How Netflix's Senna Series Got Nearly Everything Right

      Netflix via YouTube

      Today marks what would have been Ayrton Senna's 65th birthday. In honor of the cherished Formula 1 world champion, the two entertainment giants involved in the racing icon's latest documentary have unveiled some remarkable behind-the-scenes footage highlighting the meticulous effort behind the lifelike cars, tracks, and other elements of the Senna series.

      Visual effects and animation studio Scanline VFX, along with series director Vicente Amorim, crafted the most intricate Senna scripts to date. Back in December, Bianca Senna, Ayrton's niece and the current CEO of the Senna brands, shared that Amorim is a dedicated Senna enthusiast aiming to depict the three-time champion’s story with unwavering authenticity.

      Now, a four-minute YouTube clip illustrates the extensive work undertaken by studios in Vancouver, Seoul, Montreal, and Los Angeles to perfect every component of the production. From advanced CGI to scanning racetracks, consulting F1 professionals (including Ayrton’s nephew Bruno), and interacting with the Senna family about their most personal memories, the team managed to bring even the smallest details to life for millions of viewers around the globe.

      The total expenditure for this project is reportedly around $170 million, making it one of the most costly productions in Netflix's history. Scanline alone employed 300 people on this venture and contributed 390 racing shots throughout the series. As Amorim rightly states at the beginning of the video, the stakes were incredibly high.

      “The greatest challenge with a project like Senna is that you’re recreating something real that people are very familiar with, so you can’t afford any inaccuracies.”

      This required a meticulous focus on track layouts, era-appropriate signage, sponsors, competitors, and even weather conditions. Most scenes were filmed at the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez in Buenos Aires, Argentina, although several scenes were also shot in Brazil.

      The series, which premiered on November 29, spent five weeks among the Netflix Global Top 10 for non-English shows and ranked in the Top 10 across 58 countries.

      To return to the main topic: How Netflix's Senna Series Achieved Nearly Everything. The technical, brief answer to that inquiry lies in technology, special effects, and similar elements. However, the true answer stems from a highly passionate team with the necessary resources, intent on creating a work that would make F1’s greatest legend proud.

      Happy birthday, Ayrton.

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