In the modern age, we have seen many different forms of clashes between filmmakers and technology – particularly in the realm of presentation. It started, of course, as theaters started using digital projectors instead of actual film, and during the height of the 3D boom there were arguments about brightness. Streaming, of course, has opened up a different can of worms altogether, with the developing arena making moves that occasionally rub the director community the wrong way.
The most recent example of this has been unfolding this week, and it involves a new “player control” with which Netflix is currently experimenting. The tech is simple, giving audiences the option for variable playback speeds – including one-and-a-half times faster than normal.
After being discovered by Android Police, multiple notable members of the movie industry took to social media to express their extreme displeasure at the idea of their works being manipulated in this fashion. With over 3,000 Retweets on Twitter, writer/director/producer Judd Apatow got the most attention with his reaction to the news of the developing Netflix feature, suggesting that he would personally get every filmmaker and get them to stop the concept from being implemented: