Streaming Production Cultures: How Netflix & Co. Impact Screen Media Work(ers) in Europe
Utrecht University, Department of Media and Culture Studies
Special Interest Group Streaming Video
Wednesday, September 11th 2024, 15:00-18:00h
Kromme Nieuwegracht 20 (entrance: Muntstraat 2A), Grote Zaal
This interactive panel session explores how local European screen media production cultures have been transformed by the growing influence of SVOD platforms. In three presentations, media industry scholars from the Netherlands, Poland, and the UK will present their findings on the impact of these platforms on labor conditions, business models, data analytics, and evolving creative and organizational practices. The audience will join the panelists in addressing crucial questions regarding the challenges and opportunities presented by streaming production cultures.
Daphne Rena Idiz (University of Amsterdam) & Nina Vindum Rasmussen (LSE)
Streaming Production Cultures: How European Workers Navigate the Rise of Global Streamers
Over the past decade, US-based streamers like Netflix have consolidated their presence within European production cultures. This talk examines what the rise of global streamers means for local screen workers in terms of both their storytelling practices and labor conditions. The findings are based on rich interview data from two separate studies that both grapple with the state of European screen production at this critical juncture.
Sylwia Szostak (SWPS University, Warsaw)
Creative labour and streaming affordances in semi-peripheral Eastern Europe
Netflix has declared Poland one of its key growth markets, establishing itself as the most popular streaming service and one of the main producers of local Polish-language content. SkyShowtime and Disney+ are now following Netflix’s path of local commissions. This presentation is meaningfully acknowledging industry’s disruptive transition to platform streaming in Poland and tries to understand its impact on local audiovisual culture and everyday practices of local creative workers. The talk maps out the opportunities and challenges that streaming platforms introduce to key film professions: exploring how producers leverage streaming financing models and the creative liberties, how screenwriters perceive and adapt to the influence of streaming analytics on their creative processes and how streaming workflows and organizational culture impacts on practices of postproduction professionals.
Deborah Castro (University of Groningen) & Débora Póvoa (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Examining the role of location professionals in the production of Netflix-Spain originals
Media representations shape our understanding and experience of the world, impacting travel choices and place identities. While extensive research exists on how films and TV series depict locations, there is a lack of studies on the role of location managers and scouts in global streaming productions. This presentation aims to address this gap by examining their roles, particularly in Netflix productions, and focusing on Madrid as a significant European production hub.
Chair: Hanna Surma (Utrecht University)
Open event – all students from BA- and (R)MA-programmes, scholars in media, communication, and arts, as well as media professionals are cordially invited!
If you are interested in attending, please register before September 9th by sending an e-mail to: h.b.surma@uu.nl
