Streaming platforms have taken over the entertainment industry, with audiences captivated by the convenience of watching new releases at home. We no longer have to wait months after a movie theater release to watch movies, with streaming channels such as Netflix, Prime and HBO Max all allowing instant access to watch new movies.
We are living in a time where digital entertainment has very high expectations, from being able to stream live events like sports fixtures to experiencing the thrill of casino games at online casinos in Canada. The addition of VR tech has also enhanced digital entertainment, with the opportunity to replicate a physical casino or to take a virtual tour of an iconic place in the world.
Streaming’s Impact on the Movie Industry
The streaming era has seen a decline in movie theater visits, with many movie fans opting for the more affordable choice of watching at home instead of paying for theater tickets. Now the streaming companies are wielding greater power and this is showing in award season.
While streaming channels are still required to meet Academy eligibility requirements, they have used a blended approach of traditional film making with all the key ingredients that audiences love about streamed movies.
The most prestigious recognition for movie producers and actors is being presented with awards such as an Oscar, and the top streaming channels have been developing strategies that put their movies in prime place for nominations and winning these awards.
From the timing of release, and the content used in the award campaigns, to hiring acclaimed actors and directors, the Oscar playbook has already experienced huge success.
The first streaming film to pick up an Oscar for Best Picture was Apple TV’s Coda in 2022. It also picked up Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Since this breakthrough milestone, streaming services have become a fixture in the Oscar Awards, with Netflix, HBO Max and Prime all joining the elite status by receiving the industry’s most esteemed awards.
Mastering the Oscar Playbook: How Streaming Services Are Shaping Award Bait
These are some of the tactics that streaming services build into their strategies to target awards success:
Creating Awards-Friendly Movies
The winning formula for winning awards is curated into production, casting and campaigning. They will often choose highly regarded actors and directors to improve their chances of winning awards and focus on strong storytelling to stand out against the competition.
The Oscars’ voting system involves a judging panel of members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which includes thousands of industry professionals. When movies are chosen to progress into production, streaming services will reflect upon the common criteria for previous award winning movies, such as emotionally connecting with the viewers through intense storylines and relatable characters.
Perfect Timing
Streaming companies know exactly when to drop movies in order to keep them fresh in the minds of the voting panel. They will often coincide releases so that they can be promoted at major film festivals like Cannes and the Toronto International Film Festival. This gives the movie maximum exposure and gets people talking about it in the most important months leading up to the Oscars.
Many previous Oscar winners schedule release dates from October to December to hit the movie campaigning season perfectly in time.
Strong Marketing Campaigns Geared Around Pushing Awards Nominations
Streamers like HBO Max and Netflix invest heavily into marketing campaigns from digital ads and billboards to actors touring to take part in film promotion activities like talkshows, podcasts and making appearances at film festivals.
They try to create as much noise as possible about the movie as it gets closer to the nominations and voting windows. They may also release films at theaters for a limited period before it becomes available to stream, which allows the movie to be eligible for certain awards.
Once a movie receives nominations, campaign season is hiked up, with more marketing campaigns that focus on the strongest contenders that are most likely to be in with a chance of winning.
The Growing Force of Streaming Services
In the last few years, movies produced by streaming services have started to dominate the awards ceremonies, and more actors and producers are making the move over to work with streaming companies rather than traditional studios.
Winning awards helps these companies to boost subscriptions and increase film budgets to continue producing award-worthy movies and TV series. Now that audiences often prefer to access digital entertainment from the comfort of their home, streaming is becoming a dominant force in the entertainment industry.
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