Netflix strikes deal with Ben Affleck’s InterPositive AI company : NPR
Hollywood star Ben Affleck says his company InterPositive’s AI tools “eliminate all the logistical, difficult and technical elements that often get in the way” of the filmmaking process.
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Netflix is acquiring InterPositive, Ben Affleck’s AI-powered filmmaking tools company, for an undisclosed amount.
In a video Accompanying the company’s announcement Thursday, Ben Affleck said InterPositive’s technology helps filmmakers create their own proprietary AI models based on scenes they’ve already shot, then use that data to help resolve otherwise laborious details.
“You can use your own model to remove stunt wires, reframe a shot, get a shot you missed, shape lighting, improve backgrounds,” said the Oscar-winning director, producer, screenwriter and actor, who also joined Netflix as a senior advisor.
In an email to NPR, the International Alliance of Stage Employees (IATSE), the main union supporting Hollywood’s technical workers, including camera operators, lighting and sound technicians, stagehands, story supervisors, among other industry disciplines, said it does not comment on mergers and acquisitions.
This is just the latest deal the Oscar-winning filmmaker has struck with Netflix. Earlier this week, Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company, Artists Equity, signed a major multi-year deal partnership with the streamer. The deal gives Netflix first privileges to develop and distribute all of the couple’s future streaming-focused projects. Affleck has also directed and released several films in collaboration with Netflix, most recently The teara thriller starring Affleck and Damon as Miami narcotics officers who uncover a secret trove of drug money.
Despite his technological interests, Affleck has expressed a desire to keep humans at the center of the creative process. He is one of hundreds of Hollywood insiders who have signed up for the Creators Coalition on AI. The group, established late last year, describes itself on its website as “a central hub for cross-industry discussions on the impact of AI on the entertainment industry.”
“This is not a total rejection of AI,” the group said. “The technology is there. It’s a commitment to responsible, human-centered innovation.”
“The InterPositive team joins Netflix because of our shared belief that innovation should empower storytellers, not replace them,” Elizabeth Stone, Netflix’s chief product and technology officer, said in a statement. press release. She said the partnership would “continue building a future of entertainment where technology plays a role in how stories are created, but where people – and their ideas, expertise and judgment – remain at the heart of great storytelling.”
The deal between InterPositive and Netflix comes just over a week since the streamer released of its proposed acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery. Paramount has agreed to acquire the media giant in a deal valued at around $110 billion. On February 26, Warner Brothers Discovery’s board of directors said Paramount’s offer was “superior” to an $83 billion deal it previously made with Netflix.
Kimberly A. Owczarskiassociate professor at Texas Christian University who studies media franchises, told NPR in an email that Netflix’s decision to partner with a filmmaker of Affleck’s prominence sends a positive message to an industry reeling from the threats posed by the growing adoption of AI across the entertainment landscape.
“His status in the industry as a star, filmmaker and producer lends considerable weight as he promotes responsible use of AI in film,” Owczarski said.
Jennifer Vanasco edited this story.
