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NEWS: Netflix Lays Off 150 Employees, Mostly in the U.S.


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Dynamo-



Joined: 02 Aug 2014
Posts: 80
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 12:31 am Reply with quote
Quote:
Deadline's report mentions that a significant portion of the layoffs are from the company's creative departments in both film and television, with some executive-level and director-level cuts involved in original content.


A good idea.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 1:22 am Reply with quote
Quote:
the layoffs are...primarily business-driven instead of performance-driven

What does that mean? Isn't business performance-driven?

Quote:
its fan outreach site Tudum

Seriously? Rolling Eyes
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Egan Loo



Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1300
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 1:33 am Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
Quote:
the layoffs are...primarily business-driven instead of performance-driven

What does that mean? Isn't business performance-driven?


Netflix say the layoffs are due to the company's overall business needs, and not to the individuals' job performance: "These changes are primarily driven by business needs rather than individual performance, which makes them especially tough as none of us want to say goodbye to such great colleagues."
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 4:16 am Reply with quote
Ok, thanks. I didn't read it that way because I've never heard of a company simultaneously firing 150 people for poor individual job performance. That made "business vs performance" sound like they were talking about the performance (i.e., return on investment, not meeting expectations) of the departments they were cutting, especially since nearly half the cuts were in animation. Which to me is the same as a business-driven decision. So by the time I got to the second part, that just sounded like a weak sop to the folks who lost their jobs, rather than something that needed to be said as an explanation.
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Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4352
Location: New York
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 5:39 am Reply with quote
Netflix has been taking a chainsaw to its staff and projects that seemed to be there more for clout than for genuine profit. All these little extra features, the blogs, pretty much half their Western animation division (this while the Hollywood Reporter is flat out saying they expect the company to buy more anime), it's all stuff you can afford when times are good. Because when times are good, and you're not worried about money, you can focus on awards and publicity and all the other intigantibles.

Now though? The subscriber loss and stock hit lit a fire under the senior executive's behinds, because they appear nothing less than desperate to right the proverbial ship. Anything that isn't making them money is being slashed and burned while they're doubling down on the stuff that is making them money (them buying a new studio in Jersey). It's clear that they are listening to complaints, and dealing with them...in the most blunt and forceful way possible.
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4410
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 7:48 am Reply with quote
Netflix is making a lot of changes following that last quarter report. I am wondering if they are expecting that the next will be worse and are acting on plans that were in works ti mitigate that?
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Wyvern



Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 1544
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 10:53 am Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
Quote:
the layoffs are...primarily business-driven instead of performance-driven

What does that mean? Isn't business performance-driven?


Basically it means that even if you did a fantastic job as a Netflix employee, you might still get fired because the company is losing money. The ordinary employees suffer because of the stupidity of the executives.
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varmintx



Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1197
Location: Covington, KY
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 1:50 pm Reply with quote
Never getting that second season of Midnight Gospel.
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 2:39 pm Reply with quote
Netflix also pulls the plug on Ava DuVernay's animated Wings of Fire series

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Triltaison



Joined: 03 Jul 2011
Posts: 717
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 2:50 pm Reply with quote
enurtsol wrote:
Netflix also pulls the plug on Ava DuVernay's animated Wings of Fire series


Really? Quite surprised at that choice. I work at a public library, and those books are hard to keep on the shelves. Both the regular and graphic novel adaptations are incredibly popular and I would think toys would sell for that franchise based on a cartoon version. Seems like leaving money on the table to me.
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Sven Viking



Joined: 09 May 2005
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PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 2:56 pm Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
Quote:
its fan outreach site Tudum

Seriously? Rolling Eyes

Maybe people thought it was too dumb?
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Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4352
Location: New York
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 3:24 pm Reply with quote
Triltaison wrote:
enurtsol wrote:
Netflix also pulls the plug on Ava DuVernay's animated Wings of Fire series


Really? Quite surprised at that choice. I work at a public library, and those books are hard to keep on the shelves. Both the regular and graphic novel adaptations are incredibly popular and I would think toys would sell for that franchise based on a cartoon version. Seems like leaving money on the table to me.


Considering nearly all these cuts have been shows designed more for positive articles than revenue, I doubt it. The showrunner was actually the same person who handled the recently canceled Naomi for the CW, which was a complete disaster. Maybe they thought that meant she couldn’t be trusted on a series.
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Errinundra
Moderator


Joined: 14 Jun 2008
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Location: Melbourne, Oz
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 9:34 pm Reply with quote
Troll post and responses removed.
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AmpersandsUnited



Joined: 22 Mar 2012
Posts: 633
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 10:27 pm Reply with quote
Wyvern wrote:
Basically it means that even if you did a fantastic job as a Netflix employee, you might still get fired because the company is losing money. The ordinary employees suffer because of the stupidity of the executives.


They're cutting out the positions that have no real merit or point. Someone doing a good job at a position that is meaningless is not worth much at the end of the day. Looking at a list of some of the positions cut included people running gimmick social media accounts to promote stuff. Stuff like that is definitely going to be the first to get let go when they can't throw around money so frivolously anymore.

As far as animation goes It seemed like Netflix was greenlighting anything and everything pitched to them regardless of how much demand there was for it. Now it's catching up to them. Quality over quantity, I say. Hopefully this leads to better content down the road.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2022 10:30 pm Reply with quote
Sven Viking wrote:
Gina Szanboti wrote:
Quote:
its fan outreach site Tudum

Seriously? Rolling Eyes

Maybe people thought it was too dumb?

Well, no, it's obviously a riff on their logo sound effect. It just looks stupid. Like a knock-off antacid brand. They paid someone to come up with that. smh
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