DEFINITION February 2022 – Newsletter

POST-PRODUCTION AT HOME GE AR .

I n recent years, there have been tremendous advances to remote technology – especially internet bandwidth and low-cost compute and storage resources. We’re finally at a moment in time where working from home is not only a feasible option for larger teams working for major studios, but also for freelance creatives. However, when considering the different set-ups post-production artists require, we must first acknowledge the shared concern all creatives have when working on high-value content from home. Studios are terrified about data breaches – and for good reason. Remember in 2014, when Sony Pictures Entertainment announced it was pulling The Interview ; a comedy about two journalists tasked with killing North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un? The decision came a day after a cryptic message appeared online, threatening attacks against theatres playing that film – and weeks after hackers first breached its system, publishing private (and embarrassing) emails between its employees online. Naturally, breaches occur all the time. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple phishing email for hackers to find a soft spot in a company’s defence – but that risk becomes a lot more tangible when multiple artists are sharing files of content from different locations around the world. Many will be using the cloud to file-share, and although a lot of cloud storage platforms leverage enterprise-level security, it’s worth double-checking they’ve got the right certifications in place. A Trusted Partner Network (TPN) is the universal gold standard, and was launched by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in collaboration with the Content Delivery and Security Association (CDSA). Its aim is to prevent leaks, breaches and hacks of film and TV, by elevating security standards of the production and distribution supply chain. WORKFLOW MAGIC Once these security protocols are in place, there are two types of remote workflow you can adopt for a post-production pipeline: pure cloud or hybrid cloud. Pure cloud workflows can be very appealing, especially if you don’t have the space for on-premises media storage or the engineering

make a couple of clicks to push everything to cloud storage. THE FLEXIBLE OPTION A hybrid cloud workflow means that, while file-sharing can still exist between team members in the cloud, storage and computing hardware is kept on-premises. There are many benefits to this, with off-site backup protection, added security features, remote sync capabilities, extra flexibility and cost reductions. Incorporating the cloud into a traditional workflow is often done by mirroring a traditional bricks- and-mortar facility with a remote desktop tool – and Teradici CAS is the go-to option here. Using PCoIP technology to ensure the data and content never leaves the secure data centre, Teradici CAS connects artists to their remote desktops and workstations. It gives a highly responsive, colour-accurate, lossless and distortion-free experience – where even the most graphics- intensive workloads are in play. For this solution, there can be frustrations with domestic

personnel required to operate large volumes of data. Google Drive and Dropbox are top solutions for smaller post-production teams sharing notes on rough cuts and project briefs, and for referencing mood boards and transmitting WAV files. Google Drive may not open every file online with its own programs, but you can still send files it can’t read natively for download. Dropbox also isn’t designed for video, so uploads could, theoretically, take longer. For productions where budgets aren’t critically questioned, you will need a solid file-sharing platform, such as Frame.io. Used by the likes of Netflix, National Geographic and Fox Sports, it is equipped with incomparable speed, and integrates with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve and Slack. As far as media management software is concerned, Hedge and Postlab are great options. Both are capable of managing different kinds of media while preserving the metadata – and integrate with Frame.io, so you only need to

Did you know?

VFX began moving to the cloud at

scale in 2015. It wasn’t until the pandemic that other post-production processes followed suit.

“For serious productions, where budgets aren’t critically questioned, you’ll need a solid file-sharing platform like Frame.io”

41. FEBRUARY 2022

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