Alex Sergeant offers five tips for becoming a cinephile in the age of streaming algorithms

Dr Alexander Sergeant, Lecturer in Digital Media Production, has published a new article in The Conversation offering practical guidance for aspiring film lovers navigating an increasingly algorithm-driven media landscape. In “Five tips for becoming a cinephile in the age of streaming algorithms,” Sergeant addresses the challenge facing a new generation of film fans for whom the path to cinephilia is no longer as simple as joining a local film club.

The article sets out five recommendations for cultivating a richer and more independent relationship with cinema. Sergeant advises readers to approach “best of” lists with healthy scepticism, recognising their inherent subjectivity and the narrow social demographics they have historically reflected. He urges film fans to resist the pull of recommendation algorithms — which, despite creating a sense of personalised curation, tend to funnel viewers towards homogeneous choices — and instead to seek out alternative platforms such as MUBI that draw on a wider range of world and historical cinema. The remaining tips encourage viewers to be contrarian in their tastes, mixing arthouse and mainstream without hierarchy; to embrace a spirit of love and discovery over cynical judgement, invoking Anton Ego’s famous speech in Pixar’s Ratatouille; and to reconnect with the physical world of cinema-going, libraries, film festivals and older media formats.​

Sergeant notes that when Netflix launched as a DVD postal service in 1998, it offered over 70,000 films, yet by 2020 the streaming platform held approximately 3,800 titles — a stark illustration of how algorithmic curation has narrowed rather than expanded the available landscape. The article, published as part of The Conversation‘s Quarter Life series, draws on Sergeant’s research into popular media, fantasy cinema and film audiences.

Read the full article at: https://theconversation.com/five-tips-for-becoming-a-cinephile-in-the-age-of-streaming-algorithms-269659

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