Why do Netflix Productions look like that?

a few months ago we posted a video titled why do a24 films look like that and you guys seem to like it so let's talk about why Netflix films and shows flip the way they [Music] do Netflix's in-house produced television shows and movies often share a similar Vibe this Netflix look happens because Netflix asks all their Productions to follow certain basic technical rules these technical rules have created this extremely safe visual language which directly correlates to the way Netflix works and operates you already know that Netflix is a subscription-based streaming service but it's also a

Production Studio creating its own original content in addition to licensing and streaming content from other Studios and production companies Netflix has a wide selection of original movies and shows ranging from great that's what it is what it is that's what it is to not so great he did it to send a message in his words you'll never know true power until you've tasted the testicles of a man who's wronged you however many people feel that despite this variety most of these Productions end up feeling very similar and not just in the story aspect but in

her visual style as well in 2018 Netflix was snubbed by the can film festival saying that Netflix produced films are not true Cinema the following year again there were no Netflix produced films in the festival competition due to a rule that all films film selected to compete must have a local theatrical release so if Netflix produced films are not true Cinema then what are they well one film director you might have heard of could have the answer the art of Cinema is being systematically devalued sidelined demeaned and reduced to its lowest common denominator content there's

so much content in here what is that right there an Android post a video with it ever since the internet started letting people build careers by making and sharing their creative work online that kind of work has been called content have you uploaded 47 times in the past hour like I have my man have you posted videos on Facebook Market Place are you uploading your Instagram real s Craigslist I just went viral on venmo lately the meaning of the word is Brun it's not just about internet content made by individuals anymore now it includes traditional

media like movies and TV shows content became a business term for all moving images a Martin score sesi movie a cat video a Super Bowl commercial a superhero sequel a series episode and the number one goal of a business is profit and who made the streaming services like Netflix business and tech people you show me a pay stuff for $72,000 on it I quit my job right now and I work for you this conten isation of Cinema takes art and makes it a product this isn't new the goal of movies especially in the US has

always been profit but the rise of streaming made this more Express than before all because of the thing that determines which content is shown to the viewer the almighty algorithm I need the algorithm I need the algorithm give each girl a base rating 1400 at any given time gr a and what the algorithm seems to do is suggest a return to the familiar so it's not so much that everything on Netflix looks similar it's that they suggest you similar shows because they think you'll like them and keep on watching but with pushing Comfort content like

that how is the user supposed to discover anything new how is a small indie film supposed to find an audience when it's competing against big franchises superhero movies and A-list celebrities even when one movie ends the viewer is automatically presented with a new one to watch without getting a chance to take a look at the credits or think and reflect on what he just watched or consumed and if that next movie looks similar to the one they just watched in theory they should be more inclined to watch it so the algorithm is one of the

reasons why we feel that Netflix Productions look similar but there are three other segments that Define a visual look of Netflix Productions and every other production in general starting with when filming a movie there are two main ways to capture the footage digital and film filmmakers can use traditional film stock where each frame is a physical image recorded on the film strip or they can use digital cameras that capture images electronically onto memory cards or hard drives film gives a classic look with Rich colors and deep contrast but it's more expensive and takes longer to

to process digital is quicker cheaper and offers more flexibility in editing but some say it lacks the unique feel of film you're not too sure about the digital era it least it does nothing for me it does nothing for me I mean I actually think I'm getting jipped when I go to a movie and I realize it's either been shot on digital or being projected in digital um I've always believed in the magic of movies yeah and to me the magic of movies is connected to 35 mm ultimately the choice depends on factors like budget

time and the desired look of the film Netflix's goal is to put out as many original Productions as possible using as little budget as possible on the technical production and what we already mentioned not caring that much about the look of a film so makes sense that most of their original Productions are shot with digital cameras they're also famous for their approved camera list as they ensure all of their original Productions are filmed in 4k or higher for archival purposes you might think this would make their Productions look good in high quality and it does

but resolution is not the only factor that determines the image quality the standard digital cinema camera for shooting movies a few years ago was the axum which actually wasn't capable of shooting in the 4K resolution required by Netflix as a result their original shows and movies had to be shot with other cameras capable of shooting in 4k but with less color information while these cameras offer greater resolution the overall is aesthetic doesn't quite match up unlike the Alexa which is designed to emulate certain characteristics of film that audiences perceive as cinematic cameras from Sony Panasonic

and others are sometimes viewed as more video looking resulting in a cheaper less cinematic appearance According to some the ultimate challenge for any camera is the skin tone test slight changes in skin color and we know it was shot on a lower quality video camera the audience can't tell what's wrong but they know something is shooting on film usually handles skin tones better than digital especially in more extreme lighting scenarios when we think of traditional Cinema all of those movies are shot on film giving them rich and deep colors in contrast so it makes sense

that when we look at Netflix Productions we feel that something's off of course there are some exceptions Netflix will let a few of their movies be shot on film but those are usually reserved for bigname directors this is why there are now digital ways to emulate the film look like this video sponsor motion array an all-in-one platform for creators providing unlimited downloads of professional video assets one of our favorite things for motion array is this plugins Hub which gives you their plugin straight inside your video editing software of choice we can use this film grain

