Since our inception and through our experiences in the Media and Entertainment industry, and at various trade shows, we have witnessed cloud technologies being touted as revolutionary solutions for nearly every aspect of media production. While cloud technologies have indeed proven beneficial in many areas, they often remain cumbersome and overly complex in others. Examples of these challenges include configuring and setting up cloud-based infrastructure (such as AWS), managing user accounts and access permissions, and the limited functionality of basic cloud storage access.
In this blog, we will introduce the tools and features we’ve developed to streamline the integration of cloud technologies into your post-production workflow. We will also demonstrate how our solutions enable seamless camera-to-cloud workflows using the same ingesting tools you are already familiar with.
Cloud Workspaces
With the addition of the cloud workspaces feature to the ELEMENTS Client, we’ve overcome several efficiency hurdles that have previously slowed the adoption of cloud storage. This feature makes accessing the cloud as straightforward as using a regular shared storage mount, providing a more intuitive experience compared to typical browser-based access.
To mount cloud workspaces, users log into the ELEMENTS Client with their credentials. For added security, two-factor authentication can be required. Once logged in, users can view only the shared and cloud workspaces they have permissions for. A cloud icon next to the workspace name, as seen with the LA Shoot workspace, indicates it is a cloud workspace. In this instance, the LA Shoot workspace is stored on an S3 Bucket hosted on AWS. With a single click, users can mount or unmount any workspace. Mounted cloud workspaces appear just like local or shared storage drives and can be used in the same way, simplifying the workflow and enhancing productivity.
This method of accessing cloud storage offers precise control over access permissions. The ELEMENTS UI enables you to grant workspace access to individual users or groups with just a few clicks. Once permissions are granted, users can immediately mount the workspace in the ELEMENTS Client.
Cloud workspaces provide an easy and intuitive way for users to access cloud storage. Additionally, they enable applications to utilize cloud storage that would normally not support this functionality.
Ingesting Workflows
To execute secure camera offloads and backups to multiple locations, manage metadata, and maintain structured footage management, media professionals often use ingesting solutions like Hedge OffShoot, ShotPut Pro, and Silverstack. These tools enable fast, checksum-verified data transfers, creating multiple copies, backups, and archives from various sources simultaneously.
However, these ingesting tools typically support cloud storage as a destination only through their specific cloud integrations, limiting you to their provided options. For instance, OffShoot currently supports AWS S3, Generic S3, and Backblaze B2, while Silverstack is restricted to S3-compatible providers only. This limitation can be a hurdle if you use Microsoft Azure or another cloud storage service.
Our Cloud Workspaces feature addresses this limitation by allowing the ELEMENTS Client to mount cloud storage as a local drive. This enables you to select cloud storage as a destination for ingesting software such as Hedge OffShoot, ShotPut Pro, Silverstack, and others, facilitating direct ingestion of media into the cloud, even if the software does not natively support cloud ingestion.
On set, users can upload footage to the cloud while simultaneously creating a local backup. They can also access and browse the media already stored in the cloud directly through macOS Finder or Windows Explorer.
Additionally, as your footage uploads to the cloud, it will automatically become accessible in our advanced browser-based media asset management platform, ELEMENTS Media Library.
Media Library
The volume of footage available to a typical media production company is staggering, often dispersed across various locations, archives, and cloud storage, rather than being centralized in one hot storage system. As a result, having an efficient Media Asset Manager (MAM) to manage, organize, and catalog this footage has become crucial in modern media workflows.
We’ve expanded the traditional MAM concept with the ELEMENTS Media Library, which offers unparalleled capabilities for collaboration, sharing, and editing. With robust integrations for Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer, the Media Library can be accessed globally. Importantly, there are no per-user licensing fees, allowing you to include as many users as needed without incurring additional costs.
The Media Library facilitates seamless access and management of your content, whether it’s stored locally or in the cloud. There’s no need for media check-ins; once footage is placed into a local or cloud workspace, the Media Library automatically recognizes it and enables full use of its collaboration, sharing, and editing features.
Beyond managing footage across hot storage, cloud, and archives, the Media Library connects multiple geographically dispersed production facilities into a unified global collaboration environment. Each connected facility can browse and preview media from all other locations. This includes integration with portable storage systems like the ELEMENTS CUBE, which maintains connectivity with post-production facilities while on set. This functionality supports camera-to-cloud workflows and allows real-time preview of newly created footage by everyone in the company.
Conclusion
The ELEMENTS cloud workspaces feature addresses the challenge of cloud storage integration that many applications still face. It allows users to interact with cloud storage in the same straightforward manner as a USB drive or shared storage drive, enabling cloud workspaces to be used as sources or destinations for ingesting software. This solution eliminates the need for extensive training on cloud storage and simplifies the management of multiple login credentials. With ELEMENTS, users can access local shared storage, cloud workspaces, and the Media Library all through a single account, with the option to enhance security further with two-factor authentication.
This approach significantly improves access permission management for cloud storage. You can create and manage numerous cloud workspaces, and the ELEMENTS UI makes it effortless to grant or revoke access for individual users or groups. Additionally, Active Directory integration is available for streamlined user and permission management.
Our advanced Media Asset Management tool, the Media Library, is fully compatible with cloud workspaces. Once footage and files are uploaded to your cloud, Media Library allows you to preview, comment, and add markers, as well as utilize other collaboration features. You can share media with anyone inside or outside your organization, create rough cuts, and leverage extensive integrations with Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer, among other capabilities.
For more information about our cloud solutions, please feel free to contact us.
