Eduard Cuelenaere
Ghent University, Communicatiewetenschappen, Faculty Member
- University of Antwerp, Theatre and Film Studies (Department of Letters), Faculty Memberadd
- Communicatiewetenschappen, Film Theory, Film Aesthetics, Film Adaptation, Cinema Studies, Film Studies, and 18 moreCultural Theory, Visual Studies, Cinema, Film Analysis, New Cinema History, Belgium, Digital Cinema, Film and Media Studies, Politics and Film, Film Remakes, Remake, Adaptation (Film Studies), Cultural Studies, Transnational Film/media, Transnational Cinema, Transnational Film Theory, Intertextuality, and Adaptation (Literature)edit
- Post-doctoral researcher @ Ghent Universityedit
This article examines Netflix's recycling content strategies in the era of streaming cinema. It starts from the assumption that because of the different institutional logic at work in the land of SVODs, the affordances that recycled... more
This article examines Netflix's recycling content strategies in the era of streaming cinema. It starts from the assumption that because of the different institutional logic at work in the land of SVODs, the affordances that recycled content brings may not be as effective (and necessary) as it has been in Hollywood. Using a database-centered approach, we analyze 658 Netflix Original films. Between 2015 and 2022, Netflix released 440 nonrecycled Originals, showcasing a commitment to offering a high quantity of niche films. The dataset equally shows that the percentage of recycled films (33%) follow a linear upward pattern, highlighting the persistence of conservative content strategies. More specifically, (re-)adaptations constituted the biggest chunk of recycled content (68%), as these allow the streamer to quickly fill its catalog with recyclable IP. Netflix's inclination toward sequels (16%), spin-offs (6%), and prequels (2%) aligns with its sequelization strategy, while also leveraging its own IP. Remakes (8%) play a less significant role, likely due to the relatively young age of Netflix's content library. The article concludes that Netflix may, in fact, be less of a disruptive force to the film industry in terms of the diversity of its content creation, prompting further recycling of existing properties.
Research Interests:
Striving for a more holistic approach of the field that studies film remakes, this article analyses the reception context of the monolingual film remake practice in the Low Countries. Instead of assuming how audiences define, perceive,... more
Striving for a more holistic approach of the field that studies film remakes, this article analyses the reception context of the monolingual film remake practice in the Low Countries. Instead of assuming how audiences define, perceive, experience, and evaluate Dutch-Flemish film remakes, this article explores these aspects empirically by analysing data from four focus groups. Given the cultural proximity between the Netherlands and Flanders, the study equally inquires if (and why) Dutch and Flemish audiences prefer their local film versions. It is found that participants do not share a common definition of the artefact and understand the label differently from scholars or people working in the industry. Participants were highly critical of film remakes and generally preferred the local version. However, it appeared that the latter depended on whether they knew which version was the ‘original’.
Research Interests:
Though current research on the film remake phenomenon acknowledges an underlying industrial process, it rarely analyses it. Therefore, building on expert interviews with people working in the remake industries of the Low Countries, this... more
Though current research on the film remake phenomenon acknowledges an underlying industrial process, it rarely analyses it. Therefore, building on expert interviews with people working in the remake industries of the Low Countries, this article places the production aspect of the film remake process central. The findings suggest that the manner in which these cultural mediators describe and evaluate the film remake mirrors popular discourses and seems to affect the production process of film remakes themselves. It was found that the phenomenon is generally seen as the result of a lack of originality, authenticity and is, moreover, highly commercially driven. These aspects were found to sometimes function as a license for initiating remake projects. However, next to the financial benefits, other personal and creative rationales were advanced. Additionally, the element of localization was deemed as one of the most essential tactics in the creative process. Finally, distributors appear to be crucial figures in the emergence of film remakes in small geo-linguistic film markets.
Research Interests:
This article argues that, after decades of pointing towards the importance of including production and reception research into the study of film remakes, we should actually start addressing production and reception methodologies and... more
This article argues that, after decades of pointing towards the importance of including
production and reception research into the study of film remakes, we should actually start addressing production and reception methodologies and investigate why this is necessary for the sustainability and future development of the field. I argue that a lot can be learned from the insights coming from the existing methodologies that are being used in, that is, format studies, (critical) media industry studies, (audiovisual) translation studies, and more recently the study of cultural transduction. The first section of the article mainly deals with the importance of investigating the different cultural mediators that take part in the production lifecycle of the film remake. It is contended that the analysis of film remakes should start examining the different individuals or institutions that mediate or intervene between the production of cultural artefacts and the generation of consumer preferences. The second part of the article points towards the importance of investigating the reception, experience, and interpretation of film remakes. It is shown that crucial questions like ‘(why) do audiences prefer the domestic remake over the foreign film?’, ‘how do audiences experience, interpret, and explain differences and similarities between source films and remakes?’, but also ‘how do audiences define and assess film remakes?’ remain yet to be asked. The article concludes that if the field of remake studies wishes to break out of its disciplinary boundaries, adopting a multi-methodological approach will help to further brush off its dusty character of textual analysis.
production and reception research into the study of film remakes, we should actually start addressing production and reception methodologies and investigate why this is necessary for the sustainability and future development of the field. I argue that a lot can be learned from the insights coming from the existing methodologies that are being used in, that is, format studies, (critical) media industry studies, (audiovisual) translation studies, and more recently the study of cultural transduction. The first section of the article mainly deals with the importance of investigating the different cultural mediators that take part in the production lifecycle of the film remake. It is contended that the analysis of film remakes should start examining the different individuals or institutions that mediate or intervene between the production of cultural artefacts and the generation of consumer preferences. The second part of the article points towards the importance of investigating the reception, experience, and interpretation of film remakes. It is shown that crucial questions like ‘(why) do audiences prefer the domestic remake over the foreign film?’, ‘how do audiences experience, interpret, and explain differences and similarities between source films and remakes?’, but also ‘how do audiences define and assess film remakes?’ remain yet to be asked. The article concludes that if the field of remake studies wishes to break out of its disciplinary boundaries, adopting a multi-methodological approach will help to further brush off its dusty character of textual analysis.
Research Interests:
Scener ur ett äktenskap (1973), the popular television series by Ingmar Bergman, has been said to double divorce rates in Sweden. Indeed, a quick look at some social statistics shows a rise of approximately 16.000 divorces in 1973 to an... more
Scener ur ett äktenskap (1973), the popular television series by Ingmar Bergman, has been said to double divorce rates in Sweden. Indeed, a quick look at some social statistics shows a rise of approximately 16.000 divorces in 1973 to an astonishing +26.000 the year after. However, when looking at the wider Western context, divorce rates are similar in the US and other European countries, be it more gradual. More than encouraging divorce, the series most likely touches upon crucial changes in society and conceptions of love and marriage. It is the relation of the series to its social context that we aim to bring forward in this article. We find that Scener ur ett äktenskap (1973) strongly connects to the society it is created in and the changes said society undergoes. Johan and Marianne struggle with the ideal of everlasting passion in marriage. On an individual level, they struggle with their identity within and in relation to their marriage. As the reasons to marry in society evolve from practical to the pursuit of happiness, they struggle to remain together. Scener ur ett äktenskap (1973) provides a rare representation of love and marriage, as it reacts against dominant representations. It does so by showing only true love and respect after a harsh divorce. It is only when marriage as a whole and the banality of everyday life is abandoned that the main characters succeed in loving.