Matt Damon and Ben Affleck recently appeared on “The Joe Rogan ExperienceTo promote the new Netflix film “The Rip,” friends and longtime collaborators shared their thoughts on how the streaming device is changing the way movies are made.
Damon noted that because viewers pay a “completely different level of attention” to a movie at home compared to in the theater, Netflix wants to push action scenes toward the front of the runtime. He also said there were discussions behind the scenes about repeating “the plot three or four times in the dialogue” to account for people being on their phones.
“The standard way of making an action movie that we learned is that you usually have three set pieces. One in the first act, one in the second, and one in the third,” Damon explained. “You spend most of your money on this movie in the third act. That’s your finale. And now they say, ‘Can we have a big one in the first five minutes?’ We want people to stay. “And it wouldn’t be terrible if you repeated the plot three or four times in dialogue because people are on their phones while they’re watching.”
Affleck then chimed in, adding that the live-streaming formula for successful content isn’t the only way. He used the recent Netflix limited series “Teenage” as a prime example.
“But then you look at ‘Teenage,’ and he didn’t do any of that crap,” Affleck said. “It’s wonderful. And it’s also dark. It’s tragic and intense. It’s tragic and intense.” [It’s about] This man who discovered his son is accused of murder. There are long shots of the back of their heads. They got in the car and no one said anything.”
While Damon believes shows like “Teenage” are “the exception,” Affleck said he felt the show “shows you don’t have to do” Netflix tricks to please audiences.
Watch the full episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” with Damon and Affleck here.