Best Practices: Backlot Delivery Instructions for Textless Version IMF Packages

Context

We require a title to deliver both an Original Language Version IMF Package and a Textless Version IMF Package for service, archival, and downstream purposes. This document outlines best delivery practices for that Textless Version. For definitions on specific terminology used in this article, please reference the Netflix IMF Glossary .

Textless IMF Workflow

The Textless Version IMF Package must be created and delivered after the Original Language Version IMF is approved by Netflix. The Textless Version IMF Package should be created as a supplemental package based on the approved Original Language Version IMF Package, by replacing Texted elements with their Textless counterparts throughout the timeline.

If creating a Textless Supplemental IMF Package that only contains the inserts does not make sense operationally (e.g. because of a large number of Textless inserts), a full-length textless video track Supplemental IMF Package can be delivered instead. The new Supplemental IMF Package should only contain an updated video track. The existing audio tracks should stay unchanged. Please reach out to your Netflix representative if you intend to deliver as a new full-length video track supplemental.

The recommended procedure for generating a Textless Version IMF Package is listed below:

Create a full program, Original Language Version IMF complete package that includes Texted Elements in the video track. We recommend reviewing our IMF File Naming Structure - Best Practices article prior to exporting.
If a fix is needed - open the Original Language Version IMF package (that has been successfully delivered / processed in Backlot) into your IMF authoring tool, apply the fix on the timeline and export an Original Language Version Supplemental IMF package for delivery. Multiple iterations may be required before the Original Language Version IMF package is approved.
Once the Original Language Version has passed QC, proceed with creation of the Textless Version Supplemental IMF package, open the last successfully delivered and approved Original Language Version IMF package in your IMF authoring tool, replace the Texted Elements with their Textless counterparts, and then generate the Textless Version Supplemental IMF package (either one that only contains the inserts or a full-length textless video track). Note: While the Source Request for the Textless IMF Package is an AV(Muxed) request by default, it will accept a Supplemental IMF Package. In the case of a Textless Supplemental IMF Package, the new CPL will reference the previously delivered media as well as the new Textless insert media.

Updates

If an update that affects the Original Language Version is needed AFTER the Textless Version IMF package is delivered and processed in Backlot, both the Original Language Version and the Textless Version Video source requests will be opened for redelivery by your Netflix Representative.

It is important that all updates are implemented on both the Original Language Version and the Textless Version, resulting in two Supplemental IMF packages for a single update. The update workflow should run as follows:

Open your Original Language Version IMF package in your authoring tool, apply the update on the timeline then export as a supplemental. To ensure no errors arise, please double check you are using the last successfully delivered and approved Original Language Version IMF package to create the Original Language Version Supplemental IMF package.
Open the Textless Version IMF package in your authoring tool, insert the same update on the timeline, then export as a Supplemental IMF package. To ensure no errors arise, please double check you are using the last successfully delivered and approved Textless IMF package to create the Textless Supplemental IMF package.

Delivering the Textless IMF package into Backlot

The Textless Version IMF package will need to be uploaded to its own Backlot package ID. To identify which source request to deliver into, there will be a tag called “Textless Version.”

To see the tag, you will need to customize your column view and select ‘Tags’ from the Backlot: Manage Requests dashboard as seen in the following screenshot:

For example, if you look at the images below, you’ll notice that one of the requests is tagged as “Textless Version” and has a different Package ID. The “Textless Version” tag is used to indicate that the request will be receiving the Textless Version IMF package.

QC For The Textless IMF Package

Technical Inspection:

The Textless Version Supplemental IMF package will be used to generate derivatives from the Original Language Version IMF. In order to ingest correctly, the contents need to adhere to the original parameters of the Original Language Version IMF package (Frame Size, Aspect Ratio, Frame Rate, etc.). Once uploaded to Backlot our inspection service will validate for technical compliance ensuring the received asset can be encoded into the Netflix ecosystem. It is the delivery partner's responsibility to perform a thorough review prior to delivery to confirm all necessary textless inserts are correct and present.