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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Netflix 4K requirements

P

Peter Lyons Collister ASC

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I am prepping a feature for Netflix. The director wants to use Alexa. I want t shoot Dragon. I would like to know the hard and fast rules about Netflix's requirements. Do they accept Amira in 4K? Obviously they take Sony F55 and Dragon and F65.

I don't know if they have a white paper outlining their requirements. If anyone has an idea I would appreciate the info

Merci,

Peter
 
Peter Lyons Collister said:
I am prepping a feature for Netflix. The director wants to use Alexa. I want t shoot Dragon. I would like to know the hard and fast rules about Netflix's requirements. Do they accept Amira in 4K? Obviously they take Sony F55 and Dragon and F65.

I don't know if they have a white paper outlining their requirements. If anyone has an idea I would appreciate the info.
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Last I heard, Bloodlines was the last "Alexa allowed" production if I'm not mistaken, great show btw. I don't believe they are accepting upressed Amira or Alexa at this point.

If it was me I would be shooting 6K-5K on Dragon. If the show is a UHD delivery, likely 5.5K or 5K HD using Super 35mm lenses.

They will accept RED Epic/Scarlet Dragon, RED Weapon Dragon, Sony F55 and F65, and Varicam 35 (I think).
 
I love RED but I don't agree with that policy if that is what they are in fact doing. So if Peter were to decide to shoot the show on Alexa and he makes it look amazing, Netflix will flat out reject it? If Scorsese goes to them and makes a deal to make a TV series but insists shooting on Alexa in 2k ProRes, Netflix won't accept it?

I'm not sure that's a great policy. I understand moving towards 4K but isn't this like Apple telling everyone FCP 7 is dead and you must use FCPX now because it's better?

Hopefully I'm misinterpreting what you guys are talking about. That wouldn't be the first time I've missed the point completely. :-)
 
Steve Sherrick said:
I love RED but I don't agree with that policy if that is what they are in fact doing. So if Peter were to decide to shoot the show on Alexa and he makes it look amazing, Netflix will flat out reject it? If Scorsese goes to them and makes a deal to make a TV series but insists shooting on Alexa in 2k ProRes, Netflix won't accept it?

I'm not sure that's a great policy. I understand moving towards 4K but isn't this like Apple telling everyone FCP 7 is dead and you must use FCPX now because it's better?

Hopefully I'm misinterpreting what you guys are talking about. That wouldn't be the first time I've missed the point completely. :-)
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All current and future Netflix productions must deliver in UHD 4K, so they do have some requirements as it's part of the service and vision they offer their customers. This has been true for some time and started with House of Cards Season 2 last year. From there most Netflix productions have been shot on RED or Sony cameras.

Peter would not shoot a show and have it rejected, you figure out what the client's requirements are and move from there, which is what he is doing. Like every job.
 
So this is just a requirement for anything Netflix is producing? If so, that's a bit different. I was starting to wonder if there was a universal mandate that everything being submitted had to be in 4K.

It's still a bit frustrating to me when producers/executives can mandate the camera(s) to be used. Always thought it was best to leave that to the creative team, especially director and DP. But I can see that Netflix is trying to be a trailblazer on this, so from business perspective I'm sure it makes sense. I just remember the mandates against RED cameras in the early days and didn't like it then either.

Whatever Peter uses for a camera it will look amazing, so no worries there. I'm just thinking of the overall policy.
 
i have a doubt.

Isn't only upscaling forbidden if you deliver and sell a 4k master but you could sell it as a 2k master? (if shot in >2k)

Pat
 
Patrick Tresch said:
i have a doubt.

Isn't only upscaling forbidden if you deliver and sell a 4k master but you could sell it as a 2k master? (if shot in >2k)
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Peter isn't "selling" the movie. He is shooting the movie for Netflix. There is a fairly large difference between those two things.

Alex's document link is correct and I also got "official word". No upscaling on Netflix productions.
 
Phil Holland said:
Peter isn't "selling" the movie. He is shooting the movie for Netflix. There is a fairly large difference between those two things.

Alex's document link is correct and I also got "official word". No upscaling on Netflix productions.
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Well I know Peter is a cinematographer. ;-)

I read the paper as you and it's stated "no upscaling possible" BUT Netflix could accept a movie shot today in 2k and sell it (to the audience) as a 2k movie (no upscaling in that case). This is a point wich is not yet clear in the white paper as they also speak about SD and HD movies generated in those format wich are also acceptable (due to the time they where made or what ever reason).

Pat
 
Thanks everyone. I agree that Netflix should not mandate a camera. And I don't know how I feel about them not accepting up rez either. But it is a good thing for Red and this community.
 
Patrick Tresch said:
But do they accept a 2k master for a 2k delivery to the audience?
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The simple answer is since Netflix buys previously released content it's obviously "possible" to have a 2K master and have it released. That's what the vast majority of their library is.

The difference here is that this is a Netflix production and the standard is UHD 4K delivery and 4K/4K+ capture for their projects.
 
Peter Lyons Collister said:
The director wants to use Alexa.
Peter
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But isn't the director hiring you to capture his vision? Whenever a director has a preference for the camera to be used - I'm always curious WHY he or she wants that tool. Does the director have a specific technical or creative concern that he/she feels will only be realized by that specific tool? I would address that first. 99% of the time - it's just a comfort level of what they know.
 
Our understanding echoes Phil's --
Netflix produced content: no longer permits upscaled -- even if it's in camera (a la Arri mini or Amira)
Netflix purchased: permits some amount of upscaling

I suspect anamorphics on your Alexa would work??
 
Peter Lyons Collister said:
Thanks everyone. I agree that Netflix should not mandate a camera. And I don't know how I feel about them not accepting up rez either. But it is a good thing for Red and this community.
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I just looked over Netflix guidelines, and I can't find anything that specifies cameras. They just stress following, and I quote:
Up-resing of content is disallowed. 4K video must come from a true 4K source and maintain unity in 4K.

Not sure why everybody makes such a fuzz about this.
Any serious content distributer has its guidelines, thats nothing new.
Without that, you have YouTube, where even animated GIF is ok, or a still with music.

From the looks of it Netflix does not care about cameras, they care about quality.
 
Peter Lyons Collister said:
Thanks everyone. I agree that Netflix should not mandate a camera. And I don't know how I feel about them not accepting up rez either. But it is a good thing for Red and this community.
Click to expand...

They don't mandate a camera. They do mandate the minimum capture format resolution. We have done Netflix shows shot on Red, F55, and F65 as "A" cameras, with additional footage shot on Blackmagic 4K Cinema camera, Canon 1D, GoPro 4K, and Panasonic GH4, among others. All of those are acceptable, as would be the Panasonic Varicam 35.

If your director is really insistent on Alexa, he can appeal to the folks at Netflix. But he'll lose.
 
I still want to know if Netflix will accept this:

Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-1.15.43-am.png
 
Peter,
i think the netflix vs alexa started before alexa could do internal 4k (which ever way they arrive at that).
im sure if it looks good and a 4k screen they will accept it. they dont care if it says alexa,sony,red...

if not then the argument about a 4k iphone can come into play.

numbers are just numbers. its how it looks that matters. - at least ro me:)
 
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