To entertain and to seek entertainment is something undoubtedly written in our DNA. Way before the thought of supplying cities with electricity was even conceived, people were already thinking up ways to make their days a little less boring. This eventually led to the creation of many stories, which were then told by actors performing on a stage in front of an audience. Just like that, watching stage plays immediately became one go-to option people can spend their free time on.
Nowadays, we have more options besides stage plays, and that includes movies and TV shows. A few years back, the only way to watch them would be to go to the cinemas, wait for them to air on TV, or go to the store and buy a DVD copy. Nowadays, thanks to streaming platforms such as Netflix, never has watching our favorite movies and shows been this easy. With that said, we’ll be talking about some interesting things regarding this subscription-based service we can access within the comforts of our home.
Its Origin Story Remains Unknown
At this point, it’s safe to say almost everyone knows what Netflix is. Well, one way to put it would be that it’s an investment that has undoubtedly pulled off for its co-founder, Reed Hastings. Of course, like most stories, this journey has to start somewhere.
Starting a business is surely no walk in the park. In fact, it wouldn’t be too uncommon for beginnings to already have some ups and downs. Well, with that in mind, it comes as no surprise that Hastings opted to tell a different, albeit fictional, version of Netflix’s origin story. Since the way things actually transpired was too much of a hassle to retell in interviews, Hastings shared a supposed bad experience he had with Blockbuster. Due to this experience, he thought of making his own company to compete with Blockbuster. As a result, he made Netflix, a subscription-based movie rental store allowing users to keep whatever films they want, as long as they want, for a monthly fee – goodbye, late fees. To Hastings’ credit, his business model worked, and as time went on, Netflix eventually became the popular streaming service we know today.
A Different Approach To Producing Shows
In most cases, a pilot episode determines whether or not a TV show gets a go signal. At Netflix, though, producers and filmmakers have a somewhat higher degree of freedom and flexibility on their projects.
A pilot episode introduces the story, the characters, the challenges they need to overcome, and most of the time, it ends with a cliffhanger. If the pilot isn’t enough to make audiences eagerly want to know what happens next, then sadly, the show ends right then and there. Meanwhile, at Netflix, they don’t offer just a pilot episode, but they let filmmakers produce one or two seasons. This is because the streaming service also bases its decisions on its subscribers’ viewing habits – the shows and movies they watch, the actors that star in them, and their respective genres. One such example worth noting would be the series House of Cards, directed by David Fincher. Knowing that most of their subscribers loved the original British series and Fincher’s works, it comes as no surprise Netflix gave $4 million worth of investment money for each episode’s production budget. Safe to say that decision paid off in the end.
Just Chillin’
Among many things, the internet is also a large gas tank filled with just about anything, including a couple of slang words and phrases. Well, one such expression that has been used more than a few times would be “Netflix and chill.” It could mean a variety of things, but nowadays, it’s mostly used as a way for a person to ask another out on a date. However, the first mention of this phrase was used in a different context.
A night at the theaters is undoubtedly one type of date you can spend some credit card points on. With the rising popularity of Netflix, though, the experience can be fulfilled in a more comfortable and private setting – at home. The first time the phrase was used, though, was for a post a user made on his Twitter account, saying he’ll “log onto Netflix and chill for the rest of the night.” Not long after, more people began using the expression, though this time, it no longer implies that they’ll be spending some quality alone time by themselves.
Photo Sources:
Flickr
Recent Comments