3 Keys to Supporting Post-Production Innovation

Ultra-high-definition cameras generate huge files: 4K footage has four times the data as full HD and 8K footage has 16 times the data. AR and VR cameras film up to 360-degree views—from multiple cameras at the same time—and all that data must be readily accessible to a viewer at any given moment. 

Production and post-production companies need readily accessible storage systems that can handle this enormous increase in project size. But today’s storage solutions cannot simply ingest and store files; companies also need systems that facilitate the creative work to be done with those files, whether providing near-zero lag time and low to no compression for editing or accessibility to a global team of VFX artists.

The optimal storage solution for each organization is as personal and unique as the creative work itself. From transferring data via physical enclosures to sharing files in a hybrid or multicloud environment, there are benefits to every option, depending on the need. 

Here are three key considerations to make when upgrading your storage infrastructure to support innovative production technology. 

The intricate movement of data in an increasingly varied ecosystem of on-prem or cloud compounds data management challenges for many businesses. Most enterprise IT decision makers know they need to implement proper DataOps—a discipline focused on connecting data creators with data consumers. For post-production, personnel must be able to access and work with data and files whenever they need them, often in real time. Post-production teams need source files with full resolution to have the best image quality possible, with low to no compression. They need to be able to open, play, and edit those files without any lag or dropped frames, which can be challenging, particularly over a shared network system.

To meet this requirement, more and more organizations are migrating to cloud-based storage solutions. But not all cloud-based solutions are equal.

Example

Post-production companies should think critically about where theirdata is stored. For example, companies that mainly rely on public cloud storage can free up much-needed overhead in local environments. But as data volume increases, so does the time required to move information back and forth from on-site to in-cloud servers, such as transferring a day’s footage from the set to the post-house or archive.

Enterprises need ways to efficiently move petabyte scales of dataacross storage systems. Attempts to move data at scale usingnetworks would consume virtually all throughput for extended periods. For example, moving just 20TB of data with a 100Mbps upload speedwould take more than 20 days. Even with gigabit-speed optical-fiberservice, assuming an average sustained upload speed of 800Mbps, itwould take 2.5 days to upload 20TB—and almost a week to upload50TB. Networks just aren’t fast or cost-effective enough to regularlymove terabyte- or petabyte-scale data sets.

Why It’s Important

So how do we solve for the challenge of where data should be storedand how to best transfer it there? The most efficient solution formany post-production organizations is a mix of public and privatecloud storage working in tandem (hybrid cloud) or multiple cloudstorage systems running independently in parallel (multicloud).Storage solutions that fit a hybrid or multicloud strategy are all aboutmaximizing efficiency, from ROI and cost to data transfer speed andaccessibility. Versatility is key as well; today’s M&E companies need theability to craft the cloud strategy that makes the most sense for currentand future production needs.

With the introduction of Seagate Lyve™ Cloud storage as a serviceand Lyve Mobile data transfer as a service, organizations now have aflexible, financially-predictable option. The Seagate Lyve Mass StoragePlatform gives post-production companies the ability to implement thebest storage architecture for their needs.

The intricate movement of data in an increasingly varied ecosystem of on-prem or cloud compounds data management challenges for many businesses. Most enterprise IT decision makers know they need to implement proper DataOps—a discipline focused on connecting  data creators with data consumers. For post-production, personnel must be able to access and work with data and files whenever they need them, often in real time. Post-production teams need source files with full resolution to have the best image quality possible, with low to  no compression. They need to be able to open, play, and edit those files without any lag or dropped frames, which can be challenging, particularly over a shared network system.

To meet this requirement, more and more organizations are migrating to cloud-based storage solutions. But not all cloud-based solutions are equal.

Example

Post-production companies should think critically about where their data is stored. For example, companies that mainly rely on public cloud storage can free up much-needed overhead in local environments. But as data volume increases, so does the time required to move information back and forth from on-site to in-cloud servers, such as transferring a day’s footage from the set to the post-house or archive. 

Enterprises need ways to efficiently move petabyte scales of data across storage systems. Attempts to move data at scale using networks would consume virtually all throughput for extended periods. For example, moving just 20TB of data with a 100Mbps upload speed would take more than 20 days. Even with gigabit-speed optical-fiberservice, assuming an average sustained upload speed of 800Mbps, it would take 2.5 days to upload 20TB—and almost a week to upload 50TB. Networks just aren’t fast or cost-effective enough to regularly move terabyte- or petabyte-scale data sets. 

Why It’s Important

So how do we solve for the challenge of where data should be stored and how to best transfer it there? The most efficient solution for many post-production organizations is a mix of public and private cloud storage working in tandem (hybrid cloud) or multiple cloud storage systems running independently in parallel (multicloud). Storage solutions that fit a hybrid or multicloud strategy are all about maximizing efficiency, from ROI and cost to data transfer speed and accessibility. Versatility is key as well; today’s M&E companies need the ability to craft the cloud strategy that makes the most sense for current and future production needs.

With the introduction of Seagate Lyve™ Cloud storage as a service and Lyve Mobile data transfer as a service, organizations now have a flexible, financially-predictable option. The Seagate Lyve Mass Storage Platform gives post-production companies the ability to implement the best storage architecture for their needs.

The dependability and security of a storage solution is the final key to consider. It goes without saying that failing to save a grading session or a crashing drive during an edit can be catastrophic. From ingest to production, to archive and re-use, reliability and data security are critical. At the same time, organizations need not only durability and availability of the data, but also data security capabilities so that only those with specific permissions have access to the data they need.

There wasn’t a standard storage solution that works for all stages of the data lifecycle until now, with Seagate Lyve.

Example

Lost or leaked footage can mean the end of a production. If you shoot a scene and lose that footage hours, days, or even weeks later, it is almost impossible to consider re-shooting the same scene. Multiple backups help  ensure that footage isn’t lost, but it can be a slow process.

Leaked content can also compromise productions. If a film or event is leaked prior to the official release or broadcast date, it could lead to lost  sales, bad press, and even the project’s cancellation. The risk of leaked content is highest during data transportation.

Why It’s Important

When film production companies have massive amounts of data to back up and transport every day, Lyve Mobile solutions offer fast transfer speeds to reduce time to transfer, sometimes from hours to just minutes. By providing mass storage capacity, capacity is never an issue during a backup. And because these solutions are portable andruggedized, they’re particularly suitable to transport content from production studio or shooting location to postproduction studios or archival data centers.

A unified system like Lyve Mobile also increases dependability through vendor compatibility between on premises drives and cloud-based storage. Not only does this enable greater efficiency through instantaneous file sharing between multiple storage environments, it also more delivers more reliability and helps to ensure production data security and privacy.

Technology like Seagate Secure, which is included with Lyve Mobile solutions, lets you manage Seagate’s self-encrypting drives so your production company can restrict footage access to specific people, with no risk of piracy if a storage solution gets physically lost.

1. Rethink Data: Put More of Your Business Data to Work—From Edge to Cloud, Seagate and IDC, 2020
2. Ibid.
3. Seagate, Data Age 2025, sponsored by Seagate, November 2018
4. Rethink Data: Put More of Your Business Data to Work—From Edge to Cloud, Seagate and IDC, 2020