Another Sundance is nearly in the can. And, we have NOT seen this movie before.
Yes, digital isn't new to Sundance. But, leading streaming services/OTTs out-bidding the "traditional" studio competition for prestige indie movies is. With Sundance 2016, Netflix and Amazon showed that they are in it to win it. Exhibit A -- Amazon outbid Fox Searchlight, Focus Features and other studios to snag festival favorite drama "Manchester By the Sea" -- paying $10 million for those rights. While this may not faze us anymore in the midst of the massive media transformation that surrounds us, just sit back for a second. That was essentially unimaginable just two years ago. The "traditional" system is being shaken up, disrupted, up-ended, _______ (fill in the blank with your own choice word).
This year's NATPE in Miami tried to maintain a brave face amidst all the tumult, with buyers and sellers roaming the halls in the same inefficient manner they have for decades. I was there. Yes, many digital-focused/multi-platform panels took the stage. And, those in the audience listened. But, did they really? Do they really "get" it? Of course some do. But, what most struck me at NATPE was how few really did! Old habits die hard. You can see that ... feel that ... at NATPE.
Professor, author, screenwriter, producer (and overall Renaissance man) Neil Landau punctuated all of this at NATPE when he unveiled his new book "TV Outside the Box" and discussed some of its major themes. Here are some choice nuggets I wrote down as I listened -- conclusions he reached via his research -- that should resonate with all of us. They certainly do for me. NOTE -- all of these are Neil's direct quotes.
-- "Whether you are AVOD or SVOD, if you're not making original content, then you're toast."
-- "Niche is the new mainstream."
-- "Binge viewing is here to stay. It's like reading a page-turner."
-- "There can never be too much good content."
-- "You can't manufacture authenticity."
-- "There is not a formula anymore for creating good content."
-- "Originality!"
-- "For content to be global, it must have multiple entry points. That is why ensemble casts work."
-- "Television linear time slots will go away within 5 years."
-- "Change [as in business models] is good if it increases connection." (Neil was commenting that all of this disruption is a net positive because, among other things, all of this free-flowing OTT borderless content leads to the "global water cooler" and seeds empathy and connection.)