The entertainment industry at large has suffered immensely at the hands of the global pandemic that has cost the lives of more than 1.3 million across the world.
The global entertainment industry is still far from overcoming a serious financial loss it has experienced during the on-set of the pandemic. However, on the flip side, the web series business has prospered.
Directors, producers, media agencies and production houses have all directed their attention towards the web as opposed to the waning platform we now call television. Social media has an active audience of at least 3.8 billion, hence it is understandable why filmmakers and producers in general would bank on the idea of web to create projects that would attract millions of people, particularly in a time where a majority of cinemas are closed for business.
The Morning Show, Servant, The Witcher, The Queen’s Gambit, Defending Jacob, The Crown, Churails and Ek Jhooti Love Story are just a few examples that fall under the broader term we call “web television.” Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+ are all playing their part in making web content shine. In fact, Netflix saw its figures skyrocket this year, amassing at least 193 million active users by July, 2020. Disney+ also achieved a landmark goal of 60.5 million users since the inception of the platform in November of last year. These figures speak volumes of the digital media’s influence on entertaining mass crowds without requiring them to turn on their television sets. People can easily access web content through their laptops or mobile phones.
Directors, producers, media agencies and production houses have all directed their attention towards the web as opposed to the waning platform we now call television
Creative minds with creative ideas are blessed with an opportunity to release unpublished work on social media. They can now utilize social media channels such as YouTube or Vimeo to launch films, shorts and documentaries based on hard-hitting themes. Having creative storytellers on board will make room for more resourceful content to prevail on the web. This also holds true for independent filmmakers and content creators who may have wanted to share their stories with the world but had their projects rejected by censor boards.
People now choose to watch their favorite shows at their leisure time as opposed to a designated timeslot that the television demands. Sometimes even the audience is likely to miss repeat telecasts so they instead rely on YouTube, Dailymotion and other downloadable websites to tune into their favorite programs.
Filmmakers have realized the significance of the digital media only in recent years. We can expect the growing web industry replacing television in the near future. It is likely that once the pandemic subsides, filmmakers would prefer to invest their money in digital media as opposed to television and films. Even the user response rate is higher and more visible by the hour on social media.
You can be an independent filmmaker and not have third parties question your creative drive. There is also more room for experimentation on the web with a wide range of genres. Social media is not considered risky business, especially when you know the ins and outs of your project and the budget limitations that come with it. Usually television and film projects have bigger budgets to meet, which ends up causing production companies to lose more business if projects don’t perform well. At least with digital media, filmmakers and producers have the liberty to observe the user response rate. Considering that web-based films and television shows are being created more often than usual, it is safe to say that digital media is the entertainment industry’s future.
Directors, producers, media agencies and production houses have all directed their attention towards the web as opposed to the waning platform we now call television