Film industry and movie streaming

Even as Amazon Prime Video makes its much-awaited debut in India this week, it was  announced that the streaming service’s prime competitor in the country, Netflix, has inked an exclusive deal with Shah Rukh Khan and Red Chillies. This will give Netflix exclusive streaming rights over SRK’s movies under his banner, heating up the contest between the streaming services in the country. Not too far away is the homemade Hotstar that’s home to exclusive Bollywood movies. With movies moving steadily towards streaming, we ask industry veterans if the future of Indian cinema has shifted from television and satellite to on-demand videos, and how the Indian film industry can embrace it.

This is more a supplemental platform: Rensil D’ Silva, director, screenwriter and ad filmmaker.
I think India is a big country and for this to take over TV and satellite will surely take a while. But, considering the mobile penetration in the country, the provision of fast broadband speeds, lowering the costs of broadband, it seems like movies will increasingly be consumed on the handset. The mobile is now what your TV screen used to be. More than this being a complete shift, I think it is more like a supplemental platform. Housewives and a certain older generation will still watch television, but the younger generation has moved on to watching movies on mobiles and laptops, basically on demand. For instance, in pre-90s, satellite TV was still to pick up, and it took a while. Similarly, a complete shift will take a long time. It is a good move for content, though.

I foresee films premiering on these platforms: Anubhav sinha, director.
I don’t think there is a ‘shift’ per se. Video on demand is a new platform, an added platform to the already existing television and satellite. TV is here to stay for a good four to five years still. When we talk about movies on video on demand, we need to consider mobile access. It’s not the same like what you and I have in cities like Mumbai and Delhi. VOD gives one the opportunity to watch films outside a theatre. While TV works on appointment viewing, these on-demand platforms work on your own convenience. Since it is alternative, I don’t think there is a shift. I also foresee a lot of films premiering on such platforms — they won’t go to theatres a lot.

Great way to reach audiences globally: K.M. Chaitanya, Kannada filmmaker.
In my opinion, going digital is part of cinema evolution. This development opens up new avenues for the entire market. For both the audience and the makers, these streaming platforms will offer choice and variety. Kannada audiences are spread across the world. In many places, we aren’t able to take movies to them on the big screen. Therefore, these streaming applications are a great way to reach them.

Streaming  reduces digital waste: K.R. Manoj, filmmaker.
I’m sure that online streaming is the future of cinema; it is so much more accountable. For one, you can see a film anywhere using any device such as your smartphone or tab or laptop or PC. For another, it considerably reduces electronic waste that used to come with DVDs and video CDs. And most importantly, it increases the reach of a film. I’m a regional filmmaker, I make films in Malayalam; so I can have the film release in Kerala and different parts of India. But with streaming, Malayalees around the world can watch it. For the industry, it is a very positive trend. Different platforms use different methods of revenue sharing. Some buy your film, while some share the profits depending on views. The only fear is if it would be a monopoly of one or two companies.

Satellite and tv will remain mainstays: Suresh Babu, producer.
It’s not going to be easy for the industry to adapt to this change for sure. Maybe the generation of today — netizens as you call them — might find it a bit easy but that’s not the case for everyone else because they are used to things in a certain way. However, the change in itself isn’t going to happen overnight. Satellite and TV are going to be the mainstay for a while because if the shift has to happen, it’s really huge!

It all depends on what kind of content is going to be available on ODV. Will they have what’s available on television or will they produce exclusive content for our audiences? I can say with certainty that Telugu entertainment is going to be predominantly on film, television and satellite for quite a while. We might be making a shift, but it won’t be as much as it’s happening internationally.

While there are studios that are trying up with these on demand viewing sites, there have also been cases where studios have decided not to tie up with them so that they can launch a platform of their own. But this is likely to change the concept of prime time because the shifting viewing habits will make it possible for anytime to become the primetime.