VFX Import & DI Submission - User Guide

Overview

This article describes the steps required to upload, prepare, and submit final VFX Shots to Picture Finishing (DI) for final delivery. See below for more detailed instructions on setting up your environment, uploading data to Content Hub Workspaces, Importing VFX Shots into the Asset library, and submitting those shots to DI for final delivery.

Setup

Please refer to the following document for Content Hub initial setup.

VFX Shot Naming Convention

Before proceeding with your VFX shot upload, please ensure that your show is following the shot naming convention outlined in the VFX Shot and Version Naming guide.

If the naming convention or file types you are using for deliveries on this show differ from what is outlined, please reach out to your Netflix VFX contact.

Import Profile & Folder Structure

Before using the tool, we will ask to share a sample of the VFX Shot Naming and folder structure being used on a project.

If following the VFX Shot and Version Naming guide as recommended below, the default profile should be able to import the assets.

If the VFX Shot Naming and folder structure is different from the guide below, the Netflix team will need to assist to create a custom profile fit for the naming convention/folder structure combination. Please reach out to vfx-support@svc.netflix.net to discuss custom profiles.

Once a profile is established, please do not use a different structure. This will result in a failed import.

Workspace View of Default Folder Structure:

OS X View of Default Folder Structure:

Default Import Profile

All items below should be located directly in the root folder tagged as “Source” when importing from Workspace or Workspace Shares.

Playable Proxies

RD_101_001_0010_AA_v001.mov # [editorial=RD_101_001_0010_AA,
video=RD_101_001_0010_AA, vfx_shot_version=RD_101_001_0010_AA, version=001]

RD_101_001_0010_AA_v001_H264.mov # [preview=H264, video=H264, vfx_shot_version=RD_101_001_0010_AA, version=001]

RD_101_001_0010_AA_v001_4K.mov # [preview=4K, video=4K, vfx_shot_version=RD_101_001_0010_AA, version=001]

Comp Folder

RD_101_001_0010_AA_v001/ # [vfx_shot_version=RD_101_001_0010_AA, version=001]

Comp Image Sequences

RD_101_001_0010_AA_v001.01000-01045.exr # [comp=RD_101_001_0010_AA, shotname=RD_101_001_0010_AA, element.start_frame=01000, element.end_frame=01045]

Matte Folder

RD_101_001_0010_AA_v001_matte/ # [vfx_shot_version=RD_101_001_0010_AA, version=001]

Matte Image Sequences

RD_101_001_0010_AA_v001_matte.01000-01045.exr #
[matte=RD_101_001_0010_AA, shotname=RD_101_001_0010_AA,
element.start_frame=01000, element.end_frame=01045]

VFX to DI Delivery Submission Steps

Step One - Upload

To begin the VFX Shot delivery process, first navigate to the Workspace tab within your project. Second, click on the Workspace Shares tab on the left column. You will see a set of folders shared with you there. Third, locate and hover over the To_Picture_Finishing_"VendorName" folder with your name on it and click the 3 vertical dots on the far right. Select Upload to Folder and then drag and drop your submission into the upload window :

Once the upload has started, you can navigate to the Mailbox tab to begin staging your submission. Please note that any files that fail to completely upload will result in the submission failing.

Step Two - Prepare the submission

Next, navigate to the MAILBOX tab and click “NEW SUBMISSION”. You’ll be prompted to fill out the required fields for this submission:

Asset Type: VFX to DI
Vendor: this is the recipient of the submission, you should see the Post house you are working with for DI in this list.
Submission ID: if you are tracking submissions in a tracking tool, you can use this Submission ID field to correlate this information back to your production management software.
*NOTE - Duplicate Submission IDs are not accepted.

Once this info has been filled out, simply click “CREATE” to create a new empty submission:

Step Three - Import the VFX Shots from Workspaces

Once an empty submission has been created, your next step is to attach VFX Shots to the submission. This can be accomplished in two ways, either by importing these shots from your Workspace, or by browsing the existing VFX Shots in the asset library.

From the details page of the Submission, click the “Add VFX Shots” button, then choose “Import from Workspace”:

Next, from either your Workspaces or the Workspace Shares select the root folder you would like to submit, then click “Review Import”.

By doing this, the Import tool will attempt to extract metadata from the naming convention of the files and folders that were selected. If you do not see results you expect, please contact support@netflixstudios.com and we will help troubleshoot with you.

If the shot metadata looks good to you, select “Import”. Your shots have now been attached to the Submission. You can add more shots to the Submission by adding from the Asset library or by Importing new shots.

*NOTE - The root folder should contain the shot folders, with the files contained inside the shot folders. Do not select the shot folders as the root folder. Please refer to the screenshots of folders in the Import Profile & Folder Structure section.

Step Three - Import the VFX Shots from Assets Library

From the details page of the Submission, click the “Add VFX Shots” button, then choose “Select from Assets Library”:

Once clicked, a window will appear displaying all available assets for import within the project.

Click the checkbox on the left hand side, and once all shots are selected click the blue Add button in the lower right hand corner of the window.

Step Four - Submit

If you have added all of the shots you plan to submit as finals to the DI vendor, simply click the “Submit” button. Upon submit, a notification email will be sent to the DI vendor, and the shots will begin automatically downloading on their end. You’re done!

If you’d like to check on the status of your submission, navigate back to the Mailbox by clicking the back arrow or the Mailbox tab header. Then go to “VFX To Picture Finishing”.

Then click "Submit".