From Netflix to Local Streaming Platforms

Taiwanese Filmmakers’ Views of Original Series Creations

Abstract

Since 2014, Taiwan’s streaming market has expanded rapidly, especially after Netflix and iQiyi entered the market in 2016 and began producing original content. Influenced by Netflix’s localization strategy across Southeast Asia, with occasional co-productions involving Taiwan, this study adopts qualitative methods, including the analysis of media reports on production and filmmakers’ experiences. It also draws on semi-structured interviews conducted in summer 2023 with Taiwanese filmmakers to examine how collaborations with streaming platforms reshape creative and production practices. While Netflix offers larger budgets and broader visibility, filmmakers face greater production pressure and platform constraints. They influence genre and casting, often favoring thrillers, while local platforms provide more creative freedom but fewer resources. Taiwanese filmmakers continue collaborating with long-term partners while navigating tensions between artistic identity and platform expectations. Overall, the emergence of streaming for cultural production brings new opportunities and challenges, requiring filmmakers to balance cinematic traditions with global platform demands.