HITS

As with the movies and shows they honour, every awards season comes with its own dramatic narrative: whether it be the sudden rise of a plucky underdog, the shocking snub of a fan favourite or the moment of validation for an industry stalwart that had come oh-so-close in the past.

This year, a small narrative twist played out before award voters even turned on their TVs. Increasingly, instead of reaching for a physical disc, voters are logging into a website or loading a specialised app to access their screeners. In an era when many TV remotes come with a dedicated Netflix button, this shift was likely inevitable. But to borrow an axiom from the creative process in our industry, just having the idea isn’t enough — you need to be able to execute.

The impact of migration to OTT

Transitioning to OTT screener distribution is best thought of as an investment by studios and content creators.

Internal marketing teams will need to climb the learning curve as they master a new distribution method and its possibilities. Think of the long road from simple cardboard DVD sleeves with bare bones menus, to brushed metal jewel cases and menu experiences rivalling retail collector’s edition discs, for OTT’s predecessor. In return for that investment, OTT sites can deliver experiences that more seamlessly and intimately connect voters with the content up for consideration.

FYC sites and apps can allow content consumption optimised for voters’ preferred devices, from phones with limited bandwidth, to home theatre setups with the latest audio and visual standard support. Beyond the core content, links to supplemental material and engaging interactive experiences can be built-in (subject to guild/awards body standards on presentation). And behind the scenes, the underlying technology platform can enable modern digital rights management and analytics.

The Deluxe approach

This awards season, several studios under-took this journey, with the ultimate goal of bolstering the competitiveness of their nominees by engaging more deeply with voters. Deluxe aided in these company’s efforts, providing technology to support and create customised FYC streaming experiences.

With the assistance of Deluxe, these implementations were able to be rapidly designed, tested, and released on tight time-lines to integrate with broader marketing campaigns.To support both international voters and awards bodies, studios and content creators must be able to ensure that their content can be viewed globally. Deluxe’s technology and team help creators localise, reformat and geo-filter content to make it accessible in 100-plus countries.

In addition to optimising geographical content consumption, Deluxe also enables viewing across a wide-ranging ecosystem of devices. Content is scaled and enhanced for various screen and bandwidth scenarios to ensure that both viewer convenience and the integrity of the original artistic vision are honoured.

Finally, a full-featured back-end support platform allows for Deluxe to provide security administration, operational analytics and anonymised marketing analytics, all in real-time.

The learning process

While studios and direct-to-consumer streaming platforms are adept at using OTT technology for consumer distribution, implementing the technology for an FYC site requires a subtly different toolset.  While operational teams at distributors have had time to learn how to work with the software development process, it might be unfamiliar territory for the marketing professionals who run awards season campaigns.

The back-and-forth with developers requires a methodical, disciplined approach to ensure that sites are built quickly and efficiently.

On the other hand, the flexibility of agile software development opens up possibilities for improvisation and adaptation that long lead time DVDs never allowed. Studio teams also have plenty of questions about the mechanics of addressing familiar problems in the new OTT.

And what studios and content creators may not realise is that the launch of an FYC site is just the beginning of the process. It requires continued management and the addition of content, utilising viewing metrics to create a virtuous feedback loop wherein the studio awards team is able to adjust both online and real-world marketing plans to emphasise scenes, talent or entire shows that resonate most deeply with voters.

FYC campaigns, today and beyond

While the next awards season may seem far away, the disruptive potential of OTT FYC distribution means the industry must begin planning sooner than ever to stay competitive. A few studios already have a leg up with the 2020 season’s experience under their belt. Their competitors face both the daunting challenge of catching up, and the exciting opportunity to leapfrog the status quo with ever-evolving technology.

* By Kristie Fung, VP Product Management, OTT, Deluxe

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