Vancouver film industry unfazed by Netflix fall

A sharp drop in Netflix subscribers isn’t fazing the head of a Vancouver film studio, who doesn’t think it will mean a big hit to the local industry.

The streaming company’s customer base fell by 200,000 in the first quarter of 2022. On the heels of that drop, Netflix announced it is considering minimizing password sharing and allowing ads as part of its efforts to regain momentum it’s lost over the past year.

But Pete Mitchell, president of Vancouver Film Studios, notes Netflix is just one of many companies in the streaming game.

“I think overall, the market for consumption of film entertainment is rising,” Mitchell said, adding he’s not surprised Netflix’s relative position against rivals Apple and Disney would fall.

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He doesn’t believe Netflix’s situation will have a dramatic impact.

“We have such a wide variety of customers that are coming to B.C. and Vancouver to shoot their product, that if one company stumbles, it’s more than likely that another company will fill that gap,” Mitchell explained.

While Hollywood North is watching carefully, Mitchell doesn’t believe Netflix will cut down on the number of shows it produces.

“I think that all of these companies understand that their content that they create versus purchase is the key to their success.”

Netflix has shot several smaller productions in Vancouver, he said, adding Vancouver is still a preferred destination for film and TV.

“More and more BC and Vancouver makes sense as a location. We’ve got a tremendous talent pool here, resources, locations, stages, equipment … it’s been years and years and years since I’ve heard of anybody complaining about the quality of production coming out of B.C.,” he said.

In terms of general staffing, Mitchell expects “one of the biggest challenges” will be getting enough trained people on set.

“We’re projecting a fairly rapid growth of the industry over the next five years, and so we need to get more people graduating from high schools and universities with the talents that they need to get into the film intelligence industry.”

With the pandemic easing, people have been finding other things to do, and other video streaming services are working hard to lure new viewers with their own award-winning programming. Apple, for instance, held the exclusive streaming rights to “CODA,” which eclipsed Netflix’s “Power of The Dog,” among other movies, to win Best Picture at last month’s Academy Awards.