How will Europeans watch and share films and series in the future?

3 Mar 2016 01:53 PM

Over 300 policymakers, film producers, media companies and film distributors from all over Europe are meeting up in Amsterdam on 3 and 4 March to discuss the future of media use in Europe. The conference is being held by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science under the auspices of the Dutch Presidency of the EU.

Spreading European productions

The conference, entitled ‘Promoting Cross-Border Circulation of European Audio-Visual Content’, is about boosting the spread of European audiovisual productions such as films, TV series and documentaries.

Watching TV however and whenever you choose

The media landscape and public viewing behaviour are changing rapidly. Young people, in particular, watch films, TV series and documentaries on a variety of devices at times that suit them. Services like NetFlix and Amazon are riding on this trend and are developing fast worldwide. This is having an impact on European media companies, which need to find ways of retaining their market share.

New measures

During the conference, various European media organisations will discuss new EU frameworks for audiovisual mass media. Participants will be able to attend sessions with speakers from international media companies like NetFlix, Dailymotion and Endemol. The topics will include new cross-border storytelling techniques on digital forums, international co-productions and how to reach an international audience. The impact of ‘portable’ online content will also be discussed. Productions are no longer limited by national boundaries.

Cinema 2020

A related conference will take place at the end of March in the EYE Film Museum in Amsterdam: ‘Cinema 2020 – the Future of Cinema’ will showcase new developments in digital film production, distribution and exhibition screening.