Amazon and Netflix are cribbing from the hands-off approach cable giants like HBO and FX take to creating amazing television, a move that will lead to better shows by tempting writers and producers to create original programming.
Streaming media companies are increasingly focusing on generating original content as they try to draw viewers away from network and cable television. Netflix is leading the way, and its flagship show, House of Cards, premiers today. Not to be outdone, Amazon said Thursday that it is expanding its plans beyond situation comedies to include children’s programming.
To do this, Netflix and others are removing the traditional rules and oversight that can hamper creativity. Forget about the focus groups shaping shows, the suits calling the shots and the advertisers wringing their hands over something “edgy.” Streaming media companies are positioning themselves as the place where writers, directors and producers can do what they want, without fear of micromanaging.
“Netflix offered total creative control of the production.” According Media Rights Capital to CEO and co-founder Modi Wiczyk. “Everybody believed in Netflix.”
This will be key to the success of streaming media’s attempt to be more than the place where you watch the latest movies or catch up on Breaking Bad. The challenge has never been getting into people’s homes — Netflix is available on just about device that can be hooked up to a TV, and Amazon is pursuing similar ubiquity. The challenge is generating programming people will want to watch and cannot get anywhere else.
This is one of the reasons Netflix got House of Cards. The show, produced by David Fincher, is based upon the best selling book by Lord Michael Dobbs and a TV series by the BBC. House of Cards will provide Netflix with the kind of credibility usually reserved for the likes of AMC or HBO. It’s also an interesting experiment, because Netflix plans to release the entire season — 13 episodes in all — today.
But the show may have never been made had it not been for the artistic license Netflix gave the production company Media Rights Capital. Dobbs was wary of licensing the story for fear of relinquishing control and seeing his story sullied or sold out by the whims of traditional network or studio executives. But Netflix gave the production company wide latitude to do as it pleased.
“Media Rights Capital ran it fully,” Wiczyk told Wired. “Netflix left Media Rights Capital alone to complete and deliver the show. A huge deal when you think about the fact that this is the most expensive drama on TV.”
Still, it’s a huge gamble to Netflix, even with big names like Fincher — who directed films like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network and Fight Club — and Kevin Spacey involved. Netflix is rumored to have paid about $3.8 million per episode for House of Cards, about twice what television programs typically cost. But Netflix’s bet could pay off — it saw a jump of 2 million subscribers in the fourth quarter.
The show’s launch is so big that Xbox is offering unlocked Netflix access to Xbox live subscribers. Currently only Xbox Live Gold members have access to the streaming app.
Amazon is taking a similar tack in its bid to offer original programming. The company will finance 12 pilots — six comedies, six kids’ shows — and allow viewers to decide what gets picked up. Traditional studios and networks do the same thing, but use small focus groups.
But regardless of how a show is picked to stream, Amazon is keen on letting artists be artist. “We can bring insights into what Amazon customers might respond to, but the best shows will be driven by a passionate, talented creative team and it’s important to know when to get out of the way and let the magic happen,” Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios told Wired via email.
The rush to challenge established networks by offering original content is a good way for companies like Netflix and Amazon to attract more subscribers. But it’s also good for viewers, who may want throw down the shackles of their local cable company. Cord cutting used to mean paying a premium to see first-run shows via iTunes or Amazon 24 hours after they were broadcast, or waiting a year to see them on a streaming service like Netflix.
Viewers will still have to rely upon such methods to see shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and Girls, but they’ll soon be able to enjoy content they won’t find anywhere else.
Creative Freedom Will Push Cord-Cutting More Than Your Media Box
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Creative Freedom Will Push Cord-Cutting More Than Your Media Box
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Creative Freedom Will Push Cord-Cutting More Than Your Media Box
