Matt Damon Reveals Netflix’s Repetitive Dialogue Strategy for Distracted Viewers

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are discussing the modifications Netflix has implemented in its movie production strategies.

During a Friday visit to theJoe Rogan Experienceto market their latest Netflix movieThe Rip, the pair talked about the distinctions between viewing a film in a cinema compared to at home, and how audiences distracted by their phones are affecting the way movies are created.

“I went to see One Battle After Anotheron IMAX – there’s nothing quite like that feeling,” Damon remarked, remembering a journey he took with his family. “You’re surrounded by a group of strangers, yet they’re part of your neighborhood and you’re sharing this moment together. I often compare it to attending church – you arrive at a specific time. It doesn’t hold itself back for you.”

Watching from home is a completely different experience, Damon said. “You’re watching in a room, the lights are on, other things are happening, the kids are running around, the dogs are running around, whatever the case may be. It’s just a much different level of attention that you’re willing, or able, to give to it.”

Damon then described how this change is currently influencing the way films are produced.

For example, Netflix – the typical approach to creating an action film, which we’ve learned, is that you usually have three major sequences. One in the first act, one in the second, and one in the third – with the biggest one featuring all the explosions and where most of your budget is spent in the third act. That’s your usual conclusion.

The Departed Actor added, “Now, [Netflix is] like, ‘Can we get a big one in the first five minutes?’ We want viewers to remain engaged. And it wouldn’t be bad if you repeated the storyline three or four times in the dialogue because people are on their phones while they watch.”

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After laughing with Rogan, Damon said, “It’s going to significantly affect the way we’re sharing these narratives.”

Affleck then added, “But then you look at”Adolescence and it didn’t do any of that nonsense and it was absolutely great.

Damon agreed, but remarked, “It seems more like the exception,” and added, “I hope it isn’t.”

“My impression is that it shows you don’t have to do any of that nonsense to get people [to watch],” Affleck said.

He also mentioned that streaming does not present an “existential threat” and that “things change. When television emerged, there was a decline in theater attendance, and that will continue to happen. People will still go to the movies because of what you mentioned. It feels like a trendy thing to do. ‘I’m going to go watch’The Odyssey.I assure you, in a theater, regardless of the circumstances.

For The Rip, which the filmmakers created through their company Artists Equity, Affleck and Damonforced Netflix to reach an agreementthat would give their team additional payments if the movie does well – a change from the streaming platform’s usual approach of only providing initial fees.