While Netflix is still mute on how much they purchased the movie, a lot of Nigerian independent filmmakers have been searching for ways to get their movies on Netflix.
Take a look at the photo below:
It's an email I received a few days ago from a Nigerian producer, I actually shared the email with his permission and I promised to blur his names and email address.
After his email, I went on a further research and discovered something you might not really like to hear. But don't worry, I will also share something that you'd want to hear at the end of the article, so keep scrolling.
• Standard: It costs $12.99 per month and allows you two watch on two screens at a time in high definition (HD)
• Premium: It costs costs $15.99 per month and allows you watch on four screens at once. It is ideal for a large family.
What is Netflix?
Netflix is an American media-services provider and production company with headquarters in Los Gatos, California. The company's primary business is its subscription-based streaming service which offers online streaming of a library of films and television programs, including those produced in-house.
By April 2019, Netflix had gotten over 148 million paid subscriptions worldwide, including 60 million in the United States, and over 154 million subscriptions total including free trials.
It is available worldwide except in Syria, Crimea, North Korea and China.Netflix offers three streaming plans:
• Basic: It costs $8.99 per month and has the most limited features.• Standard: It costs $12.99 per month and allows you two watch on two screens at a time in high definition (HD)
• Premium: It costs costs $15.99 per month and allows you watch on four screens at once. It is ideal for a large family.
Does Netflix Accept Submissions?
Netflix has been showing Nigerian movies for a while and I'm certain they allow submissions, but not from everyone.
According to an information on their website, they don't allow voluntary or unsolicited submissions. They stated that every submission, even those they solicit, must come through a licensed literary agent, or from a producer, manager, attorney or entertainment executive who already has a relationship with them.
• It employs a team of creative executives and buyers, who receive pitches for movies and shows.
• They may purchase finished works at film festivals or other established venues.
• They also generate ideas internally and hire writers or other creatives to further develop those ideas.
The questions below will help you refine your pitch:
- Does your work focus on a popular subject, populated with thought leaders in the space?
- Is your work getting a ton of recognition from the press?
- Did any major film festival feature the movie?
You can move to the next stage after answering the questions above.
The agent will first evaluate your film internally to decide if it has a good shot of getting picked. After this, he can then either decline it or proceed to the submission stage.
After this stage, the delivery process begins. You'd also have to provide your distributor with all the necessary files (both video and artworks).
NOTE: In the later run, you might have to find some vendors that will create subtitles and localised artwork for the work.
However unlike Netflix, Amazon Prime doesn't pay creators licensing fees. You get paid by any of the ways I stated above.
• TVPlayer
What do you think about this article? Drop your suggestions and queries as comments below and we'd try our best to answer them.
Before you leave, also check out our next article on how to become a A Nollywood Actor Or Actress in Nigeria.
According to an information on their website, they don't allow voluntary or unsolicited submissions. They stated that every submission, even those they solicit, must come through a licensed literary agent, or from a producer, manager, attorney or entertainment executive who already has a relationship with them.
What to do as an independent filmmakers?
If you have any idea, screenplay, script or production already in development that you’d like to pitch to Netflix, you'd have to go through a licensed literary agent or someone that already has a relationship with them.How does Netflix get their movies?
You might now be wondering how Netflix gets they movies they publish on their platform. The company uses the following methods to find new contents for their subscribers:• It employs a team of creative executives and buyers, who receive pitches for movies and shows.
• They may purchase finished works at film festivals or other established venues.
• They also generate ideas internally and hire writers or other creatives to further develop those ideas.
• In addition to the things I stated above, Netflix also works with talent agencies, who propose ideas for movies and shows.
How to make Netflix notice you as a filmmaker
Getting your movie on Netflix is not impossible, after all their are thousands of movies already published on the platform.So if you are interested in the company picking your work, you have to:
• Refine your Pitch
You know, nearly every filmmaker dreams of the day his/her movie will be purchased by Netflix. So if you dream of submitting your work to them, you'd first need to refine your pitch.The questions below will help you refine your pitch:
- Does your work focus on a popular subject, populated with thought leaders in the space?
- Is your work getting a ton of recognition from the press?
- Did any major film festival feature the movie?
You can move to the next stage after answering the questions above.
• Find a Distributor or Aggregator
Once you've got a strong pitch, you can proceed to the next step of partnering with a a distributor or aggregator capable of making the pitch. Remember I earlier wrote that Netflix doesn't accept unsolicited submissions. You must have to work with a licensed literary agent or someone that already has a relationship with them.The agent will first evaluate your film internally to decide if it has a good shot of getting picked. After this, he can then either decline it or proceed to the submission stage.
• Wait for a response
You'd have to wait for a few weeks after your film gets pitched to Netflix. If your movie is picked, Netflix will then negotiate directly with your distributor or aggregator.After this stage, the delivery process begins. You'd also have to provide your distributor with all the necessary files (both video and artworks).
NOTE: In the later run, you might have to find some vendors that will create subtitles and localised artwork for the work.
• What if your movie doesn't get picked?
If after passing through the stages and your movie doesn't get accepted, there are still other subscription video on demand (SVOD) that you can submit your works to.
Just like Netflix, subscribers to Amazon Prime can watch view anything in the Amazon ecosystem.
Filmmakers can also choose to earn royalties based on:
• Hours streamed by Prime members
• A revenue share for rentals, purchases, monthly channels, or ad impressions, or
• Any combination of the above options.
Just like Netflix, subscribers to Amazon Prime can watch view anything in the Amazon ecosystem.
Filmmakers can also choose to earn royalties based on:
• Hours streamed by Prime members
• A revenue share for rentals, purchases, monthly channels, or ad impressions, or
• Any combination of the above options.
However unlike Netflix, Amazon Prime doesn't pay creators licensing fees. You get paid by any of the ways I stated above.
Other subscription video on demand (SVOD) services include:
• Hulu Plus (it fully controlled and majority-owned by Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International)• TVPlayer
What do you think about this article? Drop your suggestions and queries as comments below and we'd try our best to answer them.
Before you leave, also check out our next article on how to become a A Nollywood Actor Or Actress in Nigeria.
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