert Pattinson shouldn’t have to prove he can act. Cosmopolis, The Rover, Maps to the Stars and The Lost City of Z – they all show that his brooding Twilight days have passed into teen-movie myth. But if doubters still need proof, check out the Pattinson tour de force in Good Time. The title makes the movie sound like a romp. Instead, it’s a hellish ride through a New York night. As directed by the Safdie brothers, Josh and Benny, the movie rips through 100 minutes of screen time like Wile E. Coyote with his tail on fire. It’s electrifying.”
– Peter Travers (Rolling Stone)

BBC Studios Researcher Networking Event

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BBC Studios is looking for new talent to help us make one of their best-loved programmes, The One Show:

“We are hosting an exclusive invitation-only event for Senior Researchers in June 2017. We are looking for both live studio researchers and self-shooting researchers, who help to make topical films for the programme. You will need to be an experienced researcher with a proven track record at generating ideas and stories. You’ll have rigorous journalistic skills, be passionate about primetime popular entertainment and should be able to demonstrate experience of both. Get to hear the latest about our shows and job opportunities direct from our Executive Producers, Programme Editors, Series Producers and Talent Managers.

To meet, network and speed date our senior staff apply to be shortlisted. Email your CV with the subject heading ‘Talent Event’ to:talentRSVP@bbc.co.uk“

Sheffield Doc/Fest: What Not To Miss

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Sheffield Doc/Fest returns from tomorrow, featuring its usual mix of inspirational doc screenings; lively discussion panels and in-depth filmmaker masterclasses. We pick out a few of the highlights from this years festival, which runs from 10-15th June:

Screening: Where to Invade Next, Michael Moore

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Where to Invade Next is a 2015 American documentary written and directed by Michael Moore. In this politically provocative comedy, Moore confronts the most pressing issues facing the US today, and travels around the world looking for solutions in foreign methods. The film will premiere at the festival’s opening night on 10th June, and will be followed by a Q&A with Michael Moore. Read more: http://bit.ly/25LIynb

Events Round-Up: Spring 2016

Events Round-Up

Want to know about the latest events in the industry, but want someone else to do the hard work? Well we’ve obliged, with the first in a regular series, looking ahead to a few great production events, big and small, coming up over the next few weeks.

Networking for Creative People
Taking place at the BFI’s Mediatheque on 24th April at 5pm.

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An informal networking event offering a space for inspiration and networking for creative people. There is no admission fee for the Mediateque, but the networking event will charge a small fee of £1.

More info: http://bit.ly/1WdOxdJ

Production Sector On The Up In Northern Ireland

Sharon Boyd looks at the growing TV and film production sector in Northern Ireland:

Northern Ireland, being the smallest part of the UK, tends to go fairly unnoticed and it’s associated more with The Troubles than anything else. However, over the past few years the media industry has been developing rapidly in this fairly unknown place and suddenly an awareness of Northern Ireland as a filming location has transpired. So instead of talking about the political and religious tensions in the country, people are now fascinated by the likes of Game of Thrones and The City of Ember being filmed in this beautiful part of the world.

Broadcast TECH Young Talent Awards

The ProductionBase team got their gladrags on at The Hospital Club last night for the inaugural Broadcast TECH Young Talent Awards, which honour those under 30 working in the fields of broadcast craft and technology. There were 11 hotly contested awards up for grabs covering a range of disciplines.

ProductionBase were proud sponsors of the Runner of the Year award, which featured some top nominees from across the industry. Congratulations to Jack Whitney (@Jack_Whitney) of 5A Studios, who came out on top for his creativity and efficiency, also impressing top clients with his sound design and track laying skills. Jack’s next assignment will be his first musical composition, for Discovery series Mercenaries. We’ll be featuring a full Q&A with Jack in our next Word of Mouth newsletter, so look out for that in the coming weeks.

Also highly commended was Mark Hills (Soho Square Studios) who was nominated in part for his work on the short film, Rabbit Foot, due to screen at next years’ Sundance Festival. For a full list of winners visit Broadcast TECH.

Student View: BFI London Film Festival Highlights

Samuel Thornhill takes a look at what film festivals can offer undergraduates looking to break into the industry, and looks ahead to some of the highlights coming up at this years’ BFI London Film Festival:

BFI London Film Festival

One way to get an idea of the industry you work within is to get out there and experience the best (and worst) that is currently occupying the market. Film festivals present a unique opportunity for undergraduates to meet some of the professionals and contemporaries that are making inroads into the industry at that moment whilst promoting your own work and standing within the industry. If you’re not equipped with a project that you’re looking to gain distribution for, festivals can provide a real insight into marketing and distribution strategy too, with panels and seminars being regularly added to festivals to make them even more appealing.

For undergraduates, it’s not just about working towards your first step after graduation. Film festivals can be hugely beneficial in an academic sense too. Film festivals are often able to exhibit work that would otherwise not be shown for a prolonged period of time or at all in conventional screenings. For those of us who are (sadly) stuck deep in a rut in their analysis of counter cinema or foreign language markets, surely there’s no better place to view such films than in a festival environment with like-minded people who may well be interested in your study.

Edinburgh Festival: Spacey Delivers MacTaggart Lecture

Oscar winning actor, and star of Netflix political drama House of Cards, Kevin Spacey, recently defended ‘TV Binges’ and called for innovation in storytelling as the boundaries between film and television are being broken down. Spacey used his address at the annual MacTaggart Lecture during the Edinburgh Festival as a rallying call to develop new and emerging storytelling talent, saying that not enough is being doing to support new talent across the industry.

Referring to innovative figures such as Steve Jobs and Henry Ford, Spacey urged Television personnel ‘to be that innovative. In some ways we need to be better than the audience. We need to surprise, break boundaries and take viewers to new places.’

What Production Companies Say About PB

Want to know what production companies are saying about ProductionBase? Here’s some of our recent feedback from companies using PB:

Endemol “Productionbase has been an indispensable recruitment tool ever since it’s launch. Endemol UK uses Productionbase for advertising production positions to ensure a diverse selection of talent when recruiting and it is an excellent backup for our own database. Its members are of a high standard and when we are recruiting at very short notice or looking for a specific credit and immediate availability, it is often our first port of call.“
Chloe Samwell-Smith, Production Recruitment Manager, Endemol UK

4Talent “In my role at Channel 4 to train and develop the freelance community I use Production base to keep track of current trends and network with the community. I find Production base easy to navigate and accessible to all which is an important not only for me but other Talent Managers in the creative sector.”
Jo Taylor, Head of Learning and 4Talent, Channel Four

ProductionBase Community

Category: Industry News