House of Cards: A New Future for Netflix

During the recent Emmy nomination announcements, The House of Cards wrote history in becoming the first online original series to be nominated for best drama. The actors also received individual nominations. Everyone who was anticipating the nominations for the Emmy’s were surprised that a show created purely for online streaming reached the same standards as television shows on major cable networks.

House of Cards stars Kevin Spacey in a political drama about Francis Underwood who is very sly and knows about all of the secrets that circulate the political realm. His primary motive is to use the secrets to manipulate his way into becoming the next President.

There has been tremendous hype around House of Cards. With Netflix being the leading video streaming service, the company should use the success as an advantage. According to CNET, Reed Hastings, the chief executive of Netflix, is hoping that once House of Cards has reached its third or fourth season, that the series will become a global phenomena like the Harry Potter franchise. Netflix is doing something right: evolving into a television outlet exclusive to its users.The primary benefit of Netflix producing an original series is the company does not have to worry about monitoring ratings.

All in all, House of Cards is an example of the industry expanding from its traditional ways. This changes two things. First, it gives Netflix a new edge in being a company that offers its customers new and strong originally developed content. This is definitely proving to be true. Netflix’s next successful endeavor is a new television show that was launch earlier this month called Orange is the New Black. Orange is the New Black is being called Netflix’s best original series Netflix has released. It looks like things are looking up for Netflix!

Trends in Filmmaking

There are several trends circulating the movie industry and the trends are always changing. It is important to notice and follow the trends of the movie industry to stay ahead of the game. The industry trends can assist knowing what genre of films audiences want, the type of content audiences would like to see, how movies are being distributed, and so much more.

If you are looking to write a script, it is important to recognize the script trends. A scriptwriter can write all the scripts in the world, but there is one important factor that should be taken into place. The script needs to be put in front of a producer and agent. In the industry, that is the only way a script will be seen. If the script is believed to be something that industry leaders will be interested in, push to get the script on the Black List. An intern, who worked at Leonardo DiCaprio’s company, created the Back List seven years ago. The intern originally created the listed as a Christmas holiday list, and then it became an industry honors list. If your script makes it on the Black List, it will be guaranteed that the top producers and agents will read the script.

One major trend that tends to keep resurfacing Hollywood is book to movie adaptations and remakes of old films. At this point in history, every movie plot has been created. The question now is, “who can tell the story better.” The most successful book to movie adaptations has been adapted from teen novels such as Twilight, The Hunger Games, and the new franchise: Divergent. A strong benefit from investing in create book to movie adaptations is that before the movie is even officially in pre-production, there is already a strong following from readers. It helps begin marketing with fans of the book putting out who they think should be casted for the characters and builds a lot of hype.

Another trend is the type of equipment used to create films called lo fidelity filmmaking. Filmmakers are using DSLR’s instead of large industry standard cameras. Filmmakers are even using GoPro cameras.

Films are also utilizing film festival outlets. Distributors are strategically using film festivals as a jump-start to distribute a film. If a film can generate a buzz throughout the festival realm, it has a chance of doing well in theatres. Going the festival route can prove to be a slower process, but it has been deemed successful.