Is Netflix Just TikTok Now? What the New "Clips" Feed Means for Filmmakers

Netflix prides itself on being part of the culture in a way that makes sure they are never left behind. They have a whole tab for games, they're dubbing international hits so everyone can watch, and it feels like they're predicting trends as they happen.

So if you were surprised when you opened your app this morning and saw a bunch of vertical content....that's on you. Of course, the company is getting in on that.

According to an article from The Hollywood Reporter, the streaming giant is moving away from the static "hero image" rows where you'd pick thumbnails and leaning heavily into the scrollable, short-form vertical videos.

Basically, Netflix is becoming more like TikTok.

This matters a lot to our audience, not just because it's an interesting UI move, but if this is the way our work will be discovered on these platforms, it's a pretty fundamental shift.

So let's talk about it more.

Netflix Clips Credit: Netflix

Netflix Verticals Explained

The idea is that Netflix will cater content to you via these verticals. They'll be advertisements for things on their platform, and they'll use AI to cater to you, so your feed will be different than your spouse or anyone else using it.

Netflix's Clips will serve up snippets of everything from Bridgerton to high-octane action films and even the platform's expanding library of video podcasts.

The goal is to stop doom-scrolling on other apps and keep you on their platform looking for something to watch.

The initial launch of Clips focuses on the heavy hitters in the Netflix library and upcoming original programming, but the streamer is already planning to add:

• Podcasts: Clips from Netflix’s expanding audio slate.
• Live Event Playbacks: Highlights from the streamer’s growing roster of live sports and comedy specials.
• Themed Collections: Curated bundles based on specific genres, like "K-Drama Staples" or formats, like "Award-Winning Shorts."

Why Filmmakers Should Care

It's so funny, but clipping your work to entice people to watch is such a 21st-century thing. And clipping it vertically, in a format it wasn't shot in, is also kind of wild.

But that's where we are as a society.

I spend so much time thinking about the "big screen" experience, but Netflix’s Clips feed reinforces a hard and very new truth: your film's best marketing set might be a random scene they pull out of format.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you shoot your movie or write your TV show any differently. But it's interesting to think about what draws people in, and what might catch an eye or hook someone.

That kind of scares me.

The "TikTok-ification" of Netflix is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s a powerful new way for an indie gem to find an audience through a viral clip.

On the other hand, it risks reducing cinematic art to "content nuggets" designed to satisfy an algorithm.

You make a movie or TV show to wow an audience from beginning to end. It feels kind of weird to think the licensing company could clip it down to entertain someone on the tilet, but hey, at least they're watching.

Summing It All Up

This is an interesting pivot for Netflix and something I'll be keen to see shaking out in the future. And i have no idea how I feel about it right now as it's breaking.

What do you think? Is the "Clips" feed a great discovery tool or a sign that the "prestige" era of streaming is officially over?

Let us know in the comments.