Scope: Screen industry views

When I first started writing this column for Metro almost a decade ago, much of the debate at the time was over the emergence of streaming services and their impact on the local screen industries. Public broadcasters led the charge through ABC iview and SBS on Demand, but the question was when - if at all - Australia would be given access to big players like Netflix, and whether that would finally help bridge the gap in our market. Of course, many of these films and television shows were finding Australian audiences before official local launches, brought to impatient viewers by the letters V, P and N. And without sanctioned alternatives, the illegal downloading trade thrived, particularly thanks to Game of Thrones and Doctor Who viewerships. Many were hungry for the latest releases, and did what they could until the law caught up.