Netflix as an audiovisual producer: a snapshot of the serial fiction co- productions Netflix como productor audiovisual: Una radiografía de la coproducción de ficciones seriadas Netflix como produtor audiovisual: um raio-x da coprodução de ficções em série 7 ARTICLE Tatiana Hidalgo University of Alicante (Spain) PhD in Audiovisual Communication and Advertising from the University of Alicante (2013), she has a master’s degree in Communication and Creative Industry (UA, 2012) and a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. (UA, 2007). Professor of Semiotics in the Advertising and Public Relations degree at the UA and in the Master in Communication and Creative Industries (UA). Her lines of research focus on discourse analysis with special attention to fiction, advertising and television with a gender perspective. [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0003-4599-5876 RECEIVED: January 27, 2020 / ACCEPTED: June 03, 2020 Abstract order to contribute to the development of specific knowledge about Netflix’s own product portfolio. Knowing the audiovisual products distributed by Netflix supposes a determining study scenario, KEYWORDS since it allows us to obtain information on the Co-production, Fiction, Netflix, Series, Television. strategy applied to satisfy the supply-demand pro- cess between the audiovisual giant and its global Resumen audiences. The objective of this article is to offer Conocer los productos audiovisuales distribui- a snapshot of the original production of the VOD dos por Netflix supone un escenario de estudio Netflix platform, specifically, breaking down and determinante, puesto que nos permite arrojar analyzing forms and trends in one of the recog- información sobre la estrategia aplicada para nized own production formulas: co-production, in satisfacer el proceso de oferta-demanda entre OBRA DIGITAL, 19, September 2020 - January 2021, pp.117-132, e-ISSN 2014-5039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25029/od.2020.272.19 117 el gigante audiovisual y sus públicos globales. nante, pois permite lançar informação sobre a El objetivo del presente artículo reside en ofre- estratégia aplicada para satisfazer o processo de cer una radiografía sobre la producción propia oferta e demanda entre o gigante do audiovisual e de la plataforma de VOD Netflix, en concreto, seu público global. O objetivo deste artigo é ofere- desglosando y analizando formas y tendencias cer um raio-x da produção própria da plataforma en una de las fórmulas de producción propia VOD Netflix, especificamente, dividindo e analisan- reconocida: la coproducción, con la finalidad de do formas e tendências em uma das fórmulas de contribuir al desarrollo de un conocimiento es- produção próprias reconhecidas: a coprodução, a pecífico sobre la cartera de productos propios fim de contribuir para o desenvolvimento de con- de Netflix. hecimento específico sobre o portfólio de produtos próprios da Netflix. PALABRAS CLAVE: Coproducción, Ficción, Netflix, Series, Televi- Palavras-chave sión. Coprodução, Ficção, Netflix, Séries, Televisão. Resumo Conhecer os produtos audiovisuais distribuídos pela Netflix supõe um cenário de estudo determi- lies in the system of recommendations, the INTRODUCTION 1. simultaneous releases of movies and series, When talking about Netflix, reference is made the availability of content and, above all, the to an unprecedented audiovisual production commitment to in-house production (Tuñón & and consumption phenomenon. Netflix, as Lo- Gambari, 2019). bato (2019) notes, is not only a content produ- The company’s turning point was found in 2011 cer or distributor, nor is it a digital platform, but when it began to acquire original content to dis- rather a technology-based producer, receiver tribute in streaming. The acquisition of this ori- and distributor conglomerate. In the words of ginal content marked the starting point for the this author, Netflix fulfills a number of specific giant, which, until now had worked as a VOD roles such as video platform, audiovisual distri- platform offering content previously transfe- butor, technology company, television network, rred by third parties. The premiere of the House software system, global media corporation, cul- of Cards series (USA, 2013) was the trigger for tural industry, lifestyle, big-data business, mode a new production industry that would make of media consumption and even a ritual (Loba- Netflix what it is today: “The global Internet TV to, 2009). network” (Netflix, 2019, s.p). A business that started as a home delivery It is necessary to mention that the supervening DVD video club in 2007 was transformed into media convergence of the phenomenon itself a production and consumption system that cu- in streaming does not suppose a purely tech- rrently has more