Doing anything over summer?
Perhaps you’re not keen on tuning in to the cricket, sick of navigating your way through a dozen streaming services looking for the best show, or maybe you’re just short on cash given interest rate rises are eating into your mortgage repayments.
The beach is crowded, the kids are gaming in their bedrooms anyway, and the backyard barbecue is getting boring.
Here’s your get-out-of-jail card
If you live and breathe entertainment and have time on your hands, get ready to fine-tune your TV or smart device, as one streaming service is offering a whopping $40,000 to watch their entire pre-release catalogue to recommend movies and TV shows.
You have to apply so you had better have your game face on.
According to the latest research from Prime Video, 64 per cent of Australians rely on word of mouth or expert recommendations to pick movies and TV shows.
Now they’re on a nationwide hunt to find the perfect “buff”.
Some say this might be the worst job ever – yes, three months on a couch, bed or desk watching an entire series or a one-star Rotten Tomatoes movie could be coma-inducing and bad for our mental health.
Others (78 per cent) tell Prime they would choose to get paid to watch movies and TV series full-time, with more than 50 per cent quitting their job for a quick cash grab.
On the selection panel is podcaster and reality TV host Osher Günsberg: “Just when you thought remote working was pretty good, along comes remote-control working.”
“The candidate who snags the gig as the Prime Video Buff won’t be a regular person, because this isn’t a regular job. Prime Video is looking right across the country for someone who is truly film and TV-obsessed – nothing less.
“A person who can quote every line in a classic rom-com, who loves an action thriller as much as a cult classic,” he said.
That may cut out a few applicants but never fear, TND has curated a short quiz to test your entertainment knowledge (see below).
The crucial ‘must watch’ list
You might be a Netflix fan, a fan of Stan or like the massive appeal of Apple TV+, but the new titles you’ll be watching are only those from Prime Video.
One plus is the streamer says next year will be the biggest for Australian content on record, with nine new Amazon original releases.
Its current content includes The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys, Luxe Listings Sydney, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Oscar-nominated film Being the Ricardos, Golden Globes winner Borat, and TV series Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Hushidar Kharas, head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand, says they’re “looking for someone who lives and breathes entertainment”.
“We’ve never had a job like this before at Prime Video and we see this as a real opportunity to uncover a new talent in entertainment, while further helping our customers unlock new TV shows and movies.”
Be warned
If you are the successful applicant and win this coveted role, be mindful to get up and walk between shows, as too much of a good thing could be bad for your health.
A new study from the University of Toronto suggests we adopt periodic “activity snacks” – very short bouts of movement “that may help maintain muscle mass and quality”.
It can even be just two minutes of walking – less time than it takes to get a glass of water, wine or popcorn – or 15 bodyweight sit-to-stand squats that don’t require you to leave your desk (or fully break your train of thought).
Recent studies also show binge watching too much on the small screen could lead to poor sleep patterns, behavioural health and cardio-vascular disease.
Anyone thinking of applying aged in their 40s, 50s and early 60s could experience greater cognitive declines.
Don’t be deterred, however, as any TV watching is good in moderation.
The quiz:
- Name the two best quotes by Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire?
- Who produced and starred as the guru in Nine Perfect Strangers?
- Name the original singer of Soldier Boy rap in The Boys?
- Who plays Borat and who is he married to?
- Who played Dirty Harry and what’s his most famous quote?
- Name the actress who played Judy Garland in the 2019 biopic?
- Who hosts and stars in long-running global food documentary series Parts Unknown?
- The James Bond franchise has plenty of one-liners. Name Ian Fleming’s most famous quote from the MI6 spy.
- The 2014 film The Interview stars who, and what was it about?
- The funniest line from Vietnam War parody Tropic Thunder‘s Robert Downey Jr’s Kirk Lazarus is?
To apply to be the ‘Prime Video Buff’, applicants can visit amazon.com.au/primevideobuff, with the winner announced on December 5.
