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Hulu announced this week it would premiere 10 original series this summer: three original series and seven exclusive shows. Netflix, meanwhile, is building on the success of “Lilyhammer,” a series the online provider purchased from Norwegian broadcaster NRK1. It currently has three original series in the works, including the David Fincher drama “House of Cards” starring Kevin Spacey. With an audience as big as premium cable channels such as HBO and Showtime, Netflix could become a major draw for actors.
Casting director Marc Hirschfeld, who’s working on Netflix’s new contemporary gothic horror “Hemlock Grove,” said the opportunities are there for actors online -- just don’t expect a network-sized paycheck.
“The financial model’s different. They don’t have the deep pockets of a cable channel or a network as far as what the actors are paid,” he told Back Stage. “They have to be OK with that.”
Moreover, actors should be prepared for potential nudes scenes as online channels aren’t governed by the same broadcast standards as the networks. “The actor needs to find that acceptable as well,” Hirschfeld said, noting actors working on an online series are covered under SAG-AFTRA’s new media agreement.
Still, there are major upsides to working on an online series. When Netflix, like Showtime and other premium cable channels, greenlights a project it goes right to series. That means the actors avoid the stress of waiting to see if the series gets picked up. “They’re guaranteed 13 episodes,” Hirschfeld said. “They’re insulated from the microscope of the ratings. [The development executives allow] their projects to mature and find an audience.” In fact, some series are greenlit for a second season earlier than a network project would be.
Online programming allows for greater interactivity with the audience than network series, but that doesn’t affect casting, said Hirschfeld. “We’re looking for the best actor. I don’t think that the tail is wagging the dog.”
While there might have been a stigma associated with appearing in an online series in the past, that concern has evaporated. Actors aren’t in danger of being typecast as mere Internet performers, according to Hirschfeld. “When you have Kevin Spacey and he’s the lead of a series on Netflix, all bets are off.”
This is just the start for Netflix's original programming. Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos told industry professionals Wednesday the online subscription service is the best format for the one-hour drama.
“The things we’re doing in originals are very centered around the one-hour serialized dramas that are very expensive to produce for networks, and the best place they land is in the premium subscription space,” he said at The Cable Show, according to Deadline.
“We’re spending a little bit producing originals, but we’re spending a lot more licensing that content from the networks.”
