Movies & Emoji: A Q&A with the Creator of Moveme

An algorithm built on your feelings.

Sep 09, 2024

Dear Moviegoers,

For many months now, I’ve been fascinated with the ways that we discover new & old movies to watch, specifically over streaming platforms. With no one application perfecting the model, users (I feel icky typing that) probably consume (ickier) most of their content (ickiest) through idle previews while scrolling through which film to pick—likely without making a decision.

It’s happened to me. You?

Maybe search engines should meet us halfway. Maybe make the process of seeking out movies more of a virtual video store than poster after poster after poster to swipe away.

Moveme.tv has been developed by Ben Polkinghorne to help lower the media noise and tune us all into how we’re feeling (or what we want to be feeling) at a given time. The site takes our emotions & moods (as words or emoji), runs them through personally set filters, and compiles a list of flicks and platforms to consider.

While Moveme is still a work in progress (long lists can feel daunting and may tire people out), I feel that Polkinghorne has crafted a most promising app for movie discovery.

Ben was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions about his work. Enjoy!

What are your favorite moods for finding movies to watch, and why?

I love to feel ‘inspired’. Movies are such a brilliant way to temporarily detach from reality. To not only forget the issues of the day but to give my mind a clean, inspired slate gives me a psychological boost.

I also love trying new - often weird - combinations of emojis.

I’m biased, but it never gets old!

😅🤌

How did Moveme get started, and what is the ultimate goal of the service?

I was struggling to find something good to watch. It seemed absurd that no one had solved the problem of content discovery. I became obsessed with trying to understand why… then it dawned on me.

What I want to watch changes, depending on my current mood and how I want to feel. I spoke to other people and realized this was universally true. Existing solutions fail to take this into account.

So, without knowing anything about anything, I set out to fix it. There were plenty of twists and turns but with the help of some very clever people - and a £50,000 Innovate UK grant, we were able to bring Moveme to life.

Our mission is to enable anyone to go on their desired emotional journey and create a better inner world for all. Our vision is to transform moods at the push of a button.

Movies are just the start.

I’ve found that alternatives to your app, like Mood2Movie, have limited search & discovery functions. How do you feel about Moveme’s place in this niche market of apps?

If we keep listening to our users, and keep helping them discover great movies, we’ll keep winning. We have an exciting roadmap and will continue to work hard to own the category.

While emotion-led recommendations are niche now, they are without doubt the future.

ChatGPT’s AI system continues to grow in both learning and usage. How can Moveme compete?

We’re focused on emotion-led recommendations. This specialization lets us innovate rapidly, anticipate our users’ needs and continually refine our offerings to stay ahead.

Having said that, IP is also important. We filed for a patent in March 2021 that’s on track to be granted next year.

In what other ways can Moveme assist or improve the film streaming and theatrical industry?

We help people discover incredible films. Films that are right for them, right now. Films they ordinarily wouldn’t come across. Films that don’t have a blockbuster marketing budget but that deserve to be seen.

We help streamers by bringing their back catalog back to the fore. And we’re working on an experiment that if successful, will help the exhibition industry too.

What role does physical media play in movie watching today? Will there ever be an added option on Moveme to find DVDs?

I used to collect DVDs. The sad truth is I no longer even have a player… I think the days of mainstream physical media are over - for now. I hope one day they’ll be a vinyl-style resurgence. Let’s see.

As for an option to find and buy DVDs on Moveme— I can’t see that happening, but as with everything we’ll be driven by what our users want.

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What movie has been recommended the most? What moods have been used most often to find movies, and what does it suggest about users?

Every user gets shown different movies, based on their location and streaming options. The top searches are:

Mind-blown 🤯
Adventurous 🌍🏔
Romantic 💋
Curious 🤔❓
Surprised 😮🎁

To me, this speaks to how movies can transform our mood to whatever we desire. They truly are a unique, powerful art form.

Are you working on any other apps in the realm of film?

No, but I do have a new artwork being exhibited in November that nods to emotions.

How has the feedback been?

The feedback we’ve had so far has been honest and helpful. We’re grateful for every comment, critique, or suggestion (please keep them coming!).

The ultimate compliment though, is this: People tell their friends. Who tells their friends. We launched Moveme over a year ago. Without spending a cent on marketing, every day since, without fail, we’ve had new users signing up.

We were shortlisted for the ‘Content Discovery’ award at the Video Tech Innovation Awards, had a cover feature and interview in TVB Europe and were mentioned at a major talk at the International Broadcasting Convention.

Is streaming becoming too much like cable television packages, and what can be done by app programmers to help lessen consumer costs?

Discovery is the biggest problem in streaming. There’s no shortage of content, it’s just impossible trying to stumble across the perfect movie -- unless you take your desired emotional state into account. So we solve that.

And with Moveme, you can specify if you’re happy to watch movies with ads. If you are, we can help you find the perfect movie for free, legally.

What are your top four favorite movies of all time?

In no particular order…

Interstellar
Gladiator
Scarface
Alice in Wonderland (1991)

What is your mood at this given time, and what movies would you expect to find on Moveme based on that mood?

It’s 9 pm on Sunday night. I’m feeling grateful to have the opportunity to answer these questions. To bring the interview full circle, I’d like to feel ‘inspired’ heading into a new week. I’ll see what Moveme suggests - I’d like to discover a movie that I ordinarily would have never seen if I opened up any other streaming app.