Download Materials
When creating final assets to fulfill a Source Request in Backlot, you may need certain materials to get started on your work. The Download Materials page in Backlot aggregates the specific assets needed on one easy-to-use page.
This guide is a comprehensive overview of everything to know about the Download Materails page. You can jump directly to the instructions for how to perform a download in the section Download.
Table of Contents
Accessing Download Materials
There are three ways to access Download Materials in Backlot.
- From the Source Request Details page select the “Download Materials” tab from the upper right corner. This will allow you to download materials for that single request.
- From the Source Management Dashboard, hover over a single source request, then select the download arrow icon that appears. This will allow you to download materials for that single request.
- From the Source Management Dashboard select multiple Source Requests, then click the download arrow icon from the toolbar that appears at the bottom of the page. This will allow you to download materials in “bulk” across several requests.
Discover Assets
Download Materials consists of the following sections that provide a swift and easy way to discover, filter, sort, and gain context across all available Asset Types:
- Header
- Note - If source requests are selected in bulk from the Dashboard, a header will not be displayed.
- Groups
- Asset List
- Actions
5. Asset Details Panel
- When you click on a file name in the first column in the Asset List, the Asset Details Panel will open on the right side of the page with additional metadata and information.
Groups
The left-side Groups section provides a quick way to filter specific assets in the Asset List.
My Downloads displays only those assets where you have initiated a download. This assumes the download was successful. It could also reveal “Download” when the transfer is initiated but the download did not complete. In a future update, we will extend this functionality to show only when download is complete.
Newly Added/Updated displays only the assets that have been delivered or have had a QC status update in the last 7 calendar days.
- Newly Added means that the file has been delivered in the last 7 days.
- Updated means that the file has had a QC Status update in the last 7 days.
All Available Materials displays only the assets that are currently available to download.
All is the default group view for the Asset List. All possible materials are grouped by Asset Type, showing both those available for download and those that are not.
- Selecting an Asset Type under "All" will filter the Asset List to only show that specific Asset Type.
- Asset Types that have files available to download have a number count next to them, indicating the total number of files available.
- Asset Types with grayed-out text indicate that there is no downloadable material available at this time.
- Asset Types with no available files will also not have checkboxes in the Asset List, another indication that there are no materials to download at this time.
The Groups panel can be:
- Resized by dragging the edge with your mouse.
- Hidden completely by using the collapse icon.
Asset List
"Asset Type/Filename" Column
- The Asset Type/Filename column displays files grouped by their Asset Type and the original Filename as it was provided to Netflix.
- Expand and collapse an Asset Type’s group by selecting the caret icon in its row.
“Title” Column
- Displays the title the file is associated with.
"QC Status" Column
- Applicable audio assets will be marked with a QC label in the QC status column
- QC Pending - The audio asset has no associated AssetQC instance, or an associated AssetQC instance that is anything but “Passed” or “Passed with Issues”
- Ready for Mix - The audio asset has an associated AssetQC instance associated that is “Passed” or “Passed with Issues”
- The QC Status column allows you to filter the Asset List to files that have specific QC Statuses.
"Newly Added" Column
- The “Newly Added” column will display a label when there is an asset that has been delivered or has had a QC status update in the last 7 calendar days. Assets with this label are also filtered by the Newly Added/Updated group.
"My Downloads" Column
- Displays a label when there is an asset that has a previously initiated download. Files with this label are also filtered by the My Downloads group.
- Reminder: that the Asset List will display the "Downloaded" label when a download has been initiated. It does not necessarily indicate that the download has completed. Downloads are managed by Aspera Connect and progress can be monitored through the Aspera window.
- If a newer version of this asset type is delivered, the “Downloaded” label will remove itself.
Note - An orange “Processing” label may display in this column when downloading a Proxy file. See more information about proxies in the Downloading a Proxy File section of this article.
"Delivered On" Column
- “Delivered On” column shows when the file was delivered and processed into the Netflix ecosystem. This timestamp will not match the creation date & time of the asset.
Asset List Actions
There are additional actions that you can take to further customize the display of information in the Asset List.
- Use the "Collapse/Expand All" button to open or close all Asset Type groups in the Asset List.
- A column can be resized by dragging the edge of its header with the mouse.
- Columns can be reordered by dragging a column header to its desired placement.
- The Asset Type/Filename is not able to move.
Filtering Columns
Each column has a filter that can effect what is displayed in the Asset List.
-
Text Filters
- Type a value into the text field to display only the files that contain that string.
- Applicable on the Asset Type/Filename and Title columns.
-
Status Label Filters
- Select a label to display only the titles that have the status label applied.
- Applicable on the QC Status, Newly Added, and My Downloads columns.
-
Date Filter
- Select a date to view all files delivered on that date.
- Applicable on the Delivered on column.
Use the “Reset Filters” button to reset the Asset List to its defaults.
Asset Details
Each individual file has detailed context that can be accessed by selecting the file in the Asset List and opening the right-side Asset Details panel.
The Detail tab displays important metadata about the actual file. The metadata shown varies by what is relevant to the asset type.
The “Version” field will display the same status labels shown in the Asset List indicating:
- The current version of the file
- Newly Added
- Whether the file was Updated if applicable
- Its QC Status if applicable
- Whether file has been downloaded
The Update History tab tracks the version history of this Asset Type. If the Asset Type qualifies for QC, the QC status changes will be displayed.
The Download History tab lists all download activity for a given partner, so you can not only see what you have downloaded, but also what your colleagues have downloaded. It displays username, version, and date & time stamps for the download.
The Asset Details panel also includes a button to initiate a download for that specific file.
Download
There are multiple ways to select assets to download.
- Select all available assets by marking the checkbox in the top-left corner of the Asset Type/Title column.
- Select all assets of a specific type by marking the checkbox of an Asset Type.
- Select individual assets by marking the checkbox in its row.
Please note, Download Materials only provides download access for the most current version of each file.
Once selected, the asset count is reflected in the top-right corner of the screen. Select the “Download” button to begin transfer.
A download can also be initiated from the Asset Details panel. Only this asset will be downloaded, even If other assets are selected for download in the Asset List.
Once a download is initiated, the Asset List will immediately apply the Downloaded label. Remember that the label is applied when you select the Download button, not when the download is completed.
Once a download is initiated you can track the progress of the download via the Aspera Connect client.
Downloading Proxy Files
Normally, Proxy files are created in advance and ready for download. In some rare instances, the Proxy pool will be depleted of available assets and upon initiating a download, we will need to generate a watermarked Proxy on-demand. These assets will be labeled as "Processing"in the Download column until the file has completed processing and is ready to download.
The Asset Detail panel will also display that the file is "Not Available”. An orange "Processing" label will display and the “Download” button will inactivate until the Proxy is ready to download.
You will receive an email notification when the watermarked Proxy is ready for download.
Once the proxy has processed you may return to Download Materials and initiate the download.
Support
If you have further questions regarding how to use the Backlot Download Materials page, please SUBMIT A TICKET.