Netflix entered the world of content production with its first Original title in 2012 and has since grown to produce over 700 Original titles around the world. Spanning pre-production (planning, budgeting, etc.), production (principal photography), post-production (editing, sound mixing, etc.), and localization and quality control (subtitle creation, resolving technical glitches, etc.), content production is a complex operation that consumes and generates significant amounts of data. Throughout this process, the application of analytics, machine learning, and optimization can unlock deeper insight. Translating this insight into actionable recommendations alongside creative teams can introduce tremendous efficiency and scalability into the production process. In this talk, we’ll discuss how data science can help tackle critical challenges in the production space, as well as opportunities on the horizon in a transforming entertainment industry.

Jen Walraven leads Physical Production Science and Analytics at Netflix. Her team drives data science initiatives throughout the Netflix Studio, partnering with creative teams to inform and empower global production of Netflix Original content. Prior to joining Netflix, Jen led the Data Engineering team at Nomis Solutions, focusing on data strategy and scalable infrastructure in the financial services industry. She has also worked on customer and financial fraud analytics at several consulting firms. Jen holds a BA in Computer Science from UC Berkeley.