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Guy Who Binge-Watched Netflix For A Living Discusses Highs And Lows Of Job

Guy Who Binge-Watched Netflix For A Living Discusses Highs And Lows Of Job

It's probably not as good a gig as it sounds

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

For many of us, binge-watching Netflix is our happy time.

That may sound a little drab, but when you've spent all day/week commuting, getting wet and talking to people you don't like, then settling down on your sofa and tucking into some quality entertainment can feel like a blessed relief.

Imagine then if binge-watching Netflix was your job - wouldn't that be heavenly? Well, yes and no, according to Rafael Ceribelli.

PA

Working as a tagger for the streaming service between 2015 to 2018, his job was to watch hours and hours of shows and films and assign them with relevant tags to help users find their next favourite series or movie.

A key reason why this job isn't as dreamy as it sounds is because you don't get choose what you watch - a crucial contrast to recreational Netflix binge-watching. But as a filmmaker, Rafael was able to take some positives from watching things he would never normally choose to.

Speaking to Tom's Guide, he said: "To be honest, it's impossible to enjoy everything. There was a lot of content that I would never watch as a Netflix consumer or viewer, especially kids' content. You're not watching just for fun.

"It's funny because it is good to watch things that you think are not good, because then you can spot the flaws. Like, 'Why did they do that? Why don't I like this?' you know?

"I think the whole structure thing helps me as a filmmaker, as a screenwriter."

Getting paid to complete Netflix probably isn't as good as it sounds.
PA

Naturally, Rafael did discover loads of films and series that he loved, so being paid to watch those was clearly a great position to find himself in. However, even then it was not the same as a leisurely binge, because as a metadata analyst he had to be diligent with his note-taking, which unsurprisingly diminished the viewing experience somewhat.

Rafael said: "I was very careful doing it, but there were some times where I just skipped profanity or something like that and I was warned like, 'Oh look, there was something here that you have missed'.

"There was no opportunity for any rogue or joke tags to get assigned to content. There was constant evaluation on it. It is a company that values quality overall.

"Yeah, a lot of friends said that to me 'Oh, you have the best job in the world', and it is pretty cool, because I loved doing it, but it is a job after all.

"It's not like just making some popcorn and watching a movie. You need to be very aware of what's happening and be responsible for your choices in the tagging process."

So be careful what you wish for, punks.

LADbible has contacted Netflix for comment.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: TV and Film, Interesting, Community, Netflix