than 158 million users in more nological phenomenon, but is sustained by a than 190 countries (Netflix, 2019). The formula significant cultural dimension (Jenkins, 2008). for its successful career is still unknown, but This statement refers to altering the user’s way recent works confirm that part of this success Netflix as an audiovisual producer: a snapshot of the serial fiction 118 co-productions of consuming and the planning of content flows 2019), as well as data and information manage- in order to satisfy an increasingly demanding ment (Fernandez et al., 2016). and empowered audience (Izquierdo-Castillo, A trend can be seen in the study of the con- 2015, p.819), diverting the power of the large vergence of streaming television with consum- production companies and audiovisual studios er media (David, 2010; Uribe, 2016; Uman, that have ceased to have a hegemonic position 2018); although after an extensive bibliograph- in the audiovisual business (Iordanova, 2012). ic review it was found that the focus that has In order to respond to this new scenario of generated the most interest around fiction on convergence of media, formats and cultural Netflix is the study of audiences and reception content, the company is betting on the distribu- (Simmons, 2013; Costas-Nicolas, 2014; Dhoest tion of original content as a resource that feeds & Simons, 2016; Montero, 2015) as well as the audience demand. The power that consump- most recent cultural studies on the audiovisual tion data gives on the Netflix platform itself is discourse of the products offered (Raya et al., understood as the necessary wildcard to know 2018; Margarita, 2020). what to produce, how to produce it and how Although it is true that the concept of media to distribute it to the public. For this reason, convergence of Jenkins (2008) would be the the knowledge of audiovisual products distri- starting point for the study of serial fiction buted by Netflix supposes a determining study production in new digital and multimedia con- scenario, since it allows presenting information texts, other theoretical considerations allow on the strategy applied to satisfy the supply-de- addressing the impact and phenomenon of mand process between the audiovisual giant such productions in the global television mar- and its global audiences. ket. We refer, for example, to the concept of “indigenization” (Buonanno, 1999), which de- fends the necessary adaptation of audiovisual THEORETICAL 2. production to national and/or local demands FRAMEWORK and contexts to guarantee acceptance by au- The Netflix phenomenon is taking on an im- diences. Also, the concept of “cultural proxim- portant dimension in academic research. How- ity” (Straubhaar, 2003) acquires importance in ever, few studies have had a diachronic-histor- this sense, implying a necessary determination ical approach that allows to offer a snapshot of when establishing a value strategy in the audio- the evolution of the platform’s content, with the visual market. The author himself understands exception of the investigations by Antin-Gold- this cultural proximity as: enberg (2018) or Urbano and Araujo (2018) Cultural capital, identity, and language that focused on television dramas in the Bra- tend to foster an audience desire for zilian market. The state of the research around cultural proximity, which leads audi- Netflix seems to focus on the study of the plat- ences to prefer local and national pro- form’s business model (Ojer & Capapé, 2012; ductions to those that are globalized Izquierdo-Castillo, 2015; Neira, 2015; Evens, and/or Americanized. (Straubhaar, 2014 Páez, 2017; Heredia-Ruiz, 2018) and in its 2003, p. 76) advertising aspect (Del Pino & Aguado, 2012; Pérez & Cornelio, 2018; Mayorga-Escalada, Tatiana Hidalgo 119 These concepts make it possible to focus on • Original foreign language production (non-En- the social impact of co-production and to un- glish): These shows are created by Netflix and derstand that the determining factor when pro- are spoken completely or almost completely ducing for a localized market implies a series in a language other than English. Some have of social dimensions that condition the format, the option to watch English dubbing and oth- content and the way of distribution itself. In ers are subtitled. In any case, they follow the other words, and in line with the statements of dynamics of the previous ones and products the aforementioned authors, it is necessary to such as Club de Cuervos (Mexico, 2015) o Mar- know the sociocultural context in which an au- seille (France, 2016). diovisual product will be distributed to guaran- • Continuations: The company, within its own tee reception among local audiences. production catalog, takes up programs that were originally broadcast on another tele- 2.1. UNA