Animation Studio Streamlining Collaboration with Frame.io and Isilon

The company operates within the animation, visual effects (VFX), and gaming industry, managing large-scale digital design projects involving substantial raw media files. Their workflow supports collaboration between internal teams and external vendors, requiring robust file sharing and asset management to handle complex pipelines and high-resolution content. Their internal network includes high-end storage solutions and 10-gigabit connectivity to support intensive data throughput demands.

Currently, the company relies on Frame.io for external media management and sharing with companies and vendors, using it primarily for work-in-progress review and approval. Internally, they utilize a combination of proprietary short grid and internal pipelines connected to Isilon storage systems within a high-speed network environment. Editing and compositing tools include Foundry Nuke Studio and RVMate, reflecting their specialized VFX and animation workflows.

While Frame.io serves well for company-facing review and approval, it does not fully address the company’s need for an integrated, centralized platform that supports both internal and external workflows. The separation between internal storage and external sharing platforms creates inefficiencies and potential bottlenecks in asset discovery, file streaming, and final delivery processes. Managing large uncompressed and compressed raw footage files (notably .exr files, ranging from 34MB to 70MB per frame) demands a more streamlined, scalable system that can handle heavy file sizes without sacrificing speed or accessibility.

Shade offers a unified platform that integrates internal media management with external company workflows, enabling seamless asset management, file streaming, and search capabilities across the entire production pipeline. Shade’s web-based and native applications provide device-agnostic access (Mac, PC, Linux, mobile, iPad), facilitating remote collaboration and scalable deployment. By combining file discovery, review and approval, final delivery, and distribution into one platform, Shade reduces friction between internal teams and external vendors, eliminating the need to switch between separate systems. This holistic approach supports the company’s heavy VFX pipeline more effectively and accelerates project timelines.