How the Internet is Changing the Filmmaking Industry

The Internet is a technology that unleashes powerful opportunities. Nearly every aspect of our society has been affected by it and has had to adapt. The Internet has opened up paths for new careers in the film industry and changed the ways movies are watched.

As a result, the way that we create media has also changed. Today, we will take a look at the significant ways the Internet has changed the film industry.

Film Promotion

The marketing for a movie has also changed because of the Internet. For independent filmmakers, the Internet is proving to be a great way to promote their films and has given. Movie promotion is now a combination of creativity and marketing skills that includes pre-release buzz.

Social or digital media alter the way of information dissemination to fans and audiences. Consequently, social media has been one of the prominent agents of change, as films can quickly go viral online.

The essential social media tools are still Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube/Vimeo. For instance, you can easily have your trailer appearing before related videos on YouTube using a service like TubeMogul.

File Sharing

New types of distribution are emerging, and the boundaries between the different industries are blurring. The advent of file-sharing has considerably weakened adequate copyright protection.

File sharing and online piracy cause a reduction in revenue gained by the motion picture industry. That will probably change as video streaming services like Netflix become more common. At the same time, high-speed Internet and peer-to-peer networks will improve and handle large files faster.

Instant Feedback

Critics and their opinions or critical reviews play a significant role in the film industry. For instance, consumers of art-house movies are being led by online reviews when making a film choice (influence effect). Studies have shown that online users’ positive attitudes towards movie-related websites impact their satisfaction. This means potential moviegoers attach greater importance to online reviews than they do critical reviews. The same moviegoers are more likely to believe negative reviews of a movie than they can consider a positive review of the same film.

But then, how do these online user reviews impact offline purchase? While user reviews are perceived to be more trustworthy, critic reviews are still a significant factor. Similarly, the proliferation of fake reviews presents new complications. Either way, instant feedback’s substantive insights can help distributors and studios enhance their future product rollout strategies.

Streaming Is on The Rise

Online streaming services are challenging long-standing processes in the film industry. These services, powered by the Internet, are slowly changing our perception of entertainment. As a result, most filmmakers have been forced to reconsider their channel strategies and what they produce. This has also resulted in the loss of the competitive advantage that traditional cinemas have enjoyed.

2020 is when box office revenues for movies are predicted to be overtaken by online streaming revenues. With COVID-19 in full swing, the halting of productions may have dried up the content line, but streaming hasn’t stopped. Therefore, film watching at home has shifted from the analogue platform to the digital platform.

According to Technavio, online streaming services are poised to grow by $149.96 billion during 2020-2024. Most people are familiar with the countless streaming services that have started to flood the market. For instance, Netflix is the leading streaming service, but Hulu, Disney+, HBO, and Amazon Prime Video aren’t far behind. Pressure now mounts for studios to recoup some of their cost through early releases.

Video Production

The video production process has seen a lot of changes over the years. New technologies have ushered in a new age of high-resolution videos that comes in various formats. For instance, substantial video files don’t take eons to upload or transfer to teammates in collaborative projects. Therefore, videographers are now able to broadcast their videos to a worldwide audience. For instance, you can quickly educate people about home improvement by broadcasting a film about the best shallow well pump.

Viewers in the Internet era are demanding authenticity from the films they watch online.  Not only are people watching video on their smartphones, but they are also making it themselves. Thus, brands that wish to engage audiences in a mobile-driven society are using concise bite-sized videos.

Additionally, film studios have started to produce movies that are compatible with any medium. In that light, some content can be produced by enthusiastic staff with some training. Essentially, the barriers to entry in the film industry are now zero.

Getting Started

The Internet is transforming how we look at movies and what movies look like. So, how do you define yourself in the face of an increasingly competitive market?