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Netflix Media Production Suite ‘democratises access’ to innovation

Adopting open standards, the solution aims to provide workflow standardisation, allowing for automation and other innovations across a diverse range of markets

By Matthew Corrigan

Netflix has developed a Media Production Suite to unlock innovation at a global scale.

Intending to capitalise on the opportunities provided by cloud-based technologies and ongoing innovation across the industry, the Netflix Media Production Suite has been designed to unlock global talent pools for the company’s productions, said the company.

Leveraging scale economies and access to resources, Netflix aims to streamline media management logistics and workflows and provide a level playing field between markets.

With an average Netflix title producing around ~200 Terabytes of Original Camera Files (OCF), with outliers up to 700 Terabytes, not including any work-in-progress files, VFX assets, 3D assets, etc., management and distribution of files presents significant challenges, which is exacerbated by the need to collaborate with producers and vendors around the world. The MPS aims to address these challenges, providing standardisation and automation on a scale that can be accessed across the global talent pool, said Netflix.

Embracing open standards such as ACES, AMF, ASC MHL, ASC FDL and OTIO, the system streamlines processes and facilitates collaboration across diverse markets and countries. High complexity workflows can be offered to markets or shows that are normally unable to access them. For example, a standard such as FDL allows easy automation of normalising various camera formats framed and recorded at different resolutions into a common container for a VFX vendor, a task normally reserved for high end productions.

The system comprises several elements:

  1. At the core of MPS is Netflix Hybrid Infrastructure, available for Netflix shows and foundational under Content Hub’s Media Production Suite tooling. Local compute and storage are connected through the Netflix Open Connect network (Netflix Content Delivery Network) to the infrastructure of Amazon Web Services (AWS). Large volumes of media are facilitated and sufficient upload speed allows productions to place their media into the cloud. Netflix Content Hub Ingest Centers are being rolled out to provide high speed connectivity where needed. Centralising media eliminates the need for physical transport and reduces human error.
  2. Automation and Tooling.  A suite of tools can tap into the media within the Netflix ecosystem.
  3. Footage Ingest. This application enables media/files to be uploaded into Content Hub.
  4. Media Library. A searchable library enabling media to be previewed, downloaded and shared.
  5. Dailies. Backed by an operational team, this workflow offers automated QC of footage, sound sync, application of colour, rendering and delivering dailies directly to editorial.
  6. Remote Workstations. Access to remote editorial workstations and storage for post production.
  7. VFX Pulls. Automation of converting and delivering visual effects plates and associated colour and framing files to vendors.
  8. Conform Pulls. Automation of consolidating, trimming and delivering all OCF to picture-finishing vendors.
  9. Media Downloader. An automated download tool that initiates a download once media has been made available in the Netflix cloud.

The MPS tools are at different states of maturity. Over 350 titles have so far utilised at least one tool, with input and users from all over the world.

Aiming to democratise access to advanced production standards, Netflix said MPS represents a “transformative leap” in how it approaches media production in a blog providing further information.