THE CLOUD’S SILVER LININGS
The cloud is not just for big brands. It can also be a godsend to start-ups, like Warsaw-based company Klik Lekarz. “We use a mix of cloud-based tools across the production pipeline,” says the firm’s content creator, Natalia Szubrycht. “For collaboration and feedback, we rely on Frame.io for real-time video review with sponsors and editors. For remote editing and media storage, Blackmagic Cloud allows shared project files and timeline syncing across locations. For live events, we use cloud encoders and virtual production tools to stream directly to YouTube, Twitch and branded platforms – managing overlays, graphics and viewer interactions from the cloud. “Cloud services dramatically reduce the need for high-end local hardware and allow flexible collaboration. I can onboard new team members instantly, scale up production without investing in new infrastructure and work from anywhere with a stable connection. Turnaround times are shorter, and it’s much easier to maintain version control on shared assets. Making more with less “Professional remote multicam editing and live streaming with dynamic overlays would have been unthinkable without a full crew and studio just a few years ago. Now, I can produce high- quality branded content and live events from a laptop.” Szubrycht finds that the primary challenges of the cloud are bandwidth and data security. “Large media files require fast upload speeds, so we’ve invested in redundant internet connections and cloud-optimised formats to streamline uploads. For security, we implement two- factor authentication and cloud encryption, and limit access privileges to those who need them. Training collaborators on secure file handling is also
crucial. We’ve also upgraded our network set-up and added a local NAS system as a hybrid backup.” Overall, the cloud has made the company’s production pipeline far more nimble and scalable. “It enables real-time content creation and distribution for brand partners – which is a major competitive edge. It’s also allowed us to take on more ambitious projects with minimal overhead, expand globally without opening new offices and diversify by offering remote production services. In a fast- paced digital media landscape, this flexibility is key to staying relevant and profitable.” One piece of advice for newbies? “It’s a mindset shift,” concludes Szubrycht. “You need to think of the cloud not just as storage, but as the backbone of an agile production ecosystem.” » I can onboard new team members instantly, scale up production without investing in new infrastructure and work anywhere «
with media from wherever they are, without needing local high-end hardware or duplication of files. By offloading rendering to the cloud, artists and post-production teams can free up time to work on other tasks while rendering what happens in the background.” Andrew Lokenauth, an analyst and consultant, recently set up a virtual production system for a studio. “It’s an entire green-screen environment rendered in real time through the cloud, where directors can adjust scenes on the fly,” he says. Because data can be anywhere, so can people. “The cloud enables the sending of live feeds to a broadcast team anywhere in the world,” notes Helen Matthews, senior market analyst for pro video at Futuresource Consulting. “A good example is Riot Games, which hosts esports events across the globe. It has three identical remote production studios – in Asia, Ireland and North America – and all its events are produced in one of these. It means no one has to work unsociable hours, and teams
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