plugin to emulate the film look that we talked about on a shot like this one which was shot on a digital camera there are tons of other plugins which you can use to create various effects like heat Distortion for these Des Ard scenes from the Doom movie or smoke Distortion to recreate this shot from killers of the flower moon but one of our favorite plugins has to be the auto light flares which automatically recognizes a light source in your shot and tracks in a light flare which you can then customize if you want to check

these out as well as get access to other things that motion array has to offer you can try it for free and if you like it sign up for a month or a year download whatever you want use it wherever you want to check it out head over to the link in description where you can get a $50 discount on the yearly plan thanks motion array for making editing easier now let's get back to the video although a lot of people think the difference between film and digital is the main reason why Netflix Productions look

the way they do it's far from the truth a camera is just one of the elements that Define the visual look of a picture and it might just be the least important part of it set design is the process of creating the physical environment in which a film or show takes place this includes the design of sets props and other visual elements to enhance storytelling and create immersive worlds one thing that some viewers have noticed in Netflix Productions is the lack of that set design their content often fails the fill the frame test seeing beer

walls land Proms and a general lack of scene but this is actually done on purpose it all comes down to how content is consumed most viewers consume their content on smaller screens like phones laptops or watches Cinema was meant to be watched on big screens and when Cinema becomes content it gets consumed on the smaller screen even when it's consumed on a bigger one like TV it's often used as second screen content where the viewer is on his phone while the movie or show is on oh yeah Matthew MCC Netflix Productions are encouraged to consider

screen size when filming this means more emphasis on closeup and less emphasis on little details that people won't notice when watching on their phones when you overload a small screen with too much information it becomes overwhelming for the viewer on the other hand larger screens allow for a richer visual experience which is inherent to visual storytelling since Netflix has to consider the smaller screen size their Productions are filled with dialog heavy scenes typically in medium or close-up shots without much background detail prioritizing the actor's facial expressions this trend mirrors television's format eroding the elements that

make movies unique set design the see and scene photography lighting movement actor blocking and composition all those things are completely useless because they lose their visual impact on a small screen and if the audience doesn't care about production value and visual impact but still watches the movie then why should Netflix care this helps them cut down the production costs and raise the budget for stuff that viewers will actually care about like famous actors so you have a movie for me yes sir I do so I was thinking we could get Dwayne Johnson Ryan Reynolds and

gal do together in the movie you have to be the two dumbest men on the planet you look awful oh man those are huge names yeah they are so what's the movie barely matters oh yeah no yeah no it matters a little of course of course but not real well hold on we don't know for sure that just putting Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson and Gadot in a movie we guarantees it's going to be a massive hit we don't no I'm just kidding of course we do yeah of course we [Music] do cinematography serves as

the visual storytelling language of a film or a show it includes camera angles lighting composition camera movements color grading and so on when it comes to Netflix Productions the platform's commitment to efficiency and accessibility has led to the development of standardized cinematographic techniques and Styles this standardization ensures a level of consistency across their vast catalog of content allowing viewers to navigate seamlessly between different shows and movies without experiencing drawing ships in visual presentation this relates to what we talked about earlier regarding the algorithm if the next piece of content looks similar to the one the

viewer just watched there is a higher chance they'll choose to watch it and stay longer on the platform another thing we already mentioned but is also related to cinematography of Netflix Productions is the rise of streaming platforms which has revolutionized the way audiences consume content with many viewers opting for small screen viewing this shift in viewing habits didn't just affect the lack of set design but cinematography as well as filmmakers must adapt their techniques to ensure optimal viewing experiences across different devices cinematographers working on Netflix Productions May adjust their compositions camera movements and lighting setups

to accommodate the limitations of small screen scens prioritizing Clarity and readability in their visual storytelling while this adaptation to small screen viewing May enhance accessibility and engagement for some viewers it can also create challenges for cinematographers striving to maintain the Integrity of their artistic Vision the smaller screen size and potential distractions in the viewing environment may impact the effectiveness of certain cinematographic techniques leading to compromises in visual storytelling which can contribute to a general decline in the appreciation for cinematography as viewers prioritize narrative content over visual Aesthetics similar to the first sound movies which came

out after the silent era they were obsessed with dialogue driving the narrative but because they had to use fixed microphones it meant the camera couldn't move much and characters had to stay put too it was like a step back for a while which is similar to the stuff happening now but this time for different reasons another key factor influencing the visual consistency in Netflix Productions is the platform's emphasis on datadriven decision-making by leveraging viewer data and analytics Netflix can identify successful cinematographic formulas and replicate them across various Productions this datadriven approach often prioritizes audience preferences

and Trends leading to the adoption of cinematographic techniques that resonate with the platform's Target demographic while this may enhance viewer engagement and satisfaction it can also result in a sense of visual uniformity as cinematographers May prioritize familiarity over artistic experimentation and Innovation this doesn't mean that their cinematography is bad after all from 2019 to 2023 Netflix Productions have won three out of five cinematography Oscars which proves the people working on cinematography of those movies are doing something right and in the end the individuals making the movie are the ones having the most influence on its

style which has been proved with big directors like Marty and Fincher who movies still have their characteristic visual elements despite being produced by Netflix if you want to make your videos and photos look like movies check out our collection of movie Luts and Lightroom profiles link for it is in the description thanks for watching subscribe for more videos like this and we'll see you in the next one