Netflix buys InterPositive

Netflix said on March 5 that it is acquiring InterPositive, a filmmaking technology company founded in 2022 by Ben Affleck. (about.netflix.com) InterPositive builds artificial intelligence tools for post-production, the stage after filming when editors, colorists and visual-effects teams finish a movie or series. Netflix said the company’s tools were built “by and for filmmakers,” and Affleck will join Netflix as a senior adviser. (about.netflix.com) Bloomberg reported on March 11 that the deal could be worth as much as $600 million if InterPositive hits performance targets, while the upfront payment was lower. Netflix did not disclose terms when it announced the acquisition. (variety.com) Affleck said InterPositive’s first model was trained on a proprietary dataset filmed on a controlled soundstage, using footage designed to mimic real production conditions. He said the system was built to handle missing shots, background replacements and incorrect lighting while keeping creative decisions with artists. (about.netflix.com) That puts the deal in the middle of a larger studio push to use generative artificial intelligence for production work that is expensive, repetitive or hard to fix after a shoot wraps. TechCrunch reported that Netflix has already used generative artificial intelligence for special effects in some original productions. (techcrunch.com) The acquisition is unusual for Netflix, which has historically made few large company purchases. TechCrunch reported that Netflix’s biggest prior acquisition was the Roald Dahl Story Company for about $700 million, putting InterPositive near the top of the company’s deal list if the full payout is reached. (techcrunch.com) InterPositive is not pitched as a tool for generating actors or creating whole scenes from scratch. TechCrunch said the company instead uses footage from a production’s own dailies to help teams fix continuity problems, adjust lighting and enhance environments in post-production. (techcrunch.com) Netflix said the entire 16-person InterPositive team of engineers, researchers and creatives will join the company. Variety reported that Netflix plans to make the tools available to its creative partners, but not to sell them as a commercial software product. (variety.com) The deal also lands as film and television workers keep pressing studios on how artificial intelligence is trained, who gets paid and which jobs may be automated. TechCrunch said those concerns remain active even as Netflix, Amazon and Disney expand their artificial intelligence efforts. (techcrunch.com) For Netflix, the bet is that owning the software behind post-production fixes can shorten schedules and reduce reshoots without taking final judgment away from directors and editors. That is the case the company and Affleck are making as InterPositive moves from stealth startup to in-house studio tool. (about.netflix.com)