Netflix’s Acquires Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking company
With few exceptions, today’s movie audiences are not sitting alone in the dark watching their favorite films. Social media groups focused on the ongoing developments in the on-demand video sector and also on the use of artificial intelligence in vehicles, drones and even surgical procedures have recently expanded to include discussions about developments taking place in the digital money economy. Early adopters of AI technologies including areas such as stock, crypto and forex trading, now often appear alongside streaming algorithms, AI tools and other innovations shaping the modern media industry. This whole evolving ecosystem is increasingly being described as the “digital economy” — a term used to describe an economy where software, data and platforms play a significant role in the production and distribution of movies. This week, for example, global media and entertainment company Netflix confirmed the acquisition of a film production technology startup founded by Oscar-winning actor and director Ben Affleck.
Affleck’s new employer acquired InterPositive in early March. The film and TV post-production tech company was founded in 2022 and specializes in machine learning technologies. InterPositive is run by Brad Affleck, who is also the brother of Matt Affleck, and will see the star act as a senior advisor to Netflix. The engineering and research team from InterPositive will also join the firm. Netflix has dabbled in innovation in production technology before.
Every image and video AI generator we have come across has been built to be as creative as possible. InterPositive follows a different principle. Instead of generating something new based on a user request, the system uses footage captured during the making of a film and analyzes the “dailies” – short clips of footage recorded for every scene during each day of filming. Then, based on the production’s stylistics and vocabulary – the position of the camera, lighting, cuts and so on – the AI can assist in the editing room and during VFX work.
InterPositive’s technology implements the use of AI for automated processing of a large number of small editing tasks that need to be completed on a daily basis. Common tasks in post-production editing include matching cuts, adjusting lighting, stabilizing camera shake, removing stunt wires and many more. All these are tasks that would take up large amounts of time for editors and the VFX department. InterPositive helps automate some of the tasks while allowing the director and other creatives to decide on the final look of the footage.
Bloomberg reported that Netflix bought a startup that makes video editing software in a sign of escalating competition in the video streaming business. The service provides a way of using specialized video editing software to trim scenes and keep visual elements consistent in order to speed up the editing process. As one of the world’s largest online video platforms, Netflix has to produce thousands of hours of content every year in many different languages for a wide range of markets. This requires highly automated production workflows and software, where the ability to edit and maintain visual elements of a show at a fast pace is very important in order to deliver content to the end user. Bloomberg reports that the startup’s technology uses artificial intelligence in the editing room to help speed up the production of content and that the acquisition will not significantly change the way content creators work.
The relationship between AI and the film and movie business has been complicated. During the recent artist strikes, the issue of whether an artist could be replaced by AI, and the rights of human artists, were among the topics that were discussed. Now, however, tech companies and movie studios have begun to describe the technology as a “collaborative tool,” implying that human creative input will still be needed and valued. According to Netflix, the AI “complements the role of the director.”
Affleck was initially somewhat skeptical of the technology and had concerns that it might be used to “replace the director” with AI rather than augmenting the role. Affleck told Variety that he “did not quite buy” the idea that a film could be directed by AI, but that he wanted to “see where the technology can help us with some of the more menial, less creative tasks in the production of a movie, rather than the actual act of storytelling.” Whatever Affleck’s reservations, the end result of his collaboration with Positive Data was apparently a product called InterPositive.
A Hollywood startup that helped studios make more money from movies has also drawn attention in the industry. InterPositive, a studio launched several years ago with technology designed to help studios make more money from movies, focused on post-production editing software, an area that generally involves more technical and less creative aspects of film production. The startup developed an editor and assistant toolset, as well as a range of visual effects that could be applied to footage at various stages of the post-production process. It is a sign that the technology sector’s approach to Hollywood is changing. In the early days of AI in Tinseltown, most companies focused on creating some form of synthetic media and automated content. Generally this meant using algorithms to create realistic video and audio generated by computers rather than by people.
Another example mentioned in industry coverage is WeVideo, which has been described as a different kind of screen tool for a different type of user: people who make TV shows and movies. The company describes WeVideo as an easier, faster way to edit videos. If the company is successful, it could be a win for online video services and for their users. If the cameras are turned off and the content is ready to air faster, it means the material can be uploaded to the web and made available for streaming more quickly. This is one reason why companies like Netflix might be interested in editing software and other production tools. Like content delivery networks and recommendation systems, these tools become part of the infrastructure of a video streaming service.
Technology companies based in Silicon Valley and China are snapping up film and TV production companies, as well as scriptwriters and actors, according to a report published in the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media in May. The film and TV industry is rapidly becoming part of the broader digital economy. The technology that underpins the movies and shows people watch is no longer just about narrative. It is also about data, algorithms, infrastructure and software, the report said. “A significant amount of work that goes into movies and TV shows is being framed through the same technological terms that describe search algorithms, e-commerce platforms and the underlying technology that makes things like ride-sharing and health insurance possible,” the report said. Those are typically two separate conversations — the one about technology and the one about movies and TV — but increasingly they are intersecting.
In reality, this technology is hardly ever visible in films or television series. An exposure correction to maintain aesthetics or a cosmetic effect to reduce visual clutter is rarely something an audience member will notice. The technology provided by InterPositive could nevertheless revolutionize the way many movies and TV shows are edited. Editors and their teams could concentrate on the artistic aspects of the show and spend less time on routine work.
The history of technology and cinema is very long. Film production moved from analog methods to digital cameras, and later to CGI. With each new development, some observers predicted that traditional filmmaking would disappear. Yet each time the technology simply became another tool used in the filmmaking process. Many industry observers believe the same will happen with AI in cinema: it will not change the fact that people ultimately create movies.
The deal is part of a broader trend at Netflix to combine storytelling and technology, a strategy that has been part of its playbook for many years. The company is looking to leverage advancements in technology to tell more compelling stories while managing the enormous scale of its global production pipeline. The technology that underpins the way movies and TV shows are made is evolving quickly, and audiences are often unaware of the complex systems involved in bringing these stories to life. As these tools are deployed at every stage of production, the boundaries between the entertainment business, technology and the broader digital economy are becoming increasingly blurred.
