Netflix, the premiere online video streaming service, recently approved FullPostAsia, Inc. (FPA), a local post production company with over 20 years of combined creative and technical experience, to create and deliver Interoperable Master Format or IMF packages.
FullPostAsia has thus become one of the key post prod facilities in the Philippines to secure this approval from the American media services provider and production company.
Netflix, which allows members to watch films and shows without commercials on an internet-connected device, has recently benefited from improved business operations during the quarantine period.
“There was a month-long training period for accreditation that involved both technical and hands-on examinations,” FullPostAsia CEO and President John Anthony L. Wong recounted. After its accreditation, FPA has now become a “fulfillment partner” of Netflix.
IMF is the mastering format being utilized by the subscription-based streaming service.
This file format is more robust because of its technical specifications. The standard encoding setting for each IMF package is four times that of a Digital Cinema Package (DCP). It can also handle both HDR and SDR Color reproduction. Currently, the format supports HD and Ultra HD 4K resolutions at varying frame rates. It supports all major audio formats ranging from the usual Stereo mix to the 5.1 and 7.1 norm, up to the de facto Dolby Atmos format. The componentized media format gives the opportunity for producers to future proof their content.
Wong stressed that preparing an IMF package is not a simple point-and-click procedure. “It requires a detailed naming convention and a thorough understanding of the standard audio and video specifications,” he added.
FullPostAsia is currently working on two local titles, one of which is “Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story,” the Philippines’ first fully animated film on Netflix set to premiere on October 29, 2020.
The Avid Liongoren film, set in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, has a voice ensemble that includes Angelica Panganiban, Robin Padilla, Sam Milby, Empoy Marquez, Piolo Pascual, Arci Muñoz, Eugene Domingo, Yeng Constantino, Moira dela Torre, and Bb. Joyce Bernal.
“The plan is to offer IMF creation and delivery across South East Asia and make the Philippines a hub for this kind of service,” Wong, fully aware of the rapidly growing streaming media landscape, revealed. “We specialize in providing world-class post production services for feature films, commercials and animated projects. You can expect the highest level of quality with an internationally recognized team using the latest software available today.”
