
Using Local Zones, Netflix can run latency-sensitive workloads closer to artists, helping to deliver a seamless content-creation experience. As infrastructure that is deployed and operated by AWS, Local Zones place core compute storage and networking services closer to users and data sources. Netflix uses Local Zones to access select AWS services closer to its artists and to achieve single-digit millisecond latency from its studios to the Local Zones.


Netflix explored several cloud solutions that would facilitate low latency, and it eventually decided to deploy its applications closer to artists using Local Zones. To keep its remote workstations running smoothly, Netflix wanted to reduce application latency so that its artists could create content from their home offices or animation hubs without experiencing interruptions or lag. Historically, artists had specialized machines built for them at their desks now, we are working to move their workstations to AWS to take advantage of the cloud.” These artists need specialized hardware and access to petabytes of images to create stunning visual effects and animations. “To meet that demand, we are hiring some of the best artistic talent from all over the world. “Netflix is poised to become one of the world’s most prolific producers of visual effects and original animated content,” says Stephen Kowalski, director of digital production infrastructure engineering at Netflix. The company’s remote workstations are powered by Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), which offers secure and resizable compute capacity for virtually any workload.

So in 2019, Netflix built its VFX studio on NICE DCV, a high-performance remote display protocol that provides customers with a secure way to deliver remote desktops and application streaming from virtually any cloud or data center to any device. To recruit talent across the world, the company needed remote workstations that could provide similar performance to those available to employees in Netflix’s studio headquarters. As one of the world’s leading entertainment services, Netflix streams content in over 190 countries